The document summarizes the history and expansion of the Panama Canal. It describes the original canal that opened in 1914 after 30 years of construction and 27,000 lives lost. The canal cut shipping distances between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. In 2000, Panama gained control of the canal from the U.S. To accommodate increasingly larger ships, Panama recently completed a major expansion project that included new locks twice as wide and 1600 feet longer than the original locks.

1. boasting 25 meter high gates and 320
meter long locks
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to stabilize the ships during the
passage an innovative system of
locomotives
acted as tugs
on august 15 1914 after a 30-year
construction project that claimed the
lives of 27
000 men the gates to this new
inter-oceanic highway were opened
the 77-kilometer canal connecting the
pacific and atlantic
was regarded as the fourth wonder of the
world
the voyage from san francisco to new
york previously 22
500 kilometers was now only 9 500
kilometers
while europe went to war the young
american nation became the world's
leading military power
and seized control of the region
more than 100 years after the first ship
sailed along the canal
panama entered a new era on january the
1st 2000
after some tough negotiations with the
usa the country took over the canal zone
a forest of skyscrapers has grown around
old panama city
which is now a major financial centre
for the canal such commercial success is
nothing new
together with its associated activities
it represents 40 percent of the
country's economy
now the soulmasters in charge the
panamanians recently carried out some
major works to provide cargo ships
with a brand new canal with locks
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it's incredible
hello
the titanic project was supervised by
ilya marotta
this panamanian engineer has dedicated
nine years of her life to the canal
we needed new locks because shipping uh
industry was getting bigger
the vessels were getting bigger and
bigger and bigger and we were maxed out
so we needed more capacity for more
vessels and then we needed to attract
bigger vessels that couldn't fit through
the existing panama canal otherwise
we would lose market share and we
wouldn't be a world canal
which lock size did you choose so the
width is 55 meters
and the length of this chamber is 427