The Panama Canal: Historical Facts

miércoles, 24 de mayo de 2017

The Panama Canal: Historical Facts

The Panama Canal was chosen as one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century, along with the Empire State Building and the CN Tower.

Early explorers had a hard time to find the northwest passage. Christopher Columbus tried to find this passage in his explorations, but he could never accomplish the feat. Many other countries sought to make a canal that could join the Pacific and Atlantic ocean.

The Panama Canal became the answer for that necessity, but it took many years for the project to be finished. Its first steps began with the work of France in 1881, but due to engineering problems, the project was pulled off. The weather was an unexpected problem for the workers, with a raging storm that increased the water flow up to 10 meters; the jungle was full of snakes and spiders. The health measures to control the increasing death rate were ineffective because the threat of the mosquito was unknown back then.

By 1889, De Lesseps kept investing in the project despite the fact that the targets were not being met. His efforts failed, and the project went bankrupt.

It took almost a decade later for the United States to begin building a canal across the Panama isthmus. The project was carried out without complications, as the mosquito issue was kept under control by Dr. William Gorgas, the chief sanitary officer. John Stevens was in charge as the chief engineer, and with his innovative techniques, the project was a success.

It started to draw to a close in 1913. The final explosion was the mark of the end of the canal, and the President Woodrow Wilson did the honors by operating the process via telegraph. The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans were joined at last.

The Panama Canal opened formally on August 15, 1914, and it has suffered continuous developments and significant improvements ever since. The aftermath of World War II caused inevitable tensions between Panama and the United States as Panamanians felt the Canal rightfully belonged to Panama.

Lastly, after negotiations towards a treaty for Panama, both Presidents from each country came to an agreement. On September 7, 1977, the Panamanians would start their mobilizations to earn free control of the canal so long as Panama guaranteed the neutrality of the canal. The full control entered into force on December 31, 1999.

Today, the Panama Canal is the main transport route for cruises and ships as it has reached a capacity of 340.8 million tons of shipping, which is four times more than the estimation made back in 1934. For cruise lines, the Panama Canal represents both a route for tourism and a primarily way to shorten the distances to their destinations. Cruise Planners – Jason Hantman have the best advice on the matter if you’re willing to travel and enjoy what the world has to offer. Contact them!