Panama Canal

World Wonder Slogan

"The ships' highway shortcut"

Part I (Everyone)

1. Introduction 1. Where is the Panama Canal? 2.When was the Panama Canal built or discovered?

Part II (Human Made Wonder)

2. What is the Panama Canal? 3. Who built the Panama Canal? 4. What was the reason the Panama Canal was built? 5. What is the purpose of the Panama Canal? What makes the Panama Canal special and important?

Part III (Everyone)

3. Current Status 6. Who uses the Panama Canal today? 7. Is the Panama Canal used differently today than in the past and how has it been used differently? 8. Is the Panama Canal in danger of disappearing? / Is the Panama Canal being preserved?

Part IV (Everyone)

4. Why should you visit the Panama Canal? 9. What is the best time of year to visit the Panama Canal and why? 10. What are some things that you can do when you visit the Panama Canal? 11. What other interesting things are near the Panama Canal that you can visit or do when you travel?

Part V (Everyone)

5 Interesting Facts 1.America originally wanted to build a canal in Nicaragua, not Panama because the United States considered Nicaragua a more feasible location than Panama. 2.Nearly 20,000 French and 6,000 American workers died during the canal's construction. Some died due to disease like Yellow Fever and malaria. Others died to accidents. There were more than 25,000 people who died in total. 3.Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the canal every year with American ships using it the most, followed by ships from China, Chile, Japan, Columbia and South Korea. 4.Walter Reed's Yellow Fever research saved thousands of canal workers by conducting research in Cuba in the late 1800's that determined mosquitoes transmit Yellow Fever. 5.More than 60,000,000 pounds of dynamite was used to unearth and construct the Panama Canal.

11. What other interesting things are near your wonder that I can visit or do when I travel?

Birdwatchers and families will love the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, home to hiking trails, an educational center built with sustainable technology and a 32-meter observation tower with prized views of the toucans and electric blue cotingas. For the best bird watching, set the alarm for the 6am opening time. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute administers a world-renowned research facility here. Although the 1500-hectare island was once restricted only to scientists, it has opened to a limited number of visitors as part of a guided tour that should be top of the list for nature enthusiasts. The trip includes a boat ride from Gamboa and lunch. Reservations are essential, as the few daily spots fill months in advance.

8. Is the Panama Canal in danger of disappearing? / Is the Panama Canal being preserved?

Danger of the Panama Canal disappearing and how to Preserve it Today the Panama Canal is warned by local deforestation of watersheds. Since the canal depends on freshwater to operate the locks, the canal is still being affected by declining rainfall. A larger problem is the widespread siltation of the canal from erosion. This siltation is so broad that it may soon prevent some ships from crossing the canal. Preserving the Panama Canal The Panama Canal Authority and scientists are working together to study Gatún Lake's hydrology, to improve its watershed and to teach the people who live there the importance of preserving it.

7. Is the Panama Canal used differently today than in the past and how has it been used differently?

How the Panama Canal is used differently today The Panama Canal is still used to make transportation for ships shorter and safer and is still a tourist attraction, but it was improved by doing a project in the 21st Century which included adding two new sets of locks, one on each end of the canal. It also included increasing the width of Gatún Lake's navigational channels to 920 feet in the straight sections and 1,200 feet at the turning points and widening and deepening the existing navigational channels and deepening the cut. Each sea-entrance navigation channel was widened to 738 feet and deepened to at least 18 feet below the lowest tide levels. The project doubled the canal's capacity.

11. What other interesting things are near your wonder that I can visit or do when I travel?

Other interesting things that are near the Panama Canal that you can visit or do when you travel. Many visitors opt for a Panama Canal transit cruise, but for a more intimate view adventure outfitter Ecocircuitos offers kayaking as a worthwhile day trip from Panama City. As you paddle, keep an eye out for sloths, curious capuchin monkeys or howler monkeys crashing through the foliage. You can also visit Panama Viejo, the site of the old city that are in ruins dating back to 1519. Most of these ruins are traces of the old ruling buildings of Panama City including bits of the Casas Reales (Royal Houses).

Name of Your World Wonder

Panama Canal

10. What are some things that you can do when you visit the Panama Canal?

Prized by sport fishers, peacock bass were introduced to Gatún Lake in the 1950s and have since overrun the native species. Fishing does the ecosystem a favor and reel enthusiasts can do their bit by joining one of Panama Canal Fishing's bass-hunting trips. If you want to see ships pass through the locks, you should go to the Miraflores Locks that is closest to Panama City, Agua Clara Locks that are the newest locks, the Cocoli Locks that has three bigger locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks that is the least impressive spot, and the Gatún Locks that are on the Atlantic side of the canal.

1. Where is the Panama Canal?

The Panama Canal is located across a strip of tropical land where the Isthmus of Panama slims in the shape of a long flattened letter S. Panama is an area of Central America then belonging to Columbia. The Panama Canal links the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and on one side of the isthmus is the Caribbean Sea and on the other runs on the Atlantic Ocean.

3. Who built the Panama Canal?

The People Who Built the Panama Canal The French designed the canal in Panama and were the first to attempt to build the canal across Panama. After the French stopped building the canal due to running out of money, engineers and more than 75,000 people did the labor. On the busiest days, up to 25,000 people worked at the same time. President Theodore Roosevelt asked for the Panama Canal to be built and appointed a civilian commission to lead the project.

2. When was the Panama Canal built or discovered?

The Year the Panama Canal was Built The Panama Canal was built in 1881 by a French company and the company stopped working in 1899 when the company ran out of money. Five years later the United States took over and finished in 1913. It took 33 years in total to build the canal.

9. What is the best time of year to visit the Panama Canal and why (examples: fall, New Years, February)?

The best time of year to visit the Panama Canal. The best time to come to the Panama Canal is in February, March, September and October when there will most likely be the least amount of rain, although any month from mid-December to the beginning of May is fairly dry. The Caribbean side of the canal receives twice the amount of rain as Panama City and is notorious for having short, sudden afternoon thunderstorms from April through July.

5. What is the purpose of your wonder? What makes your wonder special and important?

The purpose of the Panama Canal and what makes it special and important The purpose of the Panama Canal was to shorten the time needed to move passengers westward and gold back east after the discovery of gold in 1848 in California. The thing that makes the Panama Canal special and important is that the canal made sea voyages shorter and safer because back then, rounding the southern tip was dangerous. Storms and huge waves destroyed ships and many lives were lost.

4. What was the reason the Panama Canal was built?

The reason why the Panama Canal was built The Panama Canal was built because back then, the trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific was dangerous. Ships had to sail around the tip of South America. Yet a thin strip of land separated the two oceans and this was Panama. Explorers and sailors had dreamed of a water shortcut here. This would make journeys much shorter.

10. What are some things that you can do when you visit the Panama Canal?

Things you can do when you visit the Panama Canal. Near the mouth of the canal, the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center makes an excellent jumping off point for exploration. Begin by visiting the locks museum, which narrates the story of the canal from the failed French attempt that cost 22,000 workers their lives to the hard-won American success and the handover to Panama in 1999. In the same complex, the open-air observation deck offers prime views of 1,000ft ocean liners transiting the locks.

6. Who uses the Panama Canal today?

Use of the Panama Canal today Today the Panama Canal is still used to authorize shippers of commercial goods to save time and money by transporting cargo more quickly between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Panama Canal is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in Panama with over 1,000,000 people visiting each year.