The Panama Canal Region

The Panama Canal is a man-made waterway that cuts through the country of Panama. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Before the canal, ships had to sail all the way around the southern tip of South America. The canal makes the trip much faster.

Building the Canal

Building the Panama Canal was one of the hardest projects in history. Work started in 1904 and finished in 1914. Workers had to dig through mountains and build huge locks. The locks raise and lower ships because the canal is not at sea level. Thousands of workers helped build it.

How It Works

Ships enter the canal and are raised up by locks filled with water. They cross Gatun Lake in the middle, then are lowered back down on the other side. The trip through the canal takes about 8 to 10 hours. Without the canal, ships would have to travel about 8,000 extra miles around South America.

Fun Facts

• The Panama Canal is about 50 miles long.
• About 14,000 ships use the Panama Canal each year.
• The canal uses 52 million gallons of fresh water every time a ship passes through the locks.

Did You Know?

Because of the way Panama curves, a ship going from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Panama Canal actually travels from west to east!