The Panama Canal

Introduction

Panama Canal is one of the largest engineering wonders that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans over a water channel that is 51 miles (82 km) long passing through the Isthmus of Panama.
This canal was a man-made canal built in 1914 and gave a new path to global trade by shortening the time and distance required to transport goods across two oceans.
Nowadays the Canal continues to function as an important branch of world shipping, with more than 14 thousand ships passing through it annually, and plays a significant role in the development of Panama's economy.

Cruises to Panama Canal

Travellers sailing through the maritime passage can feast their eyes on one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world. Depending on the number of locks that the cruise ship passes through, they differ between partial cruises and full cruises, with the latter being a passage through all the locks in the canal.
Nowadays, numerous significant cruise lines launched programs with visits to the Isthmian Canal so that people can explore its history, natural beauty, and complexity of construction.

Princess Cruise

Princess Cruises is among the most used lines travelling on the shipping passage. Affiliated with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, Princess Cruises is among the luxury cruise line companies that have perfect itineraries that either offer a partial or full transit of the canal.
The passengers of Princess Cruise can observe the operations of the canal’s locks, engage in guided touring as part of the cruise ship experience, and enjoy the history and importance of the canal. For many of the travellers, the trip through the locks is the most exciting part of the journey.

Panama Canal Location on the Map

The Panama Canal is situated in the country of Panama at the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama. It serves as a necessary stop, enabling ships to avoid a very lengthy and hazardous route through the Cape Horn.
It is also very simple to identify the exact location of the Panama Canal on the map, starting from the Caribbean Sea on the Atlantic side to the Pacific Ocean on the Panama City side. This geographical location has placed Panama as one of the leading logistics centres in the world.

International Interest

Given the position it plays in the world economy, the Panama Canal remains of international interest and importance. Information regarding the functioning of the canal, construction undertakings, and resulting effects on the economy are common in the news.
Also global shipping trends, matters such as droughts which affect water levels at the canal, and updates on the maintenance going on are potential topics in news regarding the canal.

Locks in Panama Canal

The gates of the interoceanic route are one key component, as they allow ships to be moved up and down depending on whether they are switching from the Atlantic to the Pacific or vice versa.
These locks act like water lifts and carry the ships 85 feet above sea level at Gatun Lake and then reduce the level as the ship nears the other side of the country. The first ones, Gatun Locks, Pedro Miguel Locks and Miraflores Locks are real engineering masterpieces. In 2016, the expansion of the infrastructure opened the Cocolí and new Agua Clara Locks for the passage of bigger ships.

How Long is the Panama Canal

The maritime passage is slightly under 51 miles or 82 kilometres in length, beginning at the Caribbean Sea on the Atlantic side passing through the pedesis of Panama and ending at the Pacific Ocean near Panama City. Vessels take approximately 8 to 10 hours to traverse the canal depending on the traffic of vessels as well as weather conditions.

Width

The width of the transoceanic waterway also differs depending on the area but the locks are around 110ft (33.5m) in the original canal. The recently constructed lock gates are wider lock gates measuring 1800 feet (550 meters) wide to accommodate larger ships known as Neopanamax ships.

Live Webcam

Those readers who would like to see the Panama Canal in action can enjoy watching several webcams which deliver real-time pictures of the canal. These webcams let viewers observe the ships in the locks, the change in water levels, and much of the everyday operations of one of the world’s most significant arteries. There are five sets of live webcams which can be viewed at the official website of the Panama Canal Authority, here.

Weather

The weather at the Isthmian Canal is tropical, with two main seasons: the short dry season which is from December to April and the long one which is the rainy season from May to November.
It is generally warm, with temperatures in the range of 75°F (24°C) to 90°F (32°C) across the year. High humidity and rather intensive rainfall, should be expected during the wet season.

Water Level

The water used by the locks is derived from nearby lakes and therefore; water management is a crucial aspect of the interoceanic route. Water levels might vary; it becomes low during the dry season and may rise in seasons when there is a lot of rain. Gatun Lake, where most of the water for the locks is drawn from to help the water control in the canal, is checked regularly to see if there is enough water to effectively operate the canal.

History of the Panama Canal

Panama Canal is one of the most captivating success stories of the modern world which has been driven by ambition and technology.
First tried by the French in the late 1800’s the work stopped because of the impracticality of the engineering and high death rates caused by the likes of yellow fever and malaria.
In 1904, the United States assumed control of the project and finally completed it in 1914 but this was only possible after hard struggles with technical challenges.
The construction of the Transoceanic Waterway was finished on August 15th 1914.
Around 25,000 workers lost their lives during the construction of the engineering marvel, most of which were a result of the French effort, numerous lives were lost to diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. When the U.S. took over the mortality rates lowered due to improvements in medicine and sanitation.

Who Owns the Waterway

The Panama Canal is owned and operated by the Government of the Republic of Panama. The legal sovereignty of the canal was relinquished to Panama by the United States under the Piedras through Torrijos-Carter Treaties on January 1, 2000.

How it Works

The waterway works through the usage of locks where ships have to be lifted and lowered depending on the section of the canal. Some of the ship systems are raised to the level of Gatun Lake while others are lowered upon arrival at the other ocean. This is done through an interchange of water between chambers and each lock operates through water from adjacent lakes using gravity.

Panama Canal Authority

The infrastructure is managed and operated by government officials through its official institution known as the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). The ACP controls the traffic and the construction of infrastructure works and guarantees the good operation of the canal and the development of Panama’s economy.

Expansion Project

The Third Set of Locks was realized in the year 2016. On it an expansion project was implemented to include additional, considerably greater locks which would enable Neopanamax vessels, which are significantly larger than those for which the canal was designed, to pass through the canal. It helped in expanding the capacities of the canal hence becoming even more important for the maritime business around the globe.