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Panama Canal travel wonder in Panama |
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Why the The construction in the early 20th century was an astounding engineering feat and the waterway is today a vital artery for world trade. It nautically links the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean by cutting across the Isthmus of Panama.
Panama Canal
Although the Suez Canal is considerably longer, it traversed a relatively flat dessert landscape. In contrast, the Central America isthmus waterway had to go up and then down a small mountain. In addition, the workers lived in a then highly risky tropical disease environment.
Transit normally takes about nine hours and averages US $30,000 per ship, but the toll can exceed US $100,000 for very large ships.
Ships sailing between New York and San Francisco (or the Orient) would face an added burden. They would have to travel around the tip of South America, where perilous stormy seas are not uncommon. Moreover, the southern hemisphere route adds about 13,000 kilometers (8,000 miles) and many extra days of travel to the trip.
Part of the 80 kilometer or 51-mile long Panama Canal is occupied by three sets of gigantic locks. They are built in parallel pairs to allow two way traffic. However, sometimes ships on both sides travel in the same direction.
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