
Panama Canal: Not on the list of "wonders of the world"
The canal, the location of which even a C student can show on a map, is not among the most complex engineering structures. It is not called the most expensive technical project. What is it “the most” in? Corruption! Bribery of newspapers, officials, members of governments and entire parliaments for the right to build cost France 19 billion francs in the second half of the 1,5th century.
This circumstance, however, does not prevent the Panama Canal from being considered one of the greatest achievements of mankind in the entire history of civilization. It is difficult to estimate, express in figures and percentages the influence of the artificial sleeve on the economy of the Western Hemisphere and the world as a whole.
A tiny piece of land between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, 82 km long, was and remains a place where the interests of many states clash. But geopolitical struggle is not our topic. Let's look at the interoceanic channel as a hydrotechnical facility.
It is impossible to understand the importance of the canal without it. The idea of connecting two water basins arose already in the times of the conquistadors. Having barely discovered America, explorers discovered a thin isthmus between the continents. They realized how quickly it was possible to get from the Caribbean Sea to the western shores of North America.
The Panama Canal handles 18,8 thousand ships a year. Photo: YouTube.com
But the original idea of artificially separating the continents and “merging” the oceans was rejected by the King of Spain, Philip II. The deeply religious monarch in the mid-16th century reasoned: man has no right to tear apart what “God has joined.” But when colossal savings in time and costs, incredible trade prospects and profits are at stake, will people stop?
Moreover, how difficult is it to dig a ditch 80 km long? Ancient Egyptian irrigation systems were much longer. However, the project was taken up seriously only 300 years later, at a time of frantic development of shipping and international trade.
At first, the US and Great Britain fought for the realization of the long-standing dream. The former proposed to build an interoceanic communication route through the territory of Nicaragua. But in 1879, the French seized the initiative. We have already mentioned how much it cost the country.
Ferdinand de Lesseps was appointed manager of the grandiose construction. He was the organizer and executor of the work on the Suez Canal, completed in 1869. To attract capital, a large-scale company was organized, which brought 800 thousand investors with their wallets.
There are 3 bridges across the Panama Canal. Photo: YouTube.com
The creator of the world's most famous tower, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, was brought in to develop the project. The result of the French 10-year activity on the Isthmus of Panama was the complete collapse of the enterprise and an international scandal.
In 1889, F. Lesseps and A. Eiffel were brought to trial. The great personalities and engineers were accused of unprecedented corruption and incompetent management, which resulted in the death of 23-25 thousand people from tropical diseases.
But the main thing is the mistake in the project. The French intended to build a lockless channel, that is, a canal at sea level. In the course of the work, they abandoned the solution, but the money had already been squandered. Court proceedings and world disgrace led to F. Lesseps's tragic death.
Let's skip the subsequent battles. It is important that in 1901 the States received the exclusive right to continue the project. Not without their participation, in 1903 the Panamanian people rebelled, separated from Columbia, and created their own state.
In 9 hours the ship gets from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. Photo: YouTube.com
At the same time, the United States received in perpetual possession:
The construction was started by the US Department of Defense. John Stevenson was appointed chief engineer. The Republic of Panama became a de facto protectorate of the United States. Only in 2000 did control over the waterway pass to Panama, whose population today is 3,9 million people.
But let's go back to the beginning of the 20th century. The first ship passed through the channel in August 1914. The official opening took place in June 1920. At that point, the United States spent $400 million. Over 10 years, 70 thousand people worked on the construction, of which 5600 died for various reasons.
The construction of the sleeve at sea level turned out to be labor-intensive, expensive and unprofitable. A construction method was chosen that used a system of locks with inlet and outlet gates. It turned out that the channel runs 25,9 m above sea level.
Object dimensions:
✅ Length – 81,6 km
✅ Width - 32 m
✅ Depth – 12 m
Locks are water lifts located in tiers. They work as follows: a vessel enters the first of them, the gates close. At this time, water is supplied from the side openings, lifting the ship to the level of the second lock. The gates open, the ship enters it. The moored vessel waits for the next rise in water and the opening of the third lock. The procedure is repeated, the ship reaches the watershed and begins the "descent".
The Poseidon Gate between the locks of the Panama Canal. Photo: YouTube.com
Water enters the canal from Lake Gatun. The flows are controlled by huge valves. There are 12 locks in total. They hold 101 thousand m3 water each. They are arranged in pairs so that movement is possible in both directions. In practice, however, both lines of the canal allow ships to pass in the same direction.
The transit time is 4-9 hours. Therefore, 48 vessels pass through the artery daily, 14 thousand per year. Ships following the man-made hydraulic structure carry 5-6% of the world's ocean freight. And this amounts to 280 million tons of goods.
Under the control of the pilot service, private yachts, tankers, and container ships navigate the canal. The ships are escorted through the locks by "mules" - electric locomotives. Rails run along the entire channel on both sides, as do highways.
There are a few centimeters between the side of the container ship and the canal wall. Photo: YouTube.com
It is important that the carrier meets certain dimensions. The standard size of ships is called "Panamax":
✅ Length - 294,1 m
✅ Width - 32,3
✅ Draft - 12 m
✅ Displacement – 130 t
The canal is almost the main source of income for Panama. The government of the country took into account that watercraft are increasing in size and taking on board more cargo. In 2006, it was decided to expand and modernize the canal.
During the "major repairs" a third branch of locks with gates was added, parallel to the old ones. The bottom was also deepened, most of the equipment and infrastructure were replaced. After that, in 2015, another standard for tanker and container ship dimensions was adopted - "New Panamax", allowing for a seagoing vessel with a displacement of 170 tons. Transport.
The artery's capacity has increased to 18,8 thousand ships per year. The millionth ship since its opening crossed the canal in 2010. Large-capacity supertankers continue to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, bypassing South America and stormy Cape Horn.
Despite the measures taken, the intercontinental sea route remains congested. A one-way passage costs $400-450 thousand. Transit rights are often sold at auctions.
Panama Canal: Each ship is accompanied by a pilot service. Photo: YouTube.com
The tolls add $3,5 billion to Panama's treasury. The history of the facility preserves the only case when a trip through the canal cost 36 cents. The American writer, navigator, and adventurer Richard Halliburton managed to pay so little.
The desire to visit the majestic structure arises in a large number of tourists. This business is well developed in the country. Last year, Panama served 1 million vacationers, 70% of whom were foreigners.
Luxurious visitor centers are located at the locks and ocean shores. Towers are built along the riverbed, from which tourists watch the passage of liners from one water area to another.
The best time to visit is the "dry" period from January to May. The peak of tourist pilgrimage is February. True, hotel prices go up. People relax on the ocean sand beaches, go to Monkey Island, to the equatorial forests. You can drop in to visit the local Indians. A five-day pleasure for Russians will cost about 300 thousand rubles.
This circumstance, however, does not prevent the Panama Canal from being considered one of the greatest achievements of mankind in the entire history of civilization. It is difficult to estimate, express in figures and percentages the influence of the artificial sleeve on the economy of the Western Hemisphere and the world as a whole.
A tiny piece of land between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, 82 km long, was and remains a place where the interests of many states clash. But geopolitical struggle is not our topic. Let's look at the interoceanic channel as a hydrotechnical facility.
History
It is impossible to understand the importance of the canal without it. The idea of connecting two water basins arose already in the times of the conquistadors. Having barely discovered America, explorers discovered a thin isthmus between the continents. They realized how quickly it was possible to get from the Caribbean Sea to the western shores of North America.

But the original idea of artificially separating the continents and “merging” the oceans was rejected by the King of Spain, Philip II. The deeply religious monarch in the mid-16th century reasoned: man has no right to tear apart what “God has joined.” But when colossal savings in time and costs, incredible trade prospects and profits are at stake, will people stop?
Moreover, how difficult is it to dig a ditch 80 km long? Ancient Egyptian irrigation systems were much longer. However, the project was taken up seriously only 300 years later, at a time of frantic development of shipping and international trade.
At first, the US and Great Britain fought for the realization of the long-standing dream. The former proposed to build an interoceanic communication route through the territory of Nicaragua. But in 1879, the French seized the initiative. We have already mentioned how much it cost the country.
Great personalities
Ferdinand de Lesseps was appointed manager of the grandiose construction. He was the organizer and executor of the work on the Suez Canal, completed in 1869. To attract capital, a large-scale company was organized, which brought 800 thousand investors with their wallets.

The creator of the world's most famous tower, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, was brought in to develop the project. The result of the French 10-year activity on the Isthmus of Panama was the complete collapse of the enterprise and an international scandal.
In 1889, F. Lesseps and A. Eiffel were brought to trial. The great personalities and engineers were accused of unprecedented corruption and incompetent management, which resulted in the death of 23-25 thousand people from tropical diseases.
But the main thing is the mistake in the project. The French intended to build a lockless channel, that is, a canal at sea level. In the course of the work, they abandoned the solution, but the money had already been squandered. Court proceedings and world disgrace led to F. Lesseps's tragic death.
Who owns the Panama Canal?
Let's skip the subsequent battles. It is important that in 1901 the States received the exclusive right to continue the project. Not without their participation, in 1903 the Panamanian people rebelled, separated from Columbia, and created their own state.

At the same time, the United States received in perpetual possession:
The area of land and land under water for the construction, maintenance, operation, establishment of sanitary order and protection of the said canal.
The construction was started by the US Department of Defense. John Stevenson was appointed chief engineer. The Republic of Panama became a de facto protectorate of the United States. Only in 2000 did control over the waterway pass to Panama, whose population today is 3,9 million people.
Travel in 7 minutes what takes a ship 9 hours
But let's go back to the beginning of the 20th century. The first ship passed through the channel in August 1914. The official opening took place in June 1920. At that point, the United States spent $400 million. Over 10 years, 70 thousand people worked on the construction, of which 5600 died for various reasons.
Configuration of the structure
The construction of the sleeve at sea level turned out to be labor-intensive, expensive and unprofitable. A construction method was chosen that used a system of locks with inlet and outlet gates. It turned out that the channel runs 25,9 m above sea level.
Object dimensions:
✅ Length – 81,6 km
✅ Width - 32 m
✅ Depth – 12 m
Locks are water lifts located in tiers. They work as follows: a vessel enters the first of them, the gates close. At this time, water is supplied from the side openings, lifting the ship to the level of the second lock. The gates open, the ship enters it. The moored vessel waits for the next rise in water and the opening of the third lock. The procedure is repeated, the ship reaches the watershed and begins the "descent".

Water enters the canal from Lake Gatun. The flows are controlled by huge valves. There are 12 locks in total. They hold 101 thousand m3 water each. They are arranged in pairs so that movement is possible in both directions. In practice, however, both lines of the canal allow ships to pass in the same direction.
The transit time is 4-9 hours. Therefore, 48 vessels pass through the artery daily, 14 thousand per year. Ships following the man-made hydraulic structure carry 5-6% of the world's ocean freight. And this amounts to 280 million tons of goods.
Carrier standards
Under the control of the pilot service, private yachts, tankers, and container ships navigate the canal. The ships are escorted through the locks by "mules" - electric locomotives. Rails run along the entire channel on both sides, as do highways.

It is important that the carrier meets certain dimensions. The standard size of ships is called "Panamax":
✅ Length - 294,1 m
✅ Width - 32,3
✅ Draft - 12 m
✅ Displacement – 130 t
The canal is almost the main source of income for Panama. The government of the country took into account that watercraft are increasing in size and taking on board more cargo. In 2006, it was decided to expand and modernize the canal.
During the "major repairs" a third branch of locks with gates was added, parallel to the old ones. The bottom was also deepened, most of the equipment and infrastructure were replaced. After that, in 2015, another standard for tanker and container ship dimensions was adopted - "New Panamax", allowing for a seagoing vessel with a displacement of 170 tons. Transport.
The artery's capacity has increased to 18,8 thousand ships per year. The millionth ship since its opening crossed the canal in 2010. Large-capacity supertankers continue to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, bypassing South America and stormy Cape Horn.
Panama Canal in the tourism industry
Despite the measures taken, the intercontinental sea route remains congested. A one-way passage costs $400-450 thousand. Transit rights are often sold at auctions.

The tolls add $3,5 billion to Panama's treasury. The history of the facility preserves the only case when a trip through the canal cost 36 cents. The American writer, navigator, and adventurer Richard Halliburton managed to pay so little.
The desire to visit the majestic structure arises in a large number of tourists. This business is well developed in the country. Last year, Panama served 1 million vacationers, 70% of whom were foreigners.
Luxurious visitor centers are located at the locks and ocean shores. Towers are built along the riverbed, from which tourists watch the passage of liners from one water area to another.
The best time to visit is the "dry" period from January to May. The peak of tourist pilgrimage is February. True, hotel prices go up. People relax on the ocean sand beaches, go to Monkey Island, to the equatorial forests. You can drop in to visit the local Indians. A five-day pleasure for Russians will cost about 300 thousand rubles.
- Timofey
- youtube.com
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