Panama Canal facts
In honor of Collette’s new Panama tour I’ve put together a list of cool Panama Canal trivia. I am history buff and the best Trivial Pursuit player I know so I like to squirrel away tidbits like these.
Panama Canal facts:
- Begun in 1904
- Completed in 1914
- The canal is 77 km (48 mi) long
- A ship sailing from NYC to San Francisco saves over 7000 miles
- The French tried and failed to complete a canal
- America spent approx. $352,000,000 on the canal project
- The American steamship SS Ancon was the first ship to officially transit the canal – August 15th, 1914
- On December 31, 1999 control of the canal transferred to the Republic of Panama
- A massive canal expansion project is currently underway
- Teddy Roosevelt (my favorite President) was the driving force behind the completion of the canal
To learn more about Discover Panama: The Land Between the Seas read Traveling Well’s interview with Collette’s Central America Product Manager, Allison Flint.
posted by John Geysen
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