by Betty Bourquein

Created on: June 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 01, 2009

Traveling through the Panama Canal is something many Americans dream of doing since this is such an historic and scenic trip. If possible, one should live the dream. He will not be disappointed. Situated in the rainforest, Panama is a lush and beautiful land. It is the former land of pirates, ancient Indian tribes, and tropical animals.

Located between Costa Rico and Columbia, Panama divides Central and South America. Interestingly, Panama City is the only city in the northern hemisphere where the sun rises in the Pacific and sets in the Caribbean. Because of its strategic location, Colon is the second largest port in the world. Lake Gutan, the third largest man-made lake in the world, has been created to be a part of the canal system.

Arriving first in Panama was Christopher Columbus. Christoal and Colon both take their names from this early explorer. It was Balboa, however, who first crossed the isthmus to discover the Pacific Ocean. Because conditions through the jungle were so dangerous, Balboa supposedly sunk his ships so that he and his men were forced to explore and travel across the Isthmus.

It was the Spanish Inquisition which brought the missionaries to Panama and those looking for the gold, silver, and precious jewels.

The British became interested in Panama for its sugar. Charles V of England first proposed the building of a canal across the narrow strip of land between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Because of the jungle, he found the building of the canal to be impossible.

In 1849 the Gold Rush brought many to Panama.

The French came in 1880. Having had no trouble building the Suez Canal, they hired Chinese coolies promising unlimited opium. Over 25,000 of their workers died of malaria. The canal remained uncompleted.

In 1903, the Panamanians, with encouragement from the United States, signed a treaty to secede from Columbia. Then the U.S. abandoned the Panamanians and threatened to work with Nicaragua instead of Panama to build the canal. Because the Panamanians had just angered the Columbians, they decided to then work with the Americans to complete the canal.

When the Americans discovered that it was the mosquitoes which caused malaria, the canal was finally completed at a cost of $380 million. Completed six months ahead of schedule, the canal was finally finished within two years. The Path Between the Seas, by auth David McCullouch, chronicles the struggles to get the canal built.

Under an agreement with the Panamanian government, the U.S. rented the Canal for a period of ninety-nine years. In 1988, because of rising tensions, then President Jimmy Carter honored the treaty and returned the country back to the Panamanians. Currently there is no U.S. military base on the land.

Although still very poor, the country is beginning to prosper somewhat. A major zone has been created for international businesses to operate tar-free. This, plus the heavy tax the tourists pay for their ships to go through the Canal, has helped the region begin to begin to develop.

Tree frogs, monkeys, sloths, parrots and other exotic birds and animals await the tourist who wants to explore this beautiful land. With the U.S. dollar the standard currency and English guides readily available, traveling through Panama can be a wonderful experience.

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