The construction of the canal, as we remember, was started by French companies, but they failed to complete the project due to bankruptcy. The started construction was bought by the United States, which concluded an agreement in 1903 on the transfer of the canal for perpetual use. In addition to receiving full control of the canal and the land around, under this treaty the United States was granted the right to station its troops at any time in any area of ​​​​Panama and, in general, was allowed to feel at home. The price of the contract was $10 million plus an annual rent of $250,000.

An interesting fact in the history of Panama. As you know, Panama was a colony of Spain for a long time, and since 1821 it became part of the federal Colombia. The struggle for independence here has continued throughout the history of Panama, where uprisings and movements for freedom from Colombia broke out from time to time. But, oddly enough, it was the United States that helped Panama gain independence. Of course, the intentions of the United States were far from noble, their main goal was still the Panama Canal, and here's why. To sign an agreement on the transfer of rights to the channel, the consent of at least two parties was required.

At the same time, separatist sentiments intensified in Panama by the beginning of the 20th century, which went right into the hands of the United States. But a certain threat was borne by the troops of Colombia, whose authorities did not want to simply give up Panama. That is why, in order to ensure security, and indeed, the very fact of the conclusion of the treaty, the United States paid Colombia $25 million for the independence of Panama.

Colombia agreed to "let go" of Panama in 1903, although Panama's freedom can only be said conditionally, as it immediately came under de facto US administration.

Panama Canal. Under an agreement concluded in 1846 between the United States and New Grenada (which later became the Republic of Colombia), the United States was granted the right of free transit through the Isthmus of Panama along all routes of communication that exist or may be built in the future, in return for which the United States guaranteed the neutrality of the isthmus.

American-Colombian Treaties:

1) The American-Colombian Treaty of 1846 on peace, friendship, navigation and trade - concluded in the capital of Colombia, Bogotá, on 12. XII between the USA and Colombia (then New Grenada). Of particular importance is Art. XXXV treaty regarding the construction of an interoceanic route through the Isthmus of Panama. The United States received under the agreement equal rights with New Grenada in the operation of the transit route planned through the Isthmus of Panama (regardless of whether it would be a railway or a canal). The United States guaranteed sovereignty over the isthmus to New Grenada in exchange for the obligation that this route be open at all times to the United States. A.-k.d. 1846 was the first link in a long chain of subsequent conventions in connection with various projects of interocean communication through Central America and the US struggle with England and France around this issue.

The United States was in a hurry to conclude the American-Colombia Treaty in order to get ahead of England and France, which at that time were negotiating with Nicaragua on the construction of an inter-oceanic canal through the territory of Nicaragua. The aggravation of the diplomatic struggle between the United States and Britain over the construction of a canal ended in 1850 with the conclusion of a compromise treaty (cf.<<Клейтон-Бульвера договор>>).

2) The American-Colombian Treaty of 1921 - concluded in Washington back in 1913, but ratified with changes by the US Senate only on 20. IV 1921, settled the conflict that arose between the United States and Colombia in connection with the separation of Panama from Colombia in 1903. The agreement was preceded by lengthy diplomatic negotiations . Colombia refused to recognize the independence of Panama, demanding that the conflict be arbitrated. The US government rejected this demand, and in January 1909, before the end of the term of office of President T. Roosevelt, it concluded an agreement with Colombia, promising it monetary compensation and benefits for using the canal in peacetime and wartime. When the terms of the agreement were published, the Colombian government was overthrown and the Colombian commissioner for these negotiations was forced to emigrate from Colombia.

In September 1912, negotiations between the United States and Columbia resumed, and after Wilson came to power, who replaced Taft in March 1913, the new Secretary of State, Bryan, concluded A.-k. with Columbia. under which the United States provided Colombia with benefits in the use of the canal and paid it 25 million dollars. Colombia, for its part, promised to recognize the independence of Panama, as well as the Panamanian border established by the treaty. In the summer of 1914, when the treaty was submitted to the US Senate for ratification, former President T. Roosevelt, on whose initiative Panama was separated from Colombia in 1903, launched a campaign of protest. As a result of this campaign, the Senate was able to ratify the treaty only 2 years after the death of T. Roosevelt, when the Harding government, which replaced Wilson on 4. III, 1921, under the influence of oil companies interested in Colombian oil, put pressure on the Senate. The treaty entered into force on March 30, 1922, after it was ratified by Colombia.

In 1849, the US representative in Guatemala, without the corresponding authority of his government, concluded a convention with the government of Nicaragua, according to which the US received the exclusive right to build a transport route between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Along this path, the United States could build fortifications and maintain troops, and in the event that the United States participated in the war, close the channel for enemy military and merchant ships.

However, the United States refrained from ratifying this convention, fearing that it might cause complications in relations with Great Britain, which also sought to build a canal in Nicaragua under its control and took measures to seize the ports that should have served as the final points of the canal during its construction.

In this regard, the content of the convention was changed, and the new convention provided for the United States only the right of free passage through the canal to be constructed, with the obligation of the United States to guarantee the neutrality of the canal and protect the sovereignty of Nicaragua in relation to the territories adjacent to the canal, as well as the ports that will serve its end points.

The convention also contained a proviso that the same rights should be granted to other countries as well, since they would enter into similar agreements with Nicaragua. But this convention was not ratified by the United States. In order to eliminate the growing aggravation of relations between the United States and Great Britain, in 1850, on the initiative of the United States, the so-called. Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (see). This agreement was to determine the international legal regime of the future channel. It obligated each of the contracting states not to subject the canal to its exclusive control. The conditions for using the channel were to be the same for citizens of the United States and Great Britain, as well as for citizens of other states who assumed similar obligations.

In accordance with the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, the United States concluded an agreement with Nicaragua in 1867, by virtue of which they received the right of free transit with the obligation to protect the neutrality of the canal and the sovereignty of Nicaragua. A condition identical in content was included in the trade agreement between Nicaragua and Great Britain as early as 1860.

On the other hand, the provisions contained in the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty were reproduced in agreements concluded with Nicaragua by Spain in 1850, France in 1859 and Italy in 1868.

Subsequently, however, US diplomatic activity turned towards the Panama Canal. In 1869 and 1870, in addition to the 1846 agreement, the United States made attempts to conclude an agreement with Columbia, and the distinctive feature of the draft agreement of 1870 was that the canal was to remain permanently open to warships only of the USA and Colombia, and the warships of the states located with them in the war, were not to be allowed into the canal. In 1878, the government of Colombia granted a concession for the construction of the Panama Canal to a society organized in France, headed by Lesseps, who carried out the construction of the Suez Canal.

The concession law declared the neutrality of the canal, the free passage of merchant ships of all flags even in time of war, the free passage of US and Colombian warships at any time, with the closure, however, of the canal to military ships of other states during the war, unless the right of passage the military courts of the State concerned in time of war will not be provided for by such State's agreement with Colombia. Bearing in mind that the United States in this connection might encounter the influence of non-American states in the Panama Canal, the US State Department in 1881 instructed its ambassadors in London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna to declare to the respective governments that the neutrality of the Panama Canal was guaranteed by the United States and that an attempt to establish an additional guarantee such neutrality through an agreement between the European states among themselves will be considered by the United States as an unfriendly action towards them. The consequence of this diplomatic speech by the United States was a reminder from Great Britain of the provisions of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850. The diplomatic correspondence that began then continued until 1883, but did not lead to any results.

The United States returned to the issue of the mentioned treaty again in 1899, after the successful end of the war with Spain, during which the United States was even more convinced that the constructed canal should be under the exclusive control of the United States. The original Anglo-American agreement, concluded in 1900 and containing a reference - as a basis - to the provisions of the 1888 convention regarding the Suez Canal, did not receive the approval of the US Senate, and in connection with this, the Gay-Paunsphotot agreement was concluded in 1901 (see.) approved by both the US and the UK. By virtue of this agreement, the Clayton-Bulwer agreement was canceled and the US rights to the construction of the canal, its management, operation and security throughout its length were recognized; on the other hand, the agreement stipulated that the canal should be open to merchant and warships of all flags, without specifying, however, that the obligation to keep the canal open covered both peacetime and wartime. Long before the conclusion of the aforementioned agreement, namely in 1888, the French Panama Canal Society went bankrupt.

The new society, which took over the continuation of the construction of the canal, entered into negotiations with the United States regarding the transfer of its concession and the construction carried out, and in 1902 a corresponding agreement was concluded, providing for the payment by the United States to the society of 40 million dollars. Following this, the United States had to settle its relations with Colombia, but the latter in August 1903 refused to ratify the agreement signed by its representatives with the representatives of the United States at the beginning of the same year (see.<<Гей-Эррана договор>>).

The consequence of this refusal was the so-called. The "Panama Revolution", as a result of which Panama, with the direct support of the United States, seceded from Colombia and proclaimed itself an independent republic, which immediately received recognition from the United States (see Buno-Varilla). 18. XI 1903 was followed by the conclusion of the Gay - Buno-Varilli agreement (see) between the United States and the Republic of Panama, by virtue of which the latter ceded to the United States for all time the right to build and operate the canal. Further, to protect the channel, the United States received the right to use its armed forces, as well as to build defensive fortifications.

The possibility of the unhindered use of the Panama Canal for the shipping of friendly countries was reaffirmed by the President of the United States in 1904; On August 24, 1912, a law was issued on the opening and operation of the canal and on the management of the canal zone, and on July 9, 1914, in the development of the law of 1912, the rules on navigation along the canal and on approaches to it were issued. The very same opening of the canal took place on 16.VIII.1914. The boundaries of the canal zone were clarified by agreement between the USA and Panama of 2.IX.1914.

During the First World War, before the United States entered it, by virtue of a proclamation issued by the United States on 13.XI.1914, unhindered passage through the canal of commercial and military ships of the belligerents was allowed; after the US entry into the war, on the basis of a proclamation dated 23.V.1917, enemy merchant and military ships were deprived of the right to use the canal. Ensuring the security of the Panama Canal was provided, further, in the treaty of friendship and cooperation concluded between the United States and Panama in 1936, and in the notes attached to it. The outbreak of the Second World War caused a proclamation of 5. IX. 1939 regarding the observance of neutrality in the Panama Canal zone and a number of decrees (of 5. IX. 1939, 25. III. 1940 and 9. VII. With regard to the passage through the canal of vessels captured as a prize, the passage through the canal at the end of 1939 of the German ship "Düsseldorf", which had a British prize crew on board, deserves to be noted. The passage of this ship was complicated by the fact that the Germans made an attempt to land a naval agent who was on the ship under the pretext of his illness in the Panama Canal zone. However, after a simulation of the disease was established in a hospital in Panama, the alleged patient was transferred, despite the protests of Germany, to the British vice-consul and taken to Bermuda on a Canadian destroyer.

Under the terms of the agreement on the transfer of rights to the Panama Canal, the US government was actually given the right to interfere in the internal affairs of Panama, to control foreign policy. And this opportunity was used more than once. For example, throughout the 20th century, protests broke out in Panama against the American presence, discrimination against Panamanian workers, and the plight of the people. But the authorities of Panama were not particularly worried about such protests, because there is always such a serious northern neighbor at hand, ready to come to the rescue in pacifying the fraternal people. So, with the help of the American military, the protests of 1916, 1918, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1932, 1942, 1951, 1959, 1964 were suppressed.

From time to time, the 1903 treaty was revised, the rent was changed, Panama was given some rights to manage the canal. But it was all a drop in the ocean. After all, the US benefited from the use of the Panama Canal: in addition to the fact that profits reached $ 100 million a year, the most important thing was the fact that US troops were stationed in Central America, which could freely move around the country and control the entire region. .

By the way, the treaty of 1903 was signed with many violations, was not translated into Spanish, and there is not a single signature of a citizen of Panama under it. Of course, under pressure from the Panamanian side, the terms of the agreement were periodically revised, but such revisions did not change anything in the essence of the agreement - the Americans could continue to feel like masters on Panamanian soil, which, in turn, aroused the just indignation of the Panamanians. For example, an American worker in Panama was paid an order of magnitude higher than for the same amount of work performed by a Panamanian, Panamanians were not allowed to trade in the canal zone, American citizens were exempt from taxation.

The history of Latin America cannot be called even and calm, which fully applies to Panama. Representatives of the oligarchic circles came to power several times, and many of them raised the issue of the channel's ownership. But most of them cared only about their own prosperity, since the channel brought good profits. Only a few saw the canal not as a source of their income, but as a basis for progressive changes in Panama. Among these leaders, the first place belongs to Omar Torrijos. It was on the initiative of Torrijos that negotiations were held with the United States, which resulted in the signing, one might say, of a landmark treaty. Omar Torrijos managed to reach an agreement with then-US President Jimmy Carter. Under an agreement concluded in September 1977, 65% of the shares of the Panama Canal passed into the ownership of Panama, while the remaining 35% remained under the jurisdiction of the United States until 2000.

For the period of the Transitional Period, it was decided to establish a commission to manage the canal, consisting of 5 Americans and 4 Panamanians. According to the agreement, every year the scope of Panama's activity in the management of the Panama Canal was to constantly increase.

Thus, thanks to the efforts of General Omar Torrijos, Panama had a real opportunity to gain control of the canal. As for Omar Torrijos himself, it must be said that after that he became a national hero of Panama.

On his initiative, reforms were carried out in education (universal primary education was introduced), a new labor code was adopted, in accordance with which the right to a minimum wage, to strikes, and to normal working conditions was secured. Some enterprises were also nationalized, new factories were built. The reforms also affected medical care: measures were taken to combat dangerous infectious diseases, including malaria. Also, Torrijos was the first who went for rapprochement with the indigenous people of Latin America - the Indians. Changes were made to the electoral system, according to which the people could elect not a political "elite", but a representative from the region, which was more democratic.

The reforms of Torrijos and his frankly negative attitude towards the United States could not leave the States indifferent. Periodically, the US made attempts to overthrow Omar Torrijos. On one of Torrijos' trips to Mexico in 1969, a coup was prepared by the military junta with the support of the CIA, and the general was informed that his return to his homeland was undesirable, but Torrijos nevertheless risked returning. He was helped by the Panamanian people, who made a hundred-thousand demonstration led by Major Manuel Antonio Noriega and simply drove out the putschists.

Thus, the coup of 1969 did not take place, but later attempts to overthrow the dangerous enemy continued. August 31, 1981 General Omar Torrijos dies in a plane crash. The plane in which he was flying crashed near the Coclecito airfield. The official version is a "tragic accident", although the conclusions of the commission investigating the circumstances of the crash confirmed that the plane was in good condition, the weather was without a single cloud, and the pilot did not report any problems throughout the flight. By the way, during the summer of 1981, under unclear circumstances, three Latin American leaders died.

By the way, being already after Torrijos the president of Panama, Antonio Noriega also interfered with the Americans. But now they did not stand on ceremony. They simply brought in troops, arrested the president, took him to the United States, accused him of corruption and drug trafficking, and put him in prison, and put their puppet in his place and resumed control over Panama.

3. Transfer of the canal to Panama

According to the agreement, already in 1979, the United States transferred to Panama a total of 78 different objects in the canal zone, including the strategically important port of Cristobal, the railway, fuel depots, and fire stations.

According to the agreement, the channel receives the status of a state enterprise. It will be managed by the Panama Canal Authority (Autoridad del Canal de Panama) - a council of 11 members headed by the Minister of Canal Affairs, personally appointed by the President of the Republic. The channel's budget will be independent of Panama's state budget. The channel remains out of politics, out of anyone's interests, free for passage by the courts of any nation. The channel's personnel are prohibited from participating in strikes and any other actions that could interfere with its functioning.

the interests of the parties. Of course, one can argue for a long time about who and what is losing or gaining from the economic point of view of the passage of the canal into the possession of Panama. Some experts (mostly American), for example, argue that the Panamanians will not be able to effectively manage the canal, because they "do not know how." Therefore, sooner or later they will have to resort to the help of "outsiders". True, the Panamanians have already partially resolved this issue: back in 1997, the Panamanian authorities entered into an agreement with the Hong Kong company Hutchinson Whampoa Limited (Hutchinson Whampoa Ltd) on the transfer to the company of the rights to manage the two main seaports of the Panama Canal - Balboa, located on the Pacific Ocean near the capital of Panama, and Cristobal, located on the Atlantic coast. Ports and their communications were leased to the company for 25 years with the right to extend the contract for the same period. The agreement was a matter of "special concern" to Senate Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott, who sent a letter last fall to US Secretary of Defense William Cohen about the growth of the Chinese presence in the Canal Zone. In the letter, Lott stressed in part that the US government "allows for a scenario to develop in which vital US security interests cannot be defended without a confrontation with the Chinese Communists."

The economic interests of the United States with the loss of the channel are only slightly affected. Technically, the channel is seriously outdated, and significant reconstruction is required to increase its throughput. In particular, in order to allow ships of larger carrying capacity to pass through the canal, it is necessary to build another series of locks. And this, according to economists, could cost up to $8 billion. According to experts, at least half of engineering structures require repair. Moreover, the channel, through which only 4% of world trade is carried out, is gradually losing its importance as an important trade route in the world trade system with the growth in the efficiency of rail and air transportation. The channel is gradually turning into a "local", Latin American water artery.

But from a strategic point of view, the United States is losing a fairly important base of its military presence in the Latin American continent. Throughout the century - starting in 1903 - the Americans kept a solid contingent of military men (from 10 to 65 thousand people) in the Panama Canal zone, who were by no means only involved in maintaining and protecting this commercial water artery. The zone was practically turned into a training center for the US military for service in the specific conditions of the Latin American continent (for example, at the Fort Sherman military base there was the only center for training the military to fight in the jungle, through which up to 100 thousand people passed) , to the intelligence center and the center for conducting counterinsurgency operations. Washington has never stood on ceremony with its southern neighbors, shamelessly interfering in their "domestic" affairs. Let us recall, for example, the dispersal in 1964 of demonstrators who advocated the return of the canal to Panama and the closure of American military bases (then 24 people died and more than 600 were injured) or the story of the overthrow of General Manuel Antonio Noriega, when in 1989 20,000 American troops landed in Panama marines. By the way, it was then that the armed forces of Panama were disbanded, and now only 1.5 thousand police officers are guarding the canal.

It is precisely the concern about the ability of the Panamanian authorities to properly protect the canal (according to recent polls, more than 70% of Panamanians do not believe that Panama is capable of protecting the canal and the country's borders in general) and the danger of turning Panama into a transit point for Colombian drug traffickers and explains Washington is striving to maintain its military presence in the canal zone, at least in a greatly curtailed form.

The long-term military presence of the Americans in the Panama Canal zone made it possible to control the flow of drug smuggling from South America to North America. From here, up to 15,000 US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft sorties were carried out annually to control drug smuggling in the region. A couple of years ago, Washington made a proposal to open after the transfer of the Canal to Panama on the territory of the Howard military base, where the headquarters of the US Southern Command was located, an international center for combating drug smuggling. Which would mean, in particular, the deployment of 2,000 American soldiers there. But lengthy negotiations with the Panamanian authorities eventually failed. Panama did not like the fact that Washington insisted on including in the agreement on the creation of the center a provision on the right to use the infrastructure of the Howard base not only for the purpose of combating the illegal drug trade and a provision on granting the military units that were supposed to be deployed on the territory of the military base the right to unhindered and free from customs and police inspections of movement through the territory of Panama. So now, with the withdrawal from the zone, the Americans are forced to reorient themselves to neighboring countries. Washington has already concluded agreements on a joint "anti-drug" fight with Ecuador, Aruba, and Curacao. These countries pledged to provide their airports for special raids and refueling of US military aircraft.

The Panamanian authorities have completely different views on the liberated territories and military bases. So far, the government of Panama does not intend to conclude any agreements providing for the permanent military presence of Americans in the country. Moreover, back in mid-October, the President of Panama, Mireya Moscoso (by the way, the widow of the legendary President of Panama, Arnulfo Arias, who became the head of state three times and was overthrown by the military three times) explicitly stated that Panama's military relations with the United States end on December 31. "We don't need military bases on our territory anymore. Moreover, we don't need drug smuggling centers either."

The Panamanian authorities intend to actively develop the canal zone, and not only in terms of trade and transport. The government hopes to attract investments and tourists to the canal zone and turn the country into a Latin American Singapore.

The military airfield located between the three bases of Howard, Kobbe and Farfan also has a good economic potential. The runway of the airfield - 2,485 meters - is the longest in all of Latin America. On the territory of these three bases (more than 5 thousand hectares) there are more than 600 buildings for various purposes, 303.5 thousand square meters of other structures, including more than a thousand residential premises. In general, the infrastructure that the Americans leave to the Panamanians is very rich - each base is a fairly comfortable military camp with living quarters, a school, a hospital, a theater, a fire station, tennis courts, golf, a swimming pool, a hotel, etc.

Nevertheless, the United States made sure to have a legislative mechanism in place that would allow them to exercise control over the canal. We are talking about two documents - the agreement on the complete neutrality of the Panama Canal, which is an integral part of the Carter-Torrijos agreement, and the so-called. de Concini's amendment (named after the senator who introduced it), added later to the treaty. Both documents practically give Washington the right to send its troops to the territory of Panama at any time without the consent of the Panamanian authorities. "In accordance with the Treaty on the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, Panama and the United States are responsible for keeping the Panama Canal open and safe for the ships of all nations. This means that these countries, in accordance with their constitutional norms, will protect the canal from any threat to the regime of neutrality and will have the right to act against any aggression or threat directed against the regime of peaceful transit of ships through the canal".

According to the agreement on the complete neutrality of the channel, the United States receives the right of military intervention "in the event of a threat to the interoceanic transport route." Formally, the treaty is directed against possible attacks on the canal by drug traffickers and paramilitary groups in neighboring Colombia. In fact, the United States, by handing over the canal to the Panamanian authorities, practically only relieves itself of the financial and technical burden of its maintenance, leaving behind strategic control over the canal.

Recall that once - in 1989 - the United States has already used this "right" by practically invading the territory of Panama and overthrowing General Noriega. And nothing will stop them the next time when the political situation in Panama or Central America seems to Washington "threatening the national interests of the United States" to bring into the Panama Canal zone a contingent of thousands of American soldiers yearning for a real cause.

The 20-year Transition Period expired on 31 December 1999. The entire territory of the Panama Canal passed to the Panamanians, and the United States gave up the last bases and facilities intended to service the canal. By the way, at the time of the channel's transfer, the US profits from its channel were about $100 million a year, while the rent was $1.93 million a year.

Immediately in early 2000, Panama launched a tender to manage the canal. The tender was won by the Chinese company Hutchison Whampoa, which actually began to manage the canal, but already under the control of the Panamanian authorities.

In 2004, Martin Torrijos, son of Omar Tarrijos, becomes President of Panama. Martin Torrijos won the 2004 presidential election with the slogan: "Yes, you can!": you can defeat poverty, unemployment, corruption. He is a member of the Revolutionary Democratic Party.

It has long been an idea to modernize and expand the canal, which would allow ships with a displacement of up to 170 thousand tons, a length of up to 440 meters and a draft of up to 18 meters to pass through the canal, while at the moment ships with a displacement of up to 65 thousand tons, a length of no more than 294 meters and a draft of up to 12 meters.

To this end, at the initiative of Martín Torrijos, a popular referendum was held in 2006, where the people of Panama had to decide whether they wanted to expand the canal. 79% of the country's citizens supported the expansion of the canal and approved the initiative of President Torrijos.

Since 2006, work has been underway to expand the channel. In particular, the most important issue remains the issue of funds that are needed to carry out such grandiose works, and they need a lot - 5.2 billion dollars. Nevertheless, the leadership of Panama took such a risk and launched a campaign to accumulate funds. First of all, China is most interested in expanding and improving the channel, which needs not only sales markets, but also fast and convenient delivery of raw materials, in particular oil. China is ready to cooperate with and assist Panama in the implementation of the canal expansion project. China's weight in the world turns out to be quite serious, and Panama, in its person, can find a serious partner in economic relations, which, accordingly, will entail cooperation in politics.

Also, despite the crisis, in October 2008, a series of negotiations were held with world creditors to raise money for the expansion of the Panama Canal. For example, among the lenders willing to provide funds, the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation stands out, which will allocate 800 million dollars, the European Investment Bank (European Investment Bank) - 500 million dollars, the Inter-American Development Bank (Inter -American Development Bank) - $400 million, Andean Development Corporation and International Finance Corporation - $300 million each. to strengthen the position of Panama, primarily through active cooperation with the countries of Latin America and Western Europe, China, and Japan.

The channel handover ceremony was attended by heads of state and well-known politicians from Latin America, the United States and Europe.

In recent years, the Panama Canal has been like any obsolete bridge or highway. The vital artery over the years has become a narrow "bottleneck" that brings many problems.

That is why many projects of competing channels were born, for example, through the territory of Nicaragua or Colombia.

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We recall the beginning of this story: what exist and itself

Characteristic Length 81.6 km watercourse entrance Pacific Ocean mouth Atlantic Ocean Panama Canal at Wikimedia Commons

Panama Canal- a shipping channel connecting the Panama Bay of the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, located on the Isthmus of Panama on the territory of the state of Panama. Length - 81.6 km, including 65.2 km on land and 16.4 km along the bottom of the Panama and Limon 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 had an invaluable impact on the development of shipping and the economy as a whole in the Western Hemisphere and throughout the Earth, which led to its extremely high geopolitical significance. 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 passes through it ships of various types - from private yachts to huge tankers and container ships. The maximum size of a ship that can pass through the Panama Canal has become the de facto standard in shipbuilding, being called Panamax.

Vessels are escorted through the Panama Canal by the Pilot Service of the Panama Canal. The average time for a ship to pass through the channel is 9 hours, the minimum time is 4 hours 10 minutes. The maximum throughput is 48 vessels per day. Every year, about 17.5 thousand ships carrying more than 203 million tons of cargo pass through the canal facilities. By 2002, more than 800,000 ships used the canal's services.

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

History

Canal construction in 1888

Panama Canal Action

The original plan to build 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 designed by Alessandro Malaspina, his team even surveyed the canal construction route.

Due to the growth of international trade, interest in the canal revived by the beginning of the 19th century; in 1814, Spain passed a law on the construction of an interoceanic canal; in 1825, a similar decision was made by the Congress of Central American States. The discovery of gold in California aroused in the United States an increased interest in the problem of the canal, 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 by concluding the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty with them in 1850 on a joint guarantee of neutrality and security of the future interoceanic canal. Throughout the 19th century, two main options for the direction of the canal appeared: through Nicaragua (see Nicaraguan Canal) and through Panama.

However, the first attempt to build a navigable route on the Isthmus of Panama dates back only to 1879. The initiative in developing the Panama option was seized by the French. At that time, the attention of the United States was attracted mainly by the Nicaraguan version. In 1879, in Paris, under the chairmanship of Ferdinand Lesseps, the head of the construction of the Suez Canal, the General Company of the Inter-Ocean Canal was created, the shares of which were acquired by more than 800 thousand people, the company bought out 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 before the formation of the Panama Canal Company spoke in favor of 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 lockless canal 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 the production of works. As a result, on December 14, 1888, the company stopped making payments, and work was soon halted.

Spanish canal workers, early 1900s

Canal construction, 1911

In 1902, the United States Congress passed a law requiring the President of the United States to acquire the property of a canal building company, shares of the Panama Company railroad, and a 10-mile-wide strip of land from Colombia for the construction, maintenance and management of a canal with jurisdiction over the 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, for the transfer of the concession, the United States agreed to pay a lump sum of 10 million dollars and then after 9 years - annually 250 thousand dollars, while maintaining the sovereignty of Colombia 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 no doubt - then all the structures erected by the company were transferred free of charge to Colombia. Interested persons in France and the USA now saw the only way out for the state of Panama to break away from Colombia and, as an independent state, formalize the legal transfer of the concession to the USA. 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 Republic of Panama", he signed a treaty with the United States modeled on the Hay-Herrana treaty. The conflict between the United States and Colombia was eliminated only in 1921.

Under the Treaty of 1903, the United States received in perpetual possession "a zone of land and land under water for the construction, maintenance, operation, establishment of sanitary order and protection of the said channel", as provided for in Article 2 of the Treaty. Article 3 gave the US all rights as if it were the territory's sovereign. 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 Hay-Errana Treaty, which was not ratified by Colombia. On behalf of Panama, the treaty was signed by French citizen Philippe Buno-Varilla 2 hours before the official delegation of Panama arrived in Washington.

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

In 1900 in Havana, Walter Reid and James Carroll found that yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes, and proposed a method to reduce the danger of yellow fever by destroying the mosquito's habitat. Remembering the failure of the first attempt to dig a canal, the Americans sent mosquitoes on a campaign Aedes aegypti and malarial mosquitoes - carriers of yellow fever and malaria, respectively - a large expedition led by William Crawford Gorgas - 1500 people. The published data eloquently speaks of the scale of their activities: 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 restore 2 million feet (600 km) of old ditches, spray 150,000 gallons (570,000 liters) of oils that destroy mosquito larvae in breeding areas. As in Havana shortly before, this has borne fruit: the prevalence of yellow fever and malaria has been reduced so much that diseases are no longer a hindrance.

Panama Canal (USA), 1940

The US War Department began construction of the canal in 1904 . John Frank Stevens became the canal's chief engineer. This time the right project was chosen: locks and lakes. The construction took 10 years, $400 million and 70,000 workers, of which, according to American data, about 5,600 people died. On the morning of October 13, 1913, US President Thomas Woodrow Wilson, in the presence of numerous high-ranking guests gathered at the White House, went to a special table and pressed the golden button with a majestic gesture. 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 separating the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans near the city of Gamboa. A four thousand kilometer cable, specially laid from the jumper at Gamboa to the White House, obediently carried out the will of the president.

The first ship (an ocean steamer) passed along the canal string 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 canal, the United States acquired nearby islands: the Pacific islands - Margaritas, were received from Panama, Perque, Naos, Culebra and Flamenco; from Denmark were bought in 1917 for 25 million dollars of the island of St. John, St. Cross and St. Thomas; off Nicaragua in 1928 - the Grain Islands and off Colombia - the islands of Roncador and Kitasueño. 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 US until December 31, 1999, after which it was transferred to the government of Panama.

Channel configuration

Due to the S-shape of the Isthmus of Panama, the Panama Canal is directed from the southwest (Pacific side) to the northeast (Atlantic Ocean). The channel consists of two artificial lakes connected by channels and deepened riverbeds, as well as two groups of locks. From the side of the Atlantic Ocean, the three-chamber gateway "Gatun" connects Limon Bay with Lake Gatun. On the Pacific side, the two-chamber Miraflores lock and the single-chamber Pedro Miguel lock connect Panama Bay with 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 crossing the canal

All canal locks are two-line, which provides the possibility of simultaneous oncoming movement of ships 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. The passage of large ships through the locks is provided by special small electric railway locomotives called mules(in honor of the mules, which previously served as the main draft force for moving baroque along the rivers).

The Canal 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, ships may be granted permission to pass at 62.5 m (205 ft), provided that the passage is made in low water.

The canal is crossed by three bridges along its length. Along the route of the canal between the cities of Panama and Colon, a road and a railway were laid.

Canal Passage Fees

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

The amount of the fee for 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 fee rate was $2.96 per ton up to 10,000 tons, $2.90 for each of the next 10,000 tons, and $2.85 for each subsequent ton.

The fee for small craft 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 business structures that manage the channel. By 2014, it will be modernized and will be able to handle oil tankers with a displacement of more than 130,000 tons, which will significantly reduce the delivery time for 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 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, cargo turnover - up to 600 million PCUMS. The reconstruction will cost $5.25 billion and is expected to generate $2.5 billion in annual revenue from the canal by 2015, and by 2025 revenues will rise to $4.3 billion.

The start of works on the construction of the third group of locks is scheduled for August 25, 2009 . The Panama Canal Authority entrusted this work to the GUPC (Grupo Unidos por el Canal) consortium, which won the construction tender on July 15, 2008, offering to carry out the necessary work for 3 billion 118 million dollars and complete 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 canal. The first preliminary plans for the Nicaraguan Canal originated in the 17th century.

see also

Notes

Links

• Between Two Oceans: Poseidon's Gate on the Popular Mechanics website
• Official website of the Panama Canal Authority (Spanish) (English)
• Webcams of the Panama Canal (English)

Panama is a country located in the southeast of Central America. Its official name is the Republic of Panama with Panama as its capital. The map of the country is as follows: from the north, the state is bounded by the Caribbean Sea, from the south by the Pacific Ocean, from the east it borders with Colombia, from the west - with Costa Rica. The area of ​​the state is 75,420 square kilometers. The country is located on the Isthmus of Panama, which connects South America with Central America. Its mountainous territory is separated only by the Panama Canal (see map).

In contact with

The population of the country is about 4 million people. On January 1, 2014, the province of Western Panama was created, so Panama currently consists of 10 provinces and 5 Amerindian communities. Western Panama is separated from the province of Panama from the east by the Panama Canal.

You can understand where Panama is located on the world map by following the link from Wikipedia: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panam%C3%A1#/media/File:Panama-CIA_WFB_Map.png

Language

According to the Constitution of Panama, Spanish is the official language of the country, and all its inhabitants must know it and have the right to use it. In 2006, Spanish became the native language for 93.1% of the country's population. Other Panamanian languages ​​are taught in educational institutions of the respective administrative units, where the Indians make up the majority of the population.

Beyond Spanish , the following are considered official languages:

Immigrants from other countries, in addition to Spanish, speak their native languages. So, Arabic is spoken by the Syrian and Lebanese colonies in the province of Kolon. English is widely spoken by the African immigrants of the Atlantic coast of the country. There are also large colonies of Chinese, Italians and French.

Panama Canal

The State of Panama, as a country that transits a huge volume of goods through its territory, has become crossroads of cultures from around the world. The Panama Canal was built on the territory of the country, which facilitates communication between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and plays an important role in world trade. Due to its geographical position, the Panama Canal offers the world a wide range of services:

• marine;
• commercial;
• financial.

Panama Canal, being a route connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, has a length of 65 km. At both ends of the canal, there are locks designed to raise ships to the level of Lake Gatun, an artificial lake created to reduce the work of digging the canal. The lake is located at an altitude of 26 m above sea level.

The Panama Canal was opened on August 15, 1914 and was able to shorten the time and distance of sea routes, making the commercial and economic exchange between the two oceans more dynamic, and gave a strong impetus to the development of the Central American region and the country. Major states that began to use the channel based on the results of 2012 were the following:

Before the opening of the canal, people used the natural sea routes between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which were the Strait of Magellan (Argentina), and Cape Oven, located in southern Chile. The Panama Canal is considered one of the largest buildings in the world engineering of the 20th century.

More information about the Panama Canal can be found on the Internet, according to "Panama Wikipedia".

Geography

Climate

The country has a tropical climate, with very high temperatures throughout the year on the coast. Temperatures become less cold as the altitude rises to 1000 m above sea level. Precipitation is high throughout the country, with constant rainfall on the Caribbean coast, while the Pacific coast has a dry period from December to March. Hurricanes do not pose a threat to the country, since it is located in the south of their zone of influence. On the territory of the country there is a zone where trade winds from both hemispheres of the planet meet. This meeting significantly affects the climate of Panama and determines the duration of the wet and dry period in one or another part of the country.

Flora and fauna

Panama is a country with great biological diversity. Due to its proximity to South America, some South American species live on its territory, for example, the capybara, which is the largest rodent in the world, the bespectacled bear and the blue parrot. In the waters belonging to Panama, there are 1497 species of fish, which is more than in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, 957 species of birds and 229 species of mammals. 10,115 species of plants grow on its territory, 229 species of reptiles and 179 species of amphibians live. Enough attention is being paid by the authorities to the conservation of this biological diversity and the control of the level of emissions into the environment.

Tourism

One of the main occupations of the country is tourism. The main tourist arenas of Panama are concentrated on commercial tourism and beaches. Most tourists come here from the USA, Canada, Europe, Central and South America. The annual income from tourism is 1400 million dollars, and this figure is growing rapidly.

In 2013, Panama received 1,527,228 tourists at Tocumen Airport. The average tourist in the country spends $365-$385 per day, which is the highest tourist spending in Central America. On average, a tourist stays in the country for 6-7 days.

During 2011 Panama hosted more than 2 million tourists, which is 18% more than in the previous year. The New York Times magazine ranked Panama as the top country to visit in 2012 as the country experienced its peak economic boom, 12 years after the Isthmus of Panama returned to local control.

Among the sights of the country are the BioMuseum - a center of natural history, which opened in 2014, Casco Antiguo - the ancient part of the city of Panama, declared by UNESCO in 1997 as part of the Heritage of Humanity list and the Bocas de Toro (Bull's Mouth) archipelago, which has become a popular stop for wanderers and vagabond.

For 2018, the following places are included in the list of recommended to visit:

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

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

Vessels that do not pass the canal in size bypass South America. Passes 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 Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa in the 16th century. The idea of ​​creating a water artery did not arise then.

Start of construction

In 1534, by order of the King of Spain, Charles V, a shortcut was discovered between the countries of Spain and Peru. This was of benefit to the Spaniards during the hostilities. Due to undeveloped technologies and knowledge in the XVI century. construction was not carried out. In the XVIII century. a researcher from Italy, Alesandro Malaspina, had a plan to create a canal, but it was not started.

In 1879, the French laid the foundation for the emergence of the canal. Ferdinand de Lesseps and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (creator of the Eiffel Tower) launched the work. The French government allocated funds, but a third of them were spent for their intended purpose; the rest has been looted.

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 cases. The work was suspended. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel and Ferdinand de Lesseps were accused of embezzling material assets. The latter died of attacks and mental disorders in 1894.

Late 19th - early 20th century

The United States during the 19th century considered the construction of the Panama or Nicaraguan canals: the implementation of the latter project seemed more profitable. France was unable to continue building the canal, so the US government bought the rights, equipment, and work done for $40,000.

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 fill with civic activists advocating sovereignty. On November 4, the independent Panamanian Republic appeared, the authorities of which give the channel and the lands adjacent to it to the American government.

Construction began with preparations near the lying territory: the Americans drained the swamps, cut down the thickets, and destroyed insects and their larvae. The risk of catching a fever dropped to 2%, work began in 1904. The process of building the canal accelerated as American builders began building locks and reservoirs.

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

Transfer of control to the Panamanian government

After the opening of the channel, American and Panamanian authorities argued 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 in the riverbed. The government of Panama temporarily cut off relations with America.

History of the Panama Canal:

In 1977, US President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos signed a document under which control passed to Panama from 2000. American politicians expressed dissatisfaction, but the US Senate gave legal force to the agreement. The US owned the canal until December 31, 1999, and then transferred to Panama.

Modern status

Today the canal is owned by Panama. It has been upgraded, expanded and deepened. The canal administration collects a fee from container ships. The cost of transit determines the length of the vessel, the displacement, the cargo carried. The cost of transportation for a large ship is $49 per 1 TEU since 2006.

The passage of the vessel itself is paid additionally.

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

• 1 t - 10000 t - $2.96;
• each of the next 10 thousand tons - $2.90;
• each subsequent ton - $ 2.85.

Length is a determining factor for small craft:

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

The passage of one huge container ship can cost half a million dollars. The cheapest shipping was 36 cents for 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 miracles created by man, a tourist attraction, and not just an isthmus connecting 2 oceans. Museums have been built in the cities located near the locks. It contains exhibits and documents that tell about the process of creating a water artery. Near the canal, platforms were built from which the work 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. Locks are needed to equalize the water level of the canal (difference 26 m). During the passage of the ship along the sea route, the water in the channel rises or falls.

The fairway is equipped with locks of 2 groups. They are double-lined - they transport 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. The lock of 3 chambers ("Gatun") is located from the Atlantic, connects Lake Gatun and Limon Bay.

Lifting of ships - 26 m to the level of the lake. The gateway is equipped with a camera.

From the Pacific Ocean there is a lock of 2 Miraflores chambers; connects the channel and Panama Bay. Equipped with a video camera that broadcasts the operation of the gateway via the Internet. Together with the Miraflores lock, the Pedro Miguel lock operates.

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

Work on the creation of the 3rd string of locks began 11 years ago in order to increase the transit of ships in the water artery. The length of the new structure is 427 m, the width is 55 m, and the depth is 18 m. Since 2017, the channel has received twice as many ships and tankers.

Tourists observe the operation of the system while traveling (a car and a railway run parallel to the canal) or book an excursion (cost $10). The Miraflores Gateway is open to travelers. Get to the building by taxi or bus for 25 cents. The tour includes a visit to the museum and the observation deck.

Information about the operation of the system is announced through the speakerphone.

Channel expansion

The need to expand the Panama Canal arose due to the increase in the volume of trade. On October 23, 2006, as a result of a vote to expand the waterway, about 80% of Panamanians supported the plan. 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 of transportation of oil from Venezuela to China have decreased, the promises of the Venezuelan authorities about the supply of about 1 million barrels per day came true.

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 impact on the country's budget: by 2017, the profit amounted to $2.5 billion, by 2025 it will reach $4 billion. The authorities of Panama entrusted the work to the community, the main participant of which was a Spanish enterprise. 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 was called historical by the Panamanian authorities. June 26, 2016 - the passage of a Chinese container ship along the renovated waterway.

Interesting facts about the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal on the world map is a little visible isthmus between two continents, in 2014 it celebrated its centennial anniversary. 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”.

1. The name of the headdress - panama - comes from the name of the channel. The builders of the waterway wore such hats to protect themselves from the rays of the sun. Panama - an element of the national dress of the inhabitants of Ecuador; the original name is Ecuador.
2. The construction of the "twin" canal in Nicaragua was approved. The lake, along which the channel will be laid, is a source of fresh water, so experts are concerned about its condition.
3. Currently, the Panama Canal receives the most important ships of the world, which generates income for Panama for its maintenance.
4. Water artery locks operate around the clock with a high level of productivity, since the passage of large-tonnage vessels is carried out non-stop.
5. The Panama Canal is the longest man-made canal in the world.
6. The Panama Canal Universal Measuring System determines the cost of shipping using a mathematical formula.
7. The total number of active gateways is 12.
8. The permanent safe passage of ships is regulated by a number of rules. Thus, the agent announces the arrival of the tanker and prepares documents for registration. When approaching, the ship communicates with the coordinator through signal stations. Specialists conduct a preliminary inspection of the ship in the Pacific or Atlantic hangars. All elements of equipment, auxiliary machines must be in good condition so as not to delay transit.
9. The narrowest and steepest place in the channel is the Culebra notch.
10. The Panama Canal Authority awards the "Honorary Captain" award to those who pass the waterway 100 times. In 2015, the Russian commander of the ship, Anatoly Rubanov, was awarded the title.

The Panama Canal is one of the wonders of the construction industry in the history of mankind. It links the Caribbean Sea with the 2 largest oceans on the world map and is a significant contributor to Panama's economy.

Article formatting: E. Chaikina

Useful video about the Panama Canal

Panama Canal documentary from Discovery:

This waterway divides the state of Panama into 2 parts. It is of great importance for maritime navigation, as it shortens the sea route from one ocean to another by thousands of kilometers.

The length of this man-made creation is 81.6 km. Through the Isthmus of Panama, the distance is 65.2 km. But in order for sea vessels with a high draft to freely enter the channel, it was also necessary to deepen the Panama and Limon bays. They account for 16.4 km.

The building is a gateway. They built locks in order to reduce the amount of excavation. They are located along the edges of the waterway and raise ships to a height of 26 meters above sea level. Their width is 33.5 meters.

About 15 thousand ships cross the Panamanian waterway every year. In total, since 1914 there have been more than 815 thousand of them. For example, in 2008 there were 14,705 ships. They transported 309 million tons of cargo. The throughput is 49 sea vehicles per day. The waterway from the Atlantic to the Great Ocean can be overcome by a ship of any size. Currently, there are standards in the global shipbuilding industry. They do not provide for the construction of sea ships, which, due to their dimensions, will not be able to overcome the water part of the Isthmus of Panama.

The construction of the grand structure began in 1904 and ended in 1914. 375 million dollars were spent. At the current exchange rate, this amounts to 8 billion 600 million dollars. The project is considered one of the largest in the history of civilization. The official opening of the waterway took place on August 15, 1914. The first ship that got from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean in just a few hours was called the Ancona. Its displacement was 9.5 thousand tons.

Thanks to the Panama Canal, the sea route from one ocean to another has been significantly reduced.

History of the Panama Canal

Europeans began to dream of a short way from one ocean to another in the first half of the 16th century. But only at the end of the 18th century did the first plans for a great construction appear. The situation began to be concretized after 1849, when huge reserves of gold were found in California. The shortened path from ocean to ocean has become a vital necessity.

Therefore, from 1850 to 1855, a railway was built that crossed the Isthmus of Panama. But, of course, she did not solve the problem of huge cargo transportation. It was the waterway that was seen as the ideal solution.

In 1877, French engineers surveyed the proposed route and published their project. The authority of the French was extremely high after the construction of the Suez Canal, which connected the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean. And the Americans had their own project, which involved the construction of the Nicaraguan Canal across the San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua.

First canal construction

However, the French were more energetic and purposeful. In 1879, they organized an interoceanic company, which was headed by Ferdinand Lesseps. It was he who led the construction of the Suez Canal 10 years ago and coped with this task brilliantly. A concession for construction work was bought from the government of Colombia, and Lesseps began to deal with organizational issues according to an already knurled scheme.

As a future dividend, shares were issued under the guarantee of France and Colombia. Profit promised to be big, so people willingly bought securities. Many invested all their savings in them, counting on solid profits in the near future.

However, Lesseps turned the hundreds of millions of francs thus obtained into dust. Work began on January 1, 1881 on a project that did not provide for the construction of locks. The project did not take into account many geological and hydrological features of the region. The builders constantly ran into mountains and hills, which had to be leveled and deepened to the level of the oceans. But this presented a most difficult problem, as landslides interfered.

Existing equipment quickly rusted in the tropical climate and failed. But most of all, the workers themselves got it. Mosquitoes living in the Panamanian jungle were carriers of yellow fever and malaria. This has led to illness and death. In total, 22 thousand people died, which at that time was commensurate with the losses during the war.

In 1889, the company declared itself bankrupt, and all work on the construction of the Panama Canal was stopped. A terrible scandal erupted. About 1 million people who invested in the project were deceived. An investigation began, and then lawsuits. Lesseps, as the main culprit, received 5 years in prison. But soon the poor man was transferred to a psychiatric hospital, as he began to talk and behave inappropriately. Apparently, the indelible shame had a depressing effect on his psyche.

In 1894, on the initiative of the French government, another company was set up to take over the project. But it all ended with the fact that the company's management began to look for buyers for existing assets. These included the preserved excavations and equipment.

Panama Canal on the map

Second canal construction

In 1903, Panama declared itself independent from Colombia. In this it was fully supported by the United States. In the same year, the United States received land in the unfinished canal zone for perpetual use. In 1904, the Americans bought equipment and excavations from the French. In May of the same year, US President Theodore Roosevelt appointed an American engineer and administrator to head the construction. John Findlay Wallace. But he resigned a year later, saying that he could not cope with the construction.

His place was taken John Frank Stevens, who at one time built the Great Northern Railway. It was he who put forward the idea of ​​locks, which was much cheaper compared to biting into the earth's firmament to the level of the oceans. He also suggested creating an artificial lake by damming the Chagres River. The length of the lake turned out to be 33 km, which almost halved the amount of work.

To ensure the safety of workers, Stevens organized work to drain the swamps, cut down the jungle and burn the grass. The earth was poured with engine oil, and the mosquitoes that brought death disappeared. Comfortable housing, canteens were built right there, a water supply system was created for thousands of people who were ready to work on the construction of the canal.

People from all over Europe and America went to the construction site. They were well paid, although the work was hard. However, all the costs were brightened up by an established life and a high salary.

Stevens was replaced in 1907 George Washington Goethals. He was the President's protégé and led the already well-established and organized construction work. They ended in 1914 and lasted a total of 10 years.

Lock on the Panama Canal

Panama Canal today

The canal is currently owned by Panama. The average fee charged from a ship moving from one ocean to another is about 13,000 US dollars. Calculations are made depending on the tonnage of cargo ships and the number of beds on passenger liners. The maximum cost of the passage today is 376 thousand dollars. This is how much a Norwegian cruise ship paid in 2010.

But the captain of an oil tanker paid $220,000 in 2006 for priority passage, so as not to wait for 90 other ships. Usually, the owners of large cargo ships pay no more than 54 thousand dollars. But it is good for owners of small yachts. They fit into 1.5 - 3 thousand dollars, depending on the length of the vessel.

The Panama Canal plays a huge role in shipping. Although it was built 100 years ago, it meets all modern requirements. Moreover, cargo transportation is increasing every year, but the waterway from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean is constantly being modified and improved. However, this cannot go on forever. Therefore, the construction of the Nicaraguan Canal is planned for the future, which will create additional amenities for cargo and passenger ships.