The French were the first to attempt to build a sea-level canal across the narrow isthmus bridging the Americas back in 1880. The project was soon defeated due to technical difficulties and a labour force decimated by yellow fever and malaria, killing thousands. A French graveyard in the area reminds one of the many that were killed because of this first attempt.
The USA purchased the concession and concluded a favourable treaty for itself in 1903. It took 10 years of intense excavation and a labour force of more than 75000 men and woman before the first ship, the SS Ancòn, sailed through on 15 August 1914.
The canal was handed over to Panama at midday on 31. December 1999. This agreement was made many years earlier.
The canal is 82 km long and is the busiest such passage in the world. Nearly 14000 ships pass through the canal each year. An average of US$ 30000 is paid for commercial ships to pass through. The highest amount was paid in 2001 by the 90000 ton french cruise ship 'Infinity', about US$200000. The lowest amount was US$ 0.36 paid in 1928 by Richard Halliburton, who swam through!
How it works: On the Carribean side the ship is raised 26m in the Gatun locks to the level of the man made lake. After passing through the lake the ships pass through the 13.7km Gaillard cut (continental divide). The vessel is then lowered in 2 stages via the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks before sailing out into the Pacific.
right: The 'mule' guiding (not pulling!)the ship through the canal so that the ship does not hit the canal wall! The machines run along a track which look like locomotives. They are called mules because in the early days mules did this job! Ships worldwide are built with the dimensions of the canal's locks in mind: 305m long and 33.5 metres wide.
left: The Miraflores locks. One can see the canal has two channels when it comes to the locks so that it can lower or raise 2 ships at the same time. In the picture one can see the huge 'Shanghai Highway' ship in the left chanel still on the upper level while the ship on the right is ready to pass through on the lower level, as the lock is opening to let it pass through. Basically the locks are a 'kind of' elevator, regulated by the water.
The canal is mainly used by ships from the following countries: China, Japan, South Korea, Chile and the USA.
How it works: On the Carribean side the ship is raised 26m in the Gatun locks to the level of the man made lake. After passing through the lake the ships pass through the 13.7km Gaillard cut (continental divide). The vessel is then lowered in 2 stages via the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks before sailing out into the Pacific.
right: The 'mule' guiding (not pulling!)the ship through the canal so that the ship does not hit the canal wall! The machines run along a track which look like locomotives. They are called mules because in the early days mules did this job! Ships worldwide are built with the dimensions of the canal's locks in mind: 305m long and 33.5 metres wide.
left: The Miraflores locks. One can see the canal has two channels when it comes to the locks so that it can lower or raise 2 ships at the same time. In the picture one can see the huge 'Shanghai Highway' ship in the left chanel still on the upper level while the ship on the right is ready to pass through on the lower level, as the lock is opening to let it pass through. Basically the locks are a 'kind of' elevator, regulated by the water.