The Panama Canal is located in Panama, the southernmost country of Central America, and is the waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The canal is 77 kilometers long and 300 meters wide at its narrowest point.

The construction of the Panama Canal was started by the French in the late 19th century. However, the project was halted in 1889 due to engineering problems and high labor mortality rates.

The project was taken over by the United States in 1904 and completed on August 15, 1914. During the construction of the canal, approximately 27,500 workers lost their lives.

The Panama Canal consists of two canals: Gatun Canal and Pedro Miguel Canal. The Gatun Canal is the wider and deeper canal that allows the passage of larger ships.

The Pedro Miguel Canal is narrower and shallower, allowing the passage of smaller ships. Ships are first landed in Gatun Lake to pass through the canal. Gatun Lake is an artificial lake created during the construction of the canal.

The ships rise with the rising water level in the lake.

After passing through Gatun Lake, the ships enter the Pedro Miguel Canal. After passing through the Pedro Miguel Canal, they pass through the narrowest part of the canal.

At this point, the ships are lifted by hydraulic lifting units attached to the walls of the canal. After passing through the narrowest part of the canal, the ships enter the Miraflores Canal.

After passing through the Miraflores Channel, the ships are lowered back to the water level.

After passing through the Miraflores Channel, the ships return to Gatun Lake. After passing through Gatun Lake, they can leave the canal.

The Panama Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world. The canal allows ships to pass directly between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

This allows ships to transit between the two oceans without having to go around the southern tip of South America.

The Panama Canal plays an important role for global trade. The canal carries around 14,000 ships every year. These ships transport goods and raw materials from all over the world.

Work is underway to expand and modernize the canal. When these works are completed, the canal's capacity to carry larger and faster ships will increase.