6+Panama+Canal

  Maura D. May 5, 2009   **The Panama Canal   **

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 The Panama Canal is one of the greatest engineering triumphs of the world. It stretches north to south or vice versa, and it is located in Panama. The Panama Canal links the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, making an easier cross from one part of the world to another rather than going around the tip of South America. =====  

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 The Panama Canal has a tough history, but the final product was worth it. The project of the canal was begun by the French in 1881, but was abandoned in 1889. When Panama declared independence from Colombia, the construction was taken over by the United States. It cost 380 million dollars for the United States to build the canal, which opened on August 15, 1914. In 1977, a treaty was made that gave the Panamanians full control over the canal on December 31, 1999. =====  

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<span style="color: rgb(53, 48, 69);"> The Panama Canal wasn’t easy to create. There were many challenges that had to be dealt with. Colonel George Goethals, a U.S. army colonel who was chief engineer, led the making of the canal. U.S. engineers and builders put a lot of effort into the project, and they made sure that it would work properly. The building of the canal wasn’t the only challenge though. Malaria and yellow fever caused major setbacks in the development of the canal until Colonel William Crawford Gorgas of the Medical Corps who was chief sanitary officer, conquered the mosquitoes. Also, there were many debates about whom should have control over the canal, even today people question the treaties made. ===== <span style="color: rgb(53, 48, 69);"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; display: block;"> =<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; display: block;"> =

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<span style="color: rgb(53, 48, 69);">Today the Panama Canal works as sufficiently as it did when it was created, and it is still in great use. About 230 million tons of commercial cargo is shipped through the canal in a single year. Petroleum and petroleum product make up 22% of the annual cargo tonnage. Grains make up 16% of the annual cargo tonnage. And since the canal was created, there has been a large increase in automobile trade. Without the Panama Canal, it would be harder and it would take longer for us to get these needed items. ===== <span style="color: rgb(53, 48, 69);"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; color: rgb(66, 12, 161);">

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<span style="color: rgb(53, 48, 69);">The Panama Canal was a great engineering triumph. It is used by many countries. The U.S. engineers and builders created a lock system that still works well today. The Panama Canal is so special because even though it is almost a hundred years old, it still is in great use today. Google Earth Images:    ===== .