Panama canal map

The Panama Canal, which was completed in 1914, connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and significantly shortens some shipping routes by allowing vessels to bypass South America. This infographic provides a timeline and map of the Panama Canal along with a number of interesting facts.

Panama Canal cut short distance for ships sailing from Europe or US east coast to US west coast which had to sail around South America’s southernmost tip

Panama Canal - a Cruising Guide on the World Cruising and Sailing Wiki

Physical map of Panama showing major cities, terrain, national parks, rivers, and surrounding countries with international borders and outline maps. Key facts about Panama.

After 9 years of construction, the newly-expanded Panama Canal has opened to accommodate larger ships.

The Panama Canal one of the most fantastic engineering wonders of the modern world, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. About 14 thousand vessels use the Canal each year. More than one million ships have passed through the Panama Canal since it opened.

"A ship traveling from New York to San Francisco before the canal opening (in 1914) had to sail all the way beyond the tip of South America, rounding Cape Horn, and then travel the entire distance back north to the Northern California coast, despite the fact that the two cities are on similar latitudinal lines. By using the Panama Canal, ships save 7,872 miles by bypassing the trip around South America." http://traveltips.usatoday.com/panama-canal-61272.html

Infographic reported, written, illustrated and designed by Belinda Ivey of KarBel Multimedia for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.