THE PANAMA CANAL

The Panama Canal is a series of water locks that move ships from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean across the country of Panama. Traveling through the canal decreases a ship's journey by 9,000 miles. Before the canal, ships had to travel all the way around the tip of South America which took 14,000 miles. The Panama Canal was a feat of American engineering that spanned 51 miles and took 10 years to complete.

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The water locks operate by holding a ship between two barriers. Operators then fill or drain the space with water to raise or lower the ship's elevation. This is necessary in the Panama Canal because the elevation changes throughout the canal.

The Panama Canal gave the US a huge leap in the global economy by allowing the shipment of goods from the Atlantic to the Pacific in record time. It showed the other world powers the might of US engineering and its ability to overcome obstacles. The US revolutionized shipping and instituted a source of revenue for Panama.

Works Cited

• Panama Canal Map. Digital image. Panama Canal. Wikimedia, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
• "Panama Canal Time-Lapse." YouTube. YouTube, 31 Dec. 2008. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.