The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama and drastically reduced travel times between the oceans. The United States took over construction of the canal from France in 1904 after thousands of French workers had died from disease. Building the canal involved overcoming immense challenges in draining lakes, cutting through mountainous jungle, and constructing giant locks to raise and lower ships. After 10 years of difficult construction under harsh conditions, the Panama Canal opened in 1914.

1. The Panama Canal The World’s Most Important Shortcut

2. Where is Panama? Maps Courtesy of: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/americas_pol96.jpg

3. Panama is an isthmus. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land which has water on each side and connects two larger bodies of land. What is an isthmus? Courtesy of: http://www.1uptravel.com/worldmaps/maps/pm-map.jpg

7. Building the Canal The next few pictures show what the area looked like when the French started building the canal. What challenges do you think they faced building a canal in this type of area?

9. Image Courtesy of: http://www.anu.edu.au/BoZo/jennions/images/Panama%20lake.jpg

10. Courtesy of: http://www.canalmuseum.com/photos/panamacanalphoto002.htm

11. Courtesy of: http://www.canalmuseum.com/photos/panamacanalphoto002.htm

12. Courtesy of: http://www.canalmuseum.com/photos/panamacanalphoto003.htm

13. After looking at these pictures what do you think would be the challenges of trying to build a canal through a tropical jungle and mountains?

18. So your family decides to send the clothes by ship around the tip of South America. The trip can easily take two months, and many ships are destroyed by terrible storms.

25. Here are the giant locks Courtesy of: http://www.canalmuseum.com/photos/panamacanalphoto026.htm

26. Here are the giant locks being built Photo from the Canal Zone Brats www.czbrats.com

27. Here are the giant locks being built Photos Courtesy of www.panamacanal.com

28. Here is how the Panama Canal works Image Courtesy of: http://www.panamacanal-cruises.com/panama-canal-pictures/crosssections.jpg

29. Here is how the Panama Canal works Photo Courtesy of: http://navy.memorieshop.com/Panama/ProfilePC.jpg

30. Here is one of the maps used when making the canal Photos Courtesy of www.panamacanal.com

33. Working Conditions The average yearly rainfall is about 80 inches. Flooding makes the ground like pudding, and you can sink up to your knees in mud. Tropical diseases, such as yellow fever and malaria are spread easily by mosquitoes.

36. The building of the canal Photo courtesy of: www.canalmuseum.com

37. The building of the canal Photo courtesy of: www.canalmuseum.com

38. 1914 The Canal Opens Image Courtesy of: http://www.canalmuseum.com/photos/panamacanalphoto042.htm