5TH Grade SS chapter 14 section 3
What are some benefits of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama?
It was a way to get from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without going all the way around South America.
Why his the canal important to Panama today?
Panama has become an international crossroads for trade. Ships pay a toll according to their weight. The canal has made Panama a leading banking center.
How did a canal come to be built in Panama?
Sailors had dreamed of a canal through Central America. A French company gained the rights to build a canal.
How did the United States gain control of rights to build the canal?
The United States helped Panama gain independence from Columbia. In return, Panama gave the United States the right to build and control the canal.
What problems did the builders encounter when building the Panama Canal?
The biggest problem was disease. 20,000 men died of malaria and yellow fever. Other problems were mud slides, a mountain range, and a dense tropical forest.
Two treaties have determined the control of the Panama Canal. What were the terms of the treaties?
The first treaty gave the United States rights to build the canal and to control it forever. The next treaty gave Panama more rights to the canal and finally Panama was given ownership of the Canal.
How did workers fight the mosquitoes?
They covered boats with mesh. They filled in swamps with dirt. They burned sulfur in their homes.
Why did Panamanians want a canal?
They wanted to be free from Colombia's rule. They saw the canal as a way to win independence from columbia.
Panama Canal
a manmade waterway across the Isthmus of Panama
lock
a section of waterway in which ships are raised or lowered by adjusting the water level.
canal zone
an area containing the canal, the land on either side of the canal, the ports, the port cities and the railroad.