The Costa Rica & Panama Experience - 2008 - (Page 9)

Panama Canal A Triumph of Human Spirit Very few human endeavors have changed the face of the planet the way the Panama Canal did. The challenges were daunting, to say the least: dig through the Continental Divide, construct the largest earth dam ever made, build the most massive canal locks ever envisioned and create the largest gates ever swung. Technical, environmental and geological obstacles of enormous proportion were tackled in order to successfully complete the undertaking of the Panama Canal. The history of the Panama Canal is described as “the saga of human ingenuity and courage: years of sacrifice, crushing defeat and final victory.” Many lives were lost in the effort. Below is a snapshot of the Canal’s history, from the early days of French construction to the completion by the united states, and into the present. © ThE PanaMa CanaL CoMMission Panama Canal Historical Milestones 1880’s The French attempt to construct a canal through the (thencalled) Province of Panama, but after 20,000 workers are lost to disease and due to sheer difficulty, the project is abandoned in 1893. 1904 after helping Panama achieve independence from Colombia, Theodore roosevelt buys out French equipment and excavations and begins work. Panama gives the u.s. control of the Panama Canal Zone. 1914 The Canal is complete, one year ahead of the target date of June 1, 1915. on august 15, the Canal is formally opened and christened with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon. 1935 The Madden Dam is complete, creating alajuela Lake and providing critical water storage for the Canal. 1939 Construction begins on a new set of locks large enough to carry larger u.s. warships (existing and under construction). This project is cancelled after WWii. 1977 after much debate, the u.s. determines the date to hand control of the Canal over to Panama on December 31, 1999, with the caveat that Panama sign a treaty guaranteeing permanent neutrality of the Canal. 1999 The Pacific Explorer transits the Canal on December 31, 1999, the last day the Canal is under u.s. control. 2007 on July 24, the Panama Canal authority presents an expansion plan to international financial markets that includes the construction of a new set of locks, enabling an additional lane of traffic along the Canal. if completed, this project will double the Canal’s capacity, allowing more traffic and longer, wider ships to transit. PANAMA CANAL 9 www.cruisewest.com http://www.cruisewest.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Costa Rica & Panama Experience - 2008

The Costa Rica & Panama Experience - 2008 Contents Panama Canal & Costa Rica Why Cruise West? Exploration Leaders Panama Canal Between Two Seas Extended Stays Special Event Cruises Photographers’ Cruises About Your Ship Frequently Asked Questions Other Cruise West Destinations Peace of Mind / Cruise West Air Program

The Costa Rica & Panama Experience - 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.