THE PANAMA CANAL
The history of the Panama Canal goes back almost to the earliest explorers of the Americas. The narrow land bridge between North and South America offers a unique opportunity to create a water passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This potential was recognized by the earliest colonists of Central America, and schemes for such a canal were floated several times in the subsequent years.
By the late-1800s, technological advances and commercial pressure advanced to the point where construction started in earnest. An initial attempt by France to build a sea-level canal failed, but only after a great amount of excavation was carried out. This was of use to the effort by the United States which finally resulted in the present Panama Canal in 1914. Along the way, the nation of Panama was created through its separation from Colombia in 1903.
Today, the canal continues to be not only a viable commercial venture, but also a vital link in world shipping.
THE SUEZ CANAL
The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa. The northern terminus is Port Said, and the southern terminus is Port Tawfik at the city of Suez.
The canal is 192 km long with Ismailia, on the west bank, 3 km north of the half-way point. It consists of the northern access channel of 19.5 km, the canal itself of 162.25 km and of the southern access channel of 8.5 km.It is single-lane with passing places in Ballah By-Pass and in the Great Bitter Lake. It contains no locks; seawater flows freely through the canal into the Great Bitter Lake from both the Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Red Sea in the south, replacing evaporation.
The canal is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The canal may be used in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag.
Famous Ship Canals and Waterways
Name Location Length(mi)1 Width(ft) Depth(ft) Locks Yropened
Albert Belgium 80.0 53.0 16.5 6 1939
Amsterdam-Rhine Netherlands 45.0 164.0 41.0 3 1952
Beaumont–Port Arthur United States 40.0 200.0 34.0 — 1916
Canal du Midi France 149.0 n.a. n.a. 100 1692
Chesapeake & Delaware US 14.0 450.0 35.0 — 1829
Erie Canal US 363.0 70.0 7.0 82 1825
Grand Canal China 1,085.0 n.a. n.a. n.a. 7th cent.
Göta Canal Sweden 240.0 n.a. n.a. 58 1832
Houston US 50.0 (2) 40.0 — 1914
Kiel (Nord-Ostsee Kanal)Germany 61.3 144.0 36.0 4 1895
Panama Panama 50.7 110.0 41.0 1914
St. Lawrence Seaway US& Canada 2,400.03 4) — — 1959
Montreal to Prescott US &Canada 11.5 80.0 30.0 7 1959
Welland, Canada 27.5 80.0 27.0 8 1931
Sault Ste. Marie,Canada 1.2 60.0 16.8 1 1895
Sault Ste. Marie,United States 1.6 80.0 25.0 4 1915
Suez Egypt 119.95 1,197.5 68.9 — 1869
Source: American Society of Civil Engineers.
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