panama canal

English - Turkish

Definition of panama canal in English Turkish dictionary

Related Terms

the Panama Canal

Panama Kanalı

English - English

Definition of panama canal in English English dictionary

A major man-made canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

man-made canal which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

A ship canal, about 82 km (51 mi) long, crossing the Isthmus of Panama in the Canal Zone and connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It was begun by the French in 1881, but the project was abandoned in 1889. The United States gained construction rights after Panama declared its independence in 1903, and the canal was opened to traffic on August 15, 1914. A 1977 treaty stipulated that the Panamanians gained full rights of sovereignty over the canal on December 31, 1999. a canal (=artificial river) that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans across the Isthums of Panama, allowing ships to avoid having to sail around the southern part of South America. It opened in 1914, after ten years of building, and is 64 km/40 miles long. Canal of the lake-and-lock type, Panama. Extending across the Isthmus of Panama, it connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is about 51 mi (82 km) long from deepwater to deepwater, with a minimum width of 300 ft (91 m) and a minimum depth of 41 ft (12 m). In 1879 a French company began constructing the canal, but the enterprise collapsed in 1889. Under a 1903 treaty Panama granted the U.S. the Panama Canal Zone and the rights to build and operate a canal. Work began in 1904; facing enormous obstacles, George Washington Goethals directed the construction from 1907, and the canal opened on Aug. 15, 1914. The canal enabled ships traveling between the two oceans to avoid the lengthy circumnavigation of South America and was a boon to world commerce. After disputes over sovereignty, a 1977 treaty provided for Panama to take control of the canal by 2000; it did so in 1999. Except for small craft, no vessel can pass through the canal under its own power. Ships are towed by electric locomotives, and it generally takes 15-20 hours to complete the passage (including waiting time). Sets of double locks enable ships to pass in opposite directions simultaneously

a ship canal 40 miles long across the Isthmus of Panama built by the United States (1904-1914)

Related Terms

Panama Canal Zone

The territory within Panama, stretching along the course of the Panama Canal but excluding the sea port cities Panama City and Colon, which was exclusively administered by the U.S.A. (which appointed governors) under the 18 November 1903 lease treaty, even before the canal opened (in 1914), until the return of state control on 30 September 1979, after which only the canal itself remained under the US-controlled Panama Canal Commission till 1999

panama canal zone

a zone consisting of a strip of land across the Isthmus of Panama that contains the Panama Canal

Hyphenation

Pan·a·ma ca·nal

Turkish pronunciation

pänımä kınäl

Pronunciation

/ˈpanəˌmä kəˈnal/ /ˈpænəˌmɑː kəˈnæl/