The Panama Canal has been integral to trade between the east and the west for decades. While the canal was hard to build and remains hard to maintain, the benefits from the canal outnumber any deterrents. The concept of the Panama Canal has been around for some time, first proposed in the early 16th century and then attempted by the French in the 18th century, the canal was abandoned due to massive deaths from diseases like malaria and yellow fever.

The United States succeeded in completing the canal in 1914 and due to it’s massive traffic has been names one of the seven modern wonders of the world by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Theodore Roosevelt was an integral part of making sure that the canal continued to be pushed towards completion and he was integral in Columbia’s recognition of the independence of Panama. While the creation and excavation of the canal was no easy task and many lives were lost as a result, there is no denying that the Panama Canal has changed the way that business is done and has increased the trade and production of many items.

With so many vessels passing through the canals each day, maintenance is a constant battle but the Panama canal has changed the way that the world trades and does business. The upkeep of the canal is done by dredging nearly constantly and making sure that the locks stay deep enough for large vessels to pass through. The Panama Canal cuts the trip from the east to west in half instead of the alternative of going around Cape Horn which is treacherous. The Panama Canal continues to increase trade between the east and the west and remains an integral part of the trade route to makes world economies run smoothly.