The Panama Canal

Panama Canal Full Transit

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Monkey Island Tour: a Fun Activity for the Whole Family!

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Monkey Island Tour is one of the most popular tours in Panama, and why not, everybody loves monkeys! Monkey Island Tour can be done by itself, in conjunction with other tours in Gamboa or with a Panama City and Canal Tour. Monkey Island is located right off the Panama Canal, in the Gatun Lake, that feeds water to the Canal for the locks to work. An interesting fact about Gatun Lake is that it is the second largest artificial man-made lake in the world, created in 1907 and took 6 years to flood! Under the Gatun Lake there is a subterranean city, where it is possible to dive in very murky waters.

The Miraflores Visitor Center at the Panama Canal

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When planning a vacation to Panama one of the highlights of your trip will be a visit to the Panama Canal. Although the Panama Canal has three locks, visitors mostly go to the Miraflores Locks because of its proximity to Panama City. A quick 20 minute car ride from downtown Panama City and you will arrive at the Miraflores Visitor Center. It is possible to go by yourself, although transportation must previously be arranged since there are no taxis in the Miraflores Visitor Center.

The Panama Canal Authority

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The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is the administrative body that runs the Panama Canal. After negotiating the release of the land that became Panama, after eleven years constructing the Canal and after eighty-five years of operation, the United States government handed over control of the Panama Canal to ACP. This happened on December 31, 1999, when a huge crowd gathered at the administration building of the canal for the event.

Panama Canal Railway Influenced the Panama Canal Construction

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Back in 1876 a company from France had plans to make a Canal through the isthmus of Panama. At this time the Gold Rush fever had already passed and the Panama Canal Railway was hurting financially, so the threat of a quicker water passage alarmed the owners of the railway. In Paris, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the man responsible for building the Suez Canal in Egypt formed the “Societe Internationale du Canal Interoceanique”. Investors in the Panama Canal decided that the cost for the new Panama Canal would be $214 million, without visiting Panama.

Chinese Company will Build New Bridge Across the Panama Canal

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The announcement by Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli in February that a new bridge will be thrown over the span of the Canal has hastened planning for city planners and engineers. The building of the bridge is considered vital due to the increasing volume of traffic and trade as well as the proposed demolition of the Las Americas Bridge in the near future. The Las Americas Bridge will be removed and replaced to allow larger ships passage through the canal – expanding the maximum limits or ‘Panamax’ of the Canal.