Panama Canal. History and facts

The main geographical feature of Panama is the narrow 190 km isthmus between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It was as if nature had specially foreseen that people, having risen to the appropriate level of technical development, would one day build a canal here connecting the two great oceans.
Immediately after the discovery of both Americas, many sailors tried to find a path connecting the two oceans - the Atlantic and the Pacific. Magellan discovered such a passage at the extreme tip of the South American continent. But the search for a new route - more convenient, less remote and dangerous than the route around Cape Horn - continued with a vengeance, but did not bring success.

The Spanish conquistador Cortes, in a letter to Emperor Charles V, proposed to dig a canal at the narrowest point of the American continent. In 1520 the first project appeared. Its author was Alvaro Saavedra Sedron. who proposed to cut the isthmus in the direction of the Gulf of Darien. After 14 years, Charles V ordered the start of work on the study of the area, although many considered the laying of the canal impracticable. Later, the Spanish king Philip II sent the Italian engineer Gian Battista Antonelli to America for a deeper study of the problem, and he, having carefully studied the terrain, returned to Spain with the message that construction was impossible.
The idea of building a canal in Central America across the Isthmus of Panama reappeared in the 18th century in connection with the rapid growth of world trade. The famous French utopian socialist Saint-Simon and the outstanding German geographer Alexander Humboldt came up with projects for the construction of an interoceanic canal.
The issue of building the canal was discussed by the leaders of the Latin American states that had just won independence. Simon Bolivar, back in 1815, called for the construction of an interoceanic canal by the joint forces of Latin Americans. In 1825, he commissioned British and Swedish engineers under the leadership of A. Humboldt to carry out exploration work on the Isthmus of Panama.

In the 19th century, a fierce struggle for influence in Latin America and, in particular, unfolded between Great Britain and the United States. for the establishment of control over the Isthmus of Panama, where sooner or later there was to be an interoceanic canal. Great Britain, which seized a number of islands in the West Indies, made great efforts to gain a foothold in Central America and establish control over the zone of the future channel.
France did not remain aloof from this struggle. In 1838, the government of New Granada (now Colombia) granted the right to build the canal to a mixed Franco-Novogradan company. The French government has shown great interest in the project. On the instructions of Paris, the Italian engineer Felice Napoleone Garella began the development of a preliminary project, which was published in 1845. According to this project, it was necessary to equip the canal with locks and to build a railway before the start of earthworks. Despite the fact that Garella's project was not implemented, the ideas of the Italian engineer formed the basis for subsequent developments.
The United States of America, having joined in the middle of the 19th century. in the fight for the canal, they sought from New Granada special rights to this territory of the isthmus. In 1846, the United States entered into an agreement with New Granada on peace, friendship, trade and navigation, according to which they received the right of duty-free transit through the Isthmus of Panama. In return, the US government pledged to guarantee the neutrality of the Isthmus of Panama, to help preserve the sovereign rights of New Granada over the isthmus, and to prevent foreign aggression. On the basis of a treaty in 1846, the Americans received a concession to build a railroad across the Isthmus of Panama.

Britain, the "ruler of the seas", watched the actions of the United States in Panama with caution, and the American government could not but reckon with a powerful rival. Therefore, before the plans to build an interoceanic canal were actually implemented, American diplomacy considered it necessary to settle relations with Great Britain.
As a result of a long diplomatic struggle in 1850, the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty on the construction and defense of the canal was concluded between England and the United States. Under the terms of the treaty, all transoceanic routes were open to both England and the United States; they pledged to jointly guarantee the neutrality of the future channel. The USA insisted on that. so that other powers should also be given the opportunity to become guarantors of this neutrality. The United States and Britain pledged not to subdue or occupy any part of Central America. At the same time, the terms of the agreement did not allow the United States to single-handedly establish control over the future channel.
Having concluded such a "truce" with Great Britain, the USA in the same 1850 began, and in January 1855 completed the construction of a 77 km long railway across the Isthmus of Panama. She connected the cities of Colon (on the Caribbean coast) and Panama (on the Pacific).

During those years, France again began to show increased interest in the idea of building the Panama Canal, especially after the Suez Rope was opened in 1869. In 1879, the French "General Panama Rope Construction Company" was established under the leadership of the famous builder of the Suez Rope, Ferdinand Lesseps. Soon, construction work began on a lockless channel 22 m wide and 9 m deep. By 1888, a significant amount of work had been completed: more than 30 million cubic meters were selected. m of soil, including rocky, but it was necessary to select another 75 million cubic meters. m. In the company's safes, less than 100 million francs remained, and more than 800 million were required to complete the work.
Meanwhile, a terrible human tragedy was played out on the construction site: thousands of workers died. In 1880, 21 thousand French people went to Panama, tempted by high earnings. Less than 5 thousand returned home. In total, about 50 thousand people died during the construction of the rope.
It became apparent that the rope was poorly designed and the company's financial affairs were in disastrous condition. Since 1888, construction work actually ceased, and in 1893 the largest scandal in French history broke out. It turned out that the financial management of the "General Company" gave bribes to members of the government and parliament members. Corruption involved 150 French ministers and parliamentarians. More than 100 thousand shareholders were ruined. Since then, the word "Panama" has come to mean any kind of dark fraud, a scam. The main reasons for the disruption of the construction of the canal were thefts committed by the persons who headed the General Company, but the United States also played an important role in this matter. in charge of the Panama Railway and sabotaging the activities of the French company.

In September 1894, the French New Panama Rope Company was created to replace the General Company, which received a concession from the Colombian government until 1900. But the company continued to deteriorate and it secured a four-year reprieve. In 1902, the property of the "New Company" passed to the shareholders of the United States. In search of new markets, additional sources of raw materials and areas for profitable investment of capital, North American entrepreneurs sought to accelerate the construction of the rope, the opening of which would significantly reduce the distance between the ports of the United States and the Far East.
For the practical implementation of the construction of the Panama Rope, the United States first of all had to get rid of some articles of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty. The international situation was favorable for this. Fearing isolation, England agreed to a renegotiation of the treaty.

After a stubborn diplomatic struggle, on November 18, 1901, the Haye-Pounsfoot Treaty was signed, marking the complete victory of the United States over England. The previous agreement was canceled. England renounced all claims to the Panama Canal and recognized US hegemony in the Isthmus of Panama. USA. having the opportunity to complete the construction of the rope, operate it and manage it, they were declared the only guarantor of the neutrality of the future channel.
In May 1904, shortly after the signing of the American-Panama Treaty, the construction of the canal, so unsuccessfully begun by the French General Company, was resumed. On August 15, 1914, the unofficial opening of the canal took place. However, landslides and the outbreak of the First World War delayed its commissioning. The rope was officially opened only on July 12, 1920.
The construction of the rope in the period 1904 to 1920 was attended by 10 thousand Panamanians, 12 thousand foreign workers brought from Spain, Italy, Greece, France and Germany, and more than 27 thousand from the Antilles (Barbados, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Jamaica). The length of the rope on land is 65.2 km; together with approach ropes dug in the shelf from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the total length is 81.6 km. The minimum depth at low tide is 12.6 m.

A ship entering from the Atlantic Ocean passes through a section of the canal dug at sea level (11.3 km long, 155.2 m wide and a minimum depth of 12.6 m at low tide), leading to the Gatun locks, the first of a series of three gateways with which the channel is equipped.
The Gatun locks consist of three chambers, each 305 m long and 33.5 m wide. The locks are double, so that ships can pass through them simultaneously in both directions. To save water, each chamber is equipped with an intermediate gate. When small vessels pass, the chambers overlap in the middle, and the water from the already passed half overflows faster into the neighboring lock. The ships are guided through the locks by two electric locomotives on toothed rails laid along both walls of the lock. All operations to control the mechanisms are carried out from the central station.
Further along the Gatunsky locks, the ship rises 25.9 m to the level of Lake Gatunskoye. This is an artificial lake with an area of 424.76 sq. km, was created during the construction of the canal: the Chagres River was dammed up by a partly filled, partly concrete dam - one of the most ambitious engineering structures for its time. The length of the dam along the ridge is 2.4 km. its width at the base is about 330 m, in the upper part - about 30 m. The crest of the dam is 9 m above the lake level.
Having left the sluices, the ship moves on its own along the canal laid on Lake Gatunskoye. The width of the channel here varies from 300 to 150 m, and the depth - from 26 to 15 m. The fairway is not straight, but meandering, since it largely follows the previous channel of the Chagres River.

Having passed about 38 km along the Gatunskoye Lake, the ship enters the Kulebrskaya Vyemka. It was this place that required the most efforts during the construction of the canal, here the most pound was chosen, and repeated landslides were the reason for the delay in opening the canal.
The channel of the Kulebrskaya Vymka is 91.5 m wide, 13.7 m deep and 11136 m long.It runs along the watershed of the canal, meandering between the steep slopes of high hills, towering several tens of meters above the passing ship, at the Pacific end of the Kulebrskaya notch, the ship passes single-stage the Pedro Miguel locks, also with two rows of chambers. Through these long (1152 m) locks, a passage opens into Lake Miraflores, located 9.5 m below the Kulebrskaya Vyemka. Passing through the lake along a channel 230 m wide, 15 m deep and 1456 m long, the ship reaches the Miraflores locks, consisting of two steps of double locks 1456 m long, with a drop of about 16.5 m (the lower level changes depending on the ebb and flow of the Pacific ocean). Miraflores locks are the last in the Panama Canal. Further, the ship goes along a passage 12.8 km long, 152.5 m wide and a minimum depth of about 13 m.
The Panama Canal connects two ports: Cristobal on the Atlantic coast and Balboa on the Pacific. It takes 7-8, sometimes up to 10 hours for a ship to pass through the canal. The normal throughput of the channel per day is 36 vessels, the maximum is 48 vessels.
The port of Cristobal has 13 piers and docks; in Balboa - the same, including fi dry docks. The channel entrances are protected from storms by concrete breakwaters.
With the entry into operation of the Panama Canal, the distance between New York and Honolulu has decreased by 8,000 miles. The Panama Canal has also brought US Pacific ports closer to Europe. All this contributed to the expansion and strengthening of international trade relations.

Each of us knows about which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, which allows transport companies to save a huge amount of time and money. But even the simplest canal is not just a dug ditch between water bodies, but a complex technical system of locks. Let's try to understand this issue.

Panama Canal structure

The Panama Canal is a collection of locks, a man-made navigation channel, created at the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama in Central America. Since its opening in 1920, the Panama Canal has remained one of the most complex engineering structures in the world.

Any type and size of vessel can pass through this S-shaped isthmus, from a modest yacht to a large bulk tanker. Nowadays, the size of the canal has become the standard for the construction of ships. As a result, thanks to the Panama Canal locks, up to 48 ships pass through it per day, and millions of people around the world enjoy this comfort.

So why do we need locks in the Panama Canal? The question is geographic, and the answer to it is obvious: since the canal consists of several lakes, deep rivers and man-made canals, and at the same time connects two huge oceans, it is necessary to constantly equalize the water drop along the entire path and regulate the currents. And the difference in water level between the canal and the World Ocean is great - 25.9 m. Depending on the size and tonnage of the vessel, the water level in the lock rises or falls, thereby creating the necessary conditions for the vessel's unhindered passage along the canal.

Features of Panama Canal locks

There are two groups of locks in the channel. Each gateway is two-thread, i.e. can simultaneously ferry vessels in oncoming traffic. Although practice shows that ships are usually allowed to pass in one direction. Each lock chamber holds a maximum of 101 thousand cubic meters. m. of water. The dimensions of the chambers are: width 33.53 m, length 304.8 m, minimum depth 12.55 m. Special electric locomotives ("mules") pull large vessels through locks. So, the main locks of the Panama Canal are:

In the direction from the Atlantic Ocean three-chamber gateway "Gatun" (Gatun) connecting the eponymous with the Limonskaya bay. Here the locks lift ships 26 m to the level of the lake. The gateway has a camera, the image from which you can watch in real time on the Internet.
From the Pacific Ocean two-chamber gateway "Miraflores" (Miraflores) It connects the main channel with the Bay of Panama. A video camera is also installed in its first gateway.
Single chamber gateway "Pedro Miguel" (Pedro Miguel) operates in conjunction with the Miraflores gateway system.
Since 2007, work has been underway to expand the channel and install additional gateways to increase the capacity of the Panama Canal (third line). New parameters of the third line: length 427 m, width 55 m, depth 18.3 m. Also, work is underway to widen and deepen the main fairway in order to still carry out the oncoming movement of ships. It is assumed that from 2017 the channel will be able to carry out double load.

How to look at the Panama Canal locks?

Along the entire canal there is a motorway and a railroad bed. You can independently and free of charge follow any vessel and get acquainted with the system of the channel from afar. You can also buy a tourist tour for the same purpose.

The Miraflores gateway is considered accessible to tourists. You can get to it by taxi or buy a bus ticket for 25 cents, and as a group drive as close to the gateway as possible to get acquainted with its work. includes a visit to the museum ($ 10) and access to the observation deck, where information about the operation of the gateway is announced in real time via a loudspeaker.

The Panama Canal is a shipping canal that connects the Gulf of Panama with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Panama Canal is the world's shipping route. On the world map, it connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic and Caribbean Seas.

Thanks to the construction of a canal to get to San Francisco, ships do not bypass Latin America. The path from New York is less than 10 thousand km. The Panama Canal (located in Panama on the world map) serves for yachts, boats and large tankers. Its width is the standard in shipbuilding.

Vessels that do not pass the channel in size bypass South America. It handles up to 48 tankers per day; the passage takes 9 hours (minimum - 4 hours); more than 10 thousand ships pass annually.

The first to notice that a small isthmus separates two oceans was the explorer from Spain Vasco Nunez de Balboa in the 16th century. The idea of creating a waterway did not arise at that time.

Start of construction

In 1534, by order of the King of Spain, Charles V, a short route was discovered between the countries of Spain and Peru. This was beneficial for the Spaniards in the course of hostilities. Due to undeveloped technologies and knowledge in the XVI century. construction was not carried out. In the XVIII century. an Italian explorer, Alesandro Malaspina, had a plan to create a canal, but it was not started.

In 1879, the French initiated the creation of the canal. Ferdinand de Lesseps and Alexander Gustave Eiffel (the creator of the Eiffel Tower) kicked off the work. The French government allocated funds, but a third of it was spent as intended; the rest has been plundered.

At the start of the work, it was decided to build the canal at sea level, the idea of building locks was rejected, which was one of the reasons for the failure of the project.

More than 20 thousand workers died from diseases and tragic accidents. The work was suspended. Alexander Gustave Eiffel and Ferdinand de Lesseps were accused of embezzlement of material assets. The latter died of attacks and mental disorders in 1894.

Late 19th - early 20th century

During the 19th century, the United States considered the construction of the Panama or Nicaraguan canals: the implementation of the latter project seemed more profitable. France did not have the opportunity to continue creating the channel, so the American government bought the rights, equipment and work performed for $ 40 thousand.

The only way to get the canal is Panama's independence from Colombia.

In the fall of 1903, US ships appear in Colombian waters and the streets are filled with civilian sovereignty activists. The Independent Republic of Panama appeared on November 4, the authorities of which give the channel and the adjacent lands to the American government.

Construction began with the preparation of a nearby area: the Americans drained the swamps, cut down thickets, destroyed insects and their larvae. Fever risk dropped to 2%, work began in 1904. The canal process accelerated as American builders began building locks and reservoirs.

US President Thomas Woodrow Wilson completed construction by pressing a button to detonate the last barrier near the village of Gamboa on October 10, 1913. The work lasted 9 years. The Panama Canal (which flows into the Atlantic Ocean on the world map) received the ship Cristobal on August 3, 1914.

Transfer of control to the Panamanian government

After the opening of the channel, American and Panamanian authorities disputed over ownership issues. In the latter, there were uprisings when the authorities were not allowed to hang the Panamanian flag next to the American one on the riverbed. The Panama government temporarily broke off relations with America.

The history of the Panama Canal:

In 1977, US President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos signed a document that transferred control to Panama in 2000. American politicians expressed dissatisfaction, but the US Senate made the agreement legally binding. The United States owned the channel until December 31, 1999, and then transferred it to Panama.

Modern status

Today Panama owns the canal. It has been modernized, expanded and deepened. The canal administration charges container ships. The cost of transit determines the length of the vessel, displacement, transported cargo. The cost of transportation for a large-sized ship is $ 49 per 1 TEU since 2006.

The passage of the vessel itself is paid additionally.

For the rest, the ship's displacement affects the amount of payment:

1 t - 10,000 t - $ 2.96;
each of the next 10 thousand tons - $ 2.90;
each subsequent ton - $ 2.85.

Length is the determining factor for small craft:

Length	Bid
≤ 14 m	$500
14 m-28 m	$750
28 m-36 m	$2000
≥36 m	$2500

It can cost half a million dollars to pass one huge container ship. The cheapest freight was 36 cents to Richard Halliburton in 1928.

The Panama Canal on the world map connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean passing through the Caribbean Sea

The Panama Canal is one of the man-made wonders, a tourist attraction, not just an isthmus that connects 2 oceans. Museums have been built in the cities located near the gateways. Contains exhibits and documents describing the process of creating a waterway. Sites have been built near the canal, from which the operation of the sea route is observed.

Channel configuration

The shape of the channel is similar to the letter "S". It consists of lakes, deep rivers and man-made ditches. To equalize the water level of the canal, locks are required (difference 26 m). During the passage of the vessel along the sea route, the water in the channel increases or decreases.

The fairway is equipped with locks of 2 groups. They are two-lined - they ferry ships in both directions, but more often they follow in one direction. The capacity of each lock is over 100 thousand cubic meters. m of water; width - 34 m, length - 304 m, depth - 12 m. A three-chamber lock ("Gatun") is located from the Atlantic, connecting Lake Gatun and Limonskaya Bay.

The rise of vessels is 26 m to the level of the lake. The gateway is equipped with a camera.

From the Pacific Ocean there is a 2-chamber “Miraflores” gateway; connects the channel and the Bay of Panama. Equipped with a video camera that broadcasts the operation of the gateway via the Internet. Together with the Miraflores gateway, the Pedro Miguel gateway functions.

The Panama Canal on the world map is located near the settlements of the same name.

Work on the creation of the third line of locks began 11 years ago in order to increase the transit of ships in the waterway. The length of the new structure is 427 m, width - 55 m, depth - 18 m. Since 2017, the channel has received twice as many ships and tankers.

Tourists observe the operation of the system while traveling (the road and railways run parallel to the canal) or order an excursion (cost $ 10). The Miraflores gateway is open to travelers. Get to the building by taxi or bus for 25 cents. The excursion involves a visit to the museum and the observation deck.

Information about the system operation is announced through the speakerphone.

Channel expansion

The need to expand the Panama Canal arose due to the increase in the volume of trade operations. On October 23, 2006, as a result of a vote to widen the waterway, about 80% of Panamanians supported the plan. By controlling the channel, Chinese business companies contributed to the development of the project.

In 2016, it became possible to pass oil tankers with a displacement of more than 100 thousand tons. The terms for the transportation of oil from Venezuela to China have decreased, and the promises of the Venezuelan authorities about the supply of about 1 million barrels per day were justified.

The reconstruction project involved: deepening the bottom, building additional locks, increasing the number of ships passing through the waterway. After the modernization of the vessel with a displacement of about 150 thousand tons, they pass into the fairway; the number of tankers and ships - 19 thousand ships per year.

The expansion plan cost $ 5 billion.

Changes in the channel have a positive effect on the country's budget: by 2017, the profit amounted to $ 2.5 billion, by 2025 it will reach $ 4 billion. The Panamanian authorities entrusted the work to a community, the main participant of which was a Spanish company. The start was planned for 2009; completion of construction - 2014

April 2015 - installation of the last locks, which meant the end of the reconstruction. The modernization of the fairway has been named historic by the Panamanian authorities. June 26, 2016 - the passage of a Chinese container ship along the renewed waterway.

Interesting facts about the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal on the world map is a little noticeable isthmus between two continents; in 2014 it celebrated its centenary. The event was timed to coincide with the release of a book on the construction of the sea route "You are a miracle", the film "Stories about the Canal", a change in the logo of the operator company "Canal de Palma".

The name of the headdress - Panama - comes from the name of the channel. The builders of the waterway wore these hats to protect themselves from the sun's rays. Panama is an element of the national dress of the inhabitants of Ecuador; the primary name is Ecuadorian.
The construction of the twin canal in Nicaragua has been approved. The lake, through which the channel will be laid, is a source of fresh water, therefore, experts are concerned about its condition.
Currently, the Panama Canal receives the most important magistrates' courts, which generates income for Panama for its maintenance.
Waterway gateways operate around the clock with a high level of productivity, since the passage of large-capacity vessels is carried out non-stop.
The Panama Canal is the longest man-made Canal in the world.
The Panama Canal Universal Gauging System determines the cost of a cargo using a mathematical formula.
The total number of operating gateways is 12.
The constant safe passage of ships is governed by a number of rules. So, the agent announces the arrival of the tanker and prepares documents for registration. When approaching, the vessel communicates with the coordinator via signaling stations. Specialists conduct a preliminary inspection of the ship in the Pacific or Atlantic hangars. All items of equipment, auxiliary vehicles must be in good working order so as not to delay transit.
The narrowest and steepest part of the channel is the Culebra notch.
The Panama Canal Authority awards the "Honorary Captain" award to those who pass the waterway 100 times. In 2015, the title was awarded to the Russian ship commander Anatoly Rubanov.

The Panama Canal is one of the wonders of the construction business in the entire history of mankind. It links the Caribbean Sea to 2 of the largest oceans on the world map and contributes significantly to Panama's economy.

Article formatting: E. Chaikina

Useful video clip about the Panama Canal

Discovery Panama Canal Documentary:

The Panama Canal, dug over 100 years ago, has long been in need of modernization. Its carrying capacity left much to be desired: sometimes ships had to wait for their turn for several days. In addition, the centuries-old locks did not correspond to the dimensions and tonnage of modern ships.

The renovation of the channel began in 2007. For 9 years, the width of the locks was increased from 34 to 55 meters, the depth - from 12 to 18 meters. As a result of the reconstruction carried out, on which $ 5.4 billion was spent, the throughput of the artificial waterway increased from 300 to 600 million tons per year, and most importantly, the canal was adapted for tankers transporting liquefied gas. The maximum displacement of the vessels has increased to 150,000 tons.

Globally

The opening of the Panama Canal 2.0 is a global event. At least, this is how the Panamanian authorities position him - heads of state and government from all over the world are invited to the ceremony. True, only Latin American presidents have confirmed their presence: Michelle Bachelet (Chile), Luis Guillermo Solis (Costa Rica), Daniel Medina (Dominican Republic), Juan Orlando Hernandez (Honduras) and Horacio Cartes (Paraguay). Also, 62 delegations from different countries and representatives of international organizations will arrive in Panama.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela sent an invitation to Vladimir Putin, but this trip was not on the schedule of the Russian leader.

US Zone of Interest

The main beneficiary of the Panama Canal reset will be the United States. It was they who at one time were most interested in its construction. And in 1902, having bought the assets of the canal from the bankrupt French, "agreed" with the Panamanian authorities and in 10 years safely dug a path from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, paying about $ 400 million and more than 5.5 thousand workers' lives for this.

The USA completely owned the channel until 1999. But after numerous protests against the American presence, it was finally transferred under the control of Panama, the state agency of the Panama Canal Administration. True, in reality, the United States continues to consider the canal, like the entire territory of Panama, a zone of its vital interests. In addition, as Mikhail Belyat, a researcher at the Russian State University for the Humanities, an expert on Latin America, said in an interview with RT, "there is a lot of money from American shareholders in this channel."

Economic effect

Ahead of the inauguration of the revamped Panama Canal, The Wall Street Journal wrote that expanding the waterway could have a huge impact on global trade in the long term. Of course, first of all, American companies will have an advantage, because the United States will be able to quickly deliver oil and gas from the Gulf of Mexico to anywhere in the world through the modernized channel.

Reuters

However, there is another opinion. The expansion of the canal was planned at the peak of sea transportation, now the situation has changed, so the economic effect of modernizing the canal is not obvious. But optimistic experts predict an increase in sea freight traffic by at least 240% by 2030.

Monopoly game

The economic situation is volatile, but the US monopoly on the Panama Canal seems to be constant. And this does not suit many. First of all, China and Venezuela, as one of the main oil exporters in the region. China has already leased two ports at the entrance and exit of the canal, but still cannot feel calm and be completely sure that the transit of its goods will not one day be blocked.

The second disadvantage of the Panama Canal: even in its updated version, it is not wide and deep enough for the latest tankers. And finally, its lack of alternatives contradicts the principles of competition.

These factors led to the emergence of the idea of a backup channel.

Nicaraguan stunt double

Everything new is well forgotten old. The idea of building a canal on the territory of Nicaragua appeared in the 16th century and belonged to the Spanish king Charles V. In those distant times, they were going to build a canal through Lake Nicaragua and the San Juan River, cutting the 80-meter isthmus separating the lake from the ocean. The Americans initially wanted to implement this scenario, and even the North American Company was formed to build the Nicaraguan Canal. But in the end, the scales tipped in favor of Panama.

The idea of the Nicaraguan Canal was reborn in the 21st century. The private Hong Kong company HKND Group, led by Chinese billionaire Wang Jin, and the Nicaraguan government have agreed to build a backup canal. The construction site of the century was started in 2014.

www.youtube.com

By all counts

According to the project, the Nicaraguan Canal should bypass its Panamanian competitor in all respects: length - 286 kilometers, depth - about 30 meters, width - from 226 to 530 meters, displacement of vessels - up to 270,000 tons.

And, importantly, the emergence of the Nicaraguan Canal will significantly reduce transit prices and port dues on the coast. “According to the existing project, two powerful ports will appear at the entrance and exit of the canal, they will compete with the Panama ports,” Mikhail Belyat, a researcher at the Russian State Humanitarian University, an expert on Latin America, said in an interview with RT. - Accordingly, the pricing for using the canal and port services along the entire coast will decrease. This does not suit the United States. "

Proetcontra

Canal construction is a matter of vital importance not only for all project participants. Nicaragua receives economic and political preferences: the country's GDP will double, and its geopolitical significance will radically change. China, having built the Nicaraguan Canal, seriously and for a long time comes to the American continent, and becomes one of the main players in the region, not to mention the economic benefits - it is no coincidence that Chinese investors are showing great interest in the project. The countries of the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America are also interested in the emergence of an alternative route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. But for the United States, according to Mikhail Belyat, “this will be a geostrategic bomb. China comes to the American continent. And so there his presence is obvious, in any Latin American country you will find a Chinese trace. But the canal is a huge thorn in the immediate vicinity of the US border. ”

Do we need it?

China and Nicaragua cannot fail to realize all the risks arising from being close to the disgruntled States. Therefore, they are trying by any means to involve Russia in the project in order to ensure its safety. In 2015, Daniel Ortega took the first step - he signed an agreement with Russia, according to which Russian warships can be located in the territorial waters of Nicaragua. And recently, the first batch of 20 modernized T-72B1 tanks was delivered to Nicaragua. In total, under the contract, Nicaraguans will receive 50 armored vehicles by the beginning of 2017.

“China needs Russia, under any guise, to take part in this project,” Oleg Valetsky, a military expert at the Center for Strategic Conjuncture, said in an interview with RT. "The Chinese are well aware that this will be a blow to US interests with all the ensuing consequences." Moreover, there were already precedents in history. “The US has carried out several interventions in Nicaragua to build such a canal,” says Mikhail Beliat. "And in the twentieth century, they carried out interventions so that the canal was not built in Nicaragua, because it is becoming an alternative to the Panama canal."

Whether Russia should take part in the construction of the century is a debatable question. A number of experts believe that it is not worth it yet. The economic benefits are dubious and the geopolitical ones are unpredictable.

Delayed Action Mine

The start of operation of the Nicaraguan Canal was scheduled for 2019, and the full completion of construction - in 2029. However, at first, farmers, worried about the loss of their land, got on the way to the implementation of the project, and the construction was postponed for six months. Then, as usual, the ecologists were indignant, and again a postponement. Finally, all controversial issues were settled and here the project was again postponed until the end of 2016. As an explanation, the HKND Group announced financial difficulties.

But the reasons for the permanent freeze of the Nicaraguan Canal are likely to lie in the field of politics. November 6 elections for the President of Nicaragua, and November 8 for the President of the United States. And the future fate of the channel largely depends on their results.

“Ortega is running for a third term,” says Mikhail Belyat. - His chances are slim. We'll have to withstand the pressure of the opposition, backed by the United States. If a liberal president comes to power, the terms of the Nicaraguan Canal agreement may be revised. "

Reuters

In turn, Hillary Clinton, according to experts, will not stand on ceremony with Chinese ambitions and will act extremely tough.

So we will find out very soon whether there should be a Nicaraguan Canal, but for now the maritime powers will have to be content with the renewed Panama Canal.

Ilya Ogandzhanov

Characteristic Length 81.6 km Watercourse entrance Pacific Ocean Estuary Atlantic Ocean Panama Canal at Wikimedia Commons

Panama Canal- a shipping channel connecting the Panama Gulf of the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, located on the Isthmus of Panama in the territory of the state of Panama. Length - 81.6 km, including 65.2 km by land and 16.4 km along the bottom of the Panama and Limonskaya bays (for the passage of ships to deep water).

The construction of the Panama Canal has become one of the largest and most complex construction projects carried out by mankind. The Panama Canal has had an invaluable impact on the development of shipping and the economy in general in the Western Hemisphere and throughout the Earth, which has led to its extremely high geopolitical importance. Thanks to the Panama Canal, the sea route from New York to San Francisco was reduced from 22.5 thousand km to 9.5 thousand km.

The canal allows ships of all types to pass through it - from private yachts to huge tankers and container ships. The maximum size of a vessel that can pass the Panama Canal has become the de facto standard in shipbuilding, dubbed Panamax.

The pilotage service of the Panama Canal is responsible for the pilotage of ships through the Panama Canal. The average time for a ship to pass through the canal is 9 hours, the minimum time is 4 hours 10 minutes. The maximum throughput is 48 vessels per day. Annually, about 17.5 thousand ships, carrying more than 203 million tons of cargo, pass through the canal facilities. By 2002, more than 800 thousand ships had already used the channel's services.

In December 2010, the canal was closed for pilotage for the first time in 95 years due to bad weather and rising water levels as a result of incessant downpours.

Story

Construction of the canal in 1888

Panama Canal Promotion

The original plan for the construction of a canal connecting two oceans dates back to the 16th century, but King Philip II of Spain imposed a ban on the consideration of such projects, because "what God has connected, man cannot separate." In the 1790s. the canal project was developed by Alessandro Malaspina, his team even surveyed the canal construction route.

With the growth of international trade, interest in the canal revived by the early 19th century; in 1814, Spain passed a law on the device of the interoceanic canal; in 1825, a similar decision was made by the Congress of Central American States. The discovery of gold in California aroused increased interest in the canal problem in the United States, and in 1848 the United States, under the Hayes Treaty, received in Nicaragua a monopoly on the construction of all types of interoceanic communications. Great Britain, whose possessions were in contact with Nicaragua, hastened to curb the expansion of the United States, concluding with them in 1850 the Clayton Bulwer Treaty on a joint guarantee of the neutrality and security of the future interoceanic canal. Throughout the 19th century, two main options for the direction of the canal appear: through Nicaragua (see Nicaragua Canal) and through Panama.

However, the first attempt to build a shipping route on the Isthmus of Panama dates back only to 1879. The initiative to develop the Panama variant was seized by the French. At that time, the attention of the United States was mainly attracted by the Nicaraguan variant. In 1879, in Paris, under the chairmanship of the head of the construction of the Suez Canal Ferdinand Lesseps, the "Universal Company of the Interoceanic Canal" was created, the shares of which were acquired by more than 800 thousand people, the company bought from the engineer Wise for 10 million francs the concession for the construction of the Panama Canal, which he received from the government of Colombia in 1878. An international congress convened prior to the formation of the Panama Canal Company favored a sea-level canal; the cost of the work was planned at 658 million francs and the volume of earthworks was envisaged at 157 million cubic meters. yards. In 1887, the idea of a gateless channel had to be abandoned in order to reduce the amount of work, since the company's funds (1.5 billion francs) were spent mainly on bribing newspapers and members of parliament; only a third was spent on work. As a result, on December 14, 1888, the company stopped payments, and work was soon stopped.

Spanish workers - canal builders, early 1900s

Construction of the canal, 1911

In 1902, the U.S. Congress passed legislation requiring the President of the United States to acquire the property of the Canal Building Company, shares of the Panama Company Railroad, and a 10-mile wide strip of land off Colombia to build, maintain, and operate the canal with jurisdiction over said territory. On January 22, 1903, Colombian Ambassador Thomas Herran and US Secretary of State John Hay signed an agreement under which Colombia leased a strip of land to the United States for a period of 100 years for the construction of the Panama Canal. For the sanction of the government of Colombia, which owned the territory of Panama, the United States agreed to pay a lump sum of $ 10 million for the transfer of the concession and then, after 9 years, $ 250,000 annually, while maintaining Colombia's sovereignty over the Panama Canal zone. These conditions were formalized in the Hay-Herran agreement, but the Colombian Senate refused to ratify it on August 12, 1903, since the concession agreement with the French company expired only in 1904, and according to its terms, if the canal did not start functioning by that time, it was undoubtedly, then all the structures erected by the company were transferred free of charge to Colombia. The only way out for those interested in France and the United States was now that the state of Panama should be separated from Colombia and, as an independent state, legalized the transfer of the concession to the United States. The Frenchman Buno Varilla led the separatist movement and, with the assistance of the US Navy, carried out the deposition of Panama on November 4, 1903; On November 18, on behalf of the "Independent Panama Republic", he signed a treaty with the United States, modeled on the Hay-Herran treaty. The US conflict with Colombia was ended only in 1921.

Under the 1903 Treaty, the United States received perpetual possession of "a zone of land and land under water for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the said channel," as provided for in Article 2 of the Treaty. Article 3 gave the United States all rights as if it were the sovereign of the territory. In addition, the United States became the guarantor of the independence of the Republic of Panama and received the right to maintain order in the cities of Panama and Colon in the event that the Republic of Panama, in the opinion of the United States, would be unable to maintain order. The economic side of the Treaty repeated the Hey-Erran Treaty, which had not been ratified by Colombia. On behalf of Panama, the treaty was signed by the French citizen Philippe Buno-Variglia 2 hours before the arrival of the official delegation of Panama in Washington.

Construction began under the auspices of the US Department of Defense, and Panama effectively became a US protectorate.

In 1900 in Havana, Walter Reed and James Carroll discovered that yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes, and a method was proposed to reduce the danger of yellow fever by destroying the mosquito habitat. Remembering the failure of the first attempt to dig the canal, the Americans sent a mosquito hike Aedes aegypti and malaria mosquitoes - carriers of yellow fever and malaria, respectively - a large expedition led by William Crawford Gorgas - 1,500 people. The scale of their activity is eloquently indicated by the published data: it was necessary to cut down and burn 30 square kilometers of shrubs and small trees, mow and burn grass in the same area, drain a million square yards (80 hectares) of swamps, dig 250 thousand feet (76 km) of drainage ditches and rebuild 2 million feet (600 km) of old ditches, spray 150,000 gallons (570,000 liters) of oils that kill mosquito larvae in breeding grounds. As well as shortly before in Havana, this has paid off: the prevalence of yellow fever and malaria has declined so much that disease is no longer a deterrent.

Panama Canal (USA), 1940

The US Department of War began construction of the canal in 1904. John Frank Stevens became the channel's chief engineer. This time, the right project was chosen: locks and lakes. The construction took 10 years, $ 400 million and 70 thousand workers, of which, according to American data, about 5600 people died. On the morning of October 13, 1913, US President Thomas Woodrow Wilson, in the presence of numerous dignitaries gathered in the White House, went to a special table and with a majestic gesture pressed the gilded button. And at the same instant, a powerful explosion shook the humid tropical air four thousand kilometers from Washington, on the Isthmus of Panama. Twenty thousand kilograms of dynamite destroyed the last barrier at the city of Gamboa, separating the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A cable four thousand kilometers long, specially laid from the jumper at Gamboa to the White House, obediently fulfilled the president's will.

The first ship (ocean steamer) passed along the canal line on August 15, 1914, but a large landslide in October prevented the opening of traffic in the same 1914. To strengthen the defense on the approaches to the channel, the United States acquired the nearby islands: the Pacific Islands - Margaritas, were obtained from Panama, Perque, Naos, Culebra and Flamenco; were purchased from Denmark in 1917 for $ 25 million of the Islands of St. John, St. Cross and St. Thomas; in Nicaragua in 1928 - the Bread Islands; and in Colombia - the islands of Roncador and Kitazueno. The official opening of the channel took place only on June 12, 1920.

In August 1945, Japan planned to bomb the canal.

The Panama Canal was controlled by the United States until December 31, 1999, after which it was transferred to the Panama government.

Channel configuration

Due to the S-shaped shape of the Isthmus of Panama, the Panama Canal is directed from the southwest (Pacific side) to the northeast (Atlantic Ocean). The canal consists of two artificial lakes connected by canals and deepened river beds, as well as two groups of locks. From the side of the Atlantic Ocean, a three-chamber lock "Gatun" connects Limonskaya Bay with Lake Gatun. On the Pacific side, a two-chamber Miraflores lock and a Pedro Miguel single-chamber lock connect the Bay of Panama to the canal bed. The difference between the level of the World Ocean and the level of the Panama Canal is 25.9 meters. Additional water supply is provided by another reservoir - Lake Alajuela

Huge ferry passing through the canal

All canal locks are double-strand, which ensures the possibility of simultaneous oncoming traffic along the canal. In practice, however, usually both strings of locks operate to allow ships to pass in the same direction. Dimensions of lock chambers: width 33.53 m, length 304.8 m, minimum depth 12.55 m. Each chamber holds 101 thousand m³ of water. Large ships are guided through locks by special small electric railway locomotives called mules(in honor of mules, who previously served as the main draft force for moving barges along rivers).

The channel administration has established the following passage dimensions for vessels: length - 294.1 m (965 ft), width - 32.3 m (106 ft), draft - 12 m (39.5 ft) in fresh tropical water, height - 57, 91 m (190 ft) measured from the waterline to the highest point of the vessel. In exceptional cases, vessels may be granted clearance to pass at 62.5 m (205 ft), provided that the passage is in low water.

Throughout its length, the canal is crossed by three bridges. There is a road and a railway along the canal route between Panama and Colon.

Channel fees

Canal tolls are officially levied by the Panama Canal Authority, a government agency in Panama. Tax rates are set depending on the type of vessel.

The amount of tax from container ships is calculated depending on their capacity, expressed in TEU (the volume of a standard 20-foot container). From May 1, 2006, the rate is $ 49 per TEU.

The amount of payment from other vessels is determined depending on their displacement. For 2006, the collection rate was $ 2.96 per ton up to 10 thousand tons, $ 2.90 for each of the next 10 thousand tons and $ 2.85 for each subsequent ton.

The amount of tax from small vessels is calculated based on their length:

The future of the channel

On October 23, 2006, the results of the referendum on the expansion of the Panama Canal were summed up in Panama, which was supported by 79% of the population. The adoption of this plan was facilitated by the Chinese businesses operating the channel. By 2014, it will be modernized and will be able to handle oil tankers with a displacement of more than 130 thousand tons, which will significantly reduce the delivery time of Venezuelan oil to China. Just by this time, Venezuela promises to increase oil supplies to China to 1 million barrels per day.

During the reconstruction, it is planned to carry out dredging works and build new, wider locks. As a result, by 2014-2015, supertankers with a displacement of up to 170 thousand tons will be able to pass through the Panama Canal. The maximum throughput of the channel will increase to 18.8 thousand ships per year, the cargo turnover - up to 600 million PCUMS. The reconstruction will cost $ 5.25 billion. It is expected that thanks to it, by 2015, Panama's budget will receive $ 2.5 billion in revenues from the canal, and by 2025, revenues will increase to $ 4.3 billion.

The start of construction of the third group of locks is scheduled for August 25, 2009. The Panama Canal Administration entrusted this work to the GUPC consortium (Grupo Unidos por el Canal), which won the construction tender on July 15, 2008, offering to carry out the necessary work for 3 billion 118 million dollars and complete the construction by mid-2014. The main member of this consortium is the Spanish firm Sacyr Vallehermoso.

Alternative

The territory of Nicaragua was considered as an alternative route for the interoceanic channel. The first preliminary plans for the Nicaraguan Canal date back to the 17th century.