Panama Canal example essay topic

281 words
The Panama Canal is the fastest, safest, and easy route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The canal was originally the French's plan, but they went into bankruptcy and couldn't finish the job. So, when the arrival of World War I came around a series of treaties were made in order for America to build the Panama Canal. The canal was completed in August of 1914, under budget by twenty-three million dollars. America owned the Panama Canal Zone in which America built bases on over the years.

Also, the Panama Canal Zone that the American's controlled increased in World War II. The American's science would also benefited the Panamanians for they helped stop the disease that was scattered all around in the building of the canal. The canal increased trade internationally from countries around the world. Initial traffic on the canal was around two-thousand ships annually until the war was over, when it jumped to five-thousand ships a year, then to seven-thousand, and more in recent times.

The toll was initially 90 cents a ton, but was raised in 1974 due to increasing costs of operation; the canal is only allowed to break even, to $1.08 a ton. The only ship that won't fit would be today's oil supertankers, which were not designed to travel through the canal, which won't fit in the locks because it is too wide. But today the Panama Canal does not belong to the Americans but to the Panamanians which it rightfully belongs to and that the Panama Canal costed more money than what it is worth to maintain it to the Americans.