The Panama Canal is a key transportation route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Without the canal, shipping and other vessels would either need to travel south around the tip of South America, or they would need to offload their goods to be transported across land to another vessel.The Panama Canal consists of three sets of locks (Gatun Locks, Pedro Miguel Locks and Miraflores Locks), two artificial lakes (Lake Gatun and Lake Miraflores) and artificial channels. In addition, Lake Alajuela acts as a reservoir for the canal.

Entering from the Atlantic side of the canal, a ship arrives through the Caribbean Sea and then traverses the Gatun Locks. The Gatun Locks are a series of 3 locks, or steps, which lift a ship from the level of the Atlantic Ocean to the level of Lake Gatun.Once the ship has traversed through Lake Gatun, it then proceeds through the Chagres river and then the Culebra Cut (or Gaillard Cut), going under the Centennial Bridge, until it reaches the Pedro Miguel Locks. Unlike the Gatun Locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks consist of only one step. Once past the Pedro Miguel Locks, the sip travels through Miraflores Lake and then through the Miraflores Locks, which consist of two steps. The ship then continues underneath the Bridge of the Americas and then out through the Gulf of Panama to the Pacific Ocean.

Mules

Mules (mulas) are train locomotives that help steer large ships through the Panama Canal to prevent a ship from hitting and damaging the canal. The mules run on rack tracks, train tracks with a toothed rail down the middle to help the train climb steep inclines. The rack tracks run along both sides of the Panama Canal. Large ships are steered by 4 mules on each side of the ship, two in the front (bow) and two in the rear (stern). The mules are for steering and don’t actually tow the ships. Smaller vessels don’t use the mules, but instead use hand lines which are controlled by the ship’s crew.

Future of the Panama Canal

In October of 2006, Panama voters overwhelmingly approved a national referendum on a $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal. The plan calls for the largest modernization plan in the 92-year history of the Panama Canal, which would allow the canal to handle modern container ships, cruise liners and tankers that are too large for its current 108-foot-wide locks. The plan is to build a third set of locks on the Pacific and Atlantic ends with a completion date of 2015.

Panama was the native name of a village on the Pacific Coast of the Gulf and Isthmus of Panama. Before its discovery by the Spanish, Panama was inhabited by a large number of Amerindians. The groups lived in organized chiefdoms, depending on the area’s fish, birds, and sea turtles, and on starchy root crops for food. Numbering nearly one million when the Spanish arrived in 1501, the largest group was the Cuna. The country’s name, which means “land of plenty fish,” may also come from the Cuna words panna mai , or “far away,” a reply to Spaniards who wondered where to find gold. The name Panama is also believed to be a Guarani Indian word meaning “a butterfly,” and also signifying a mud fish, perhaps because the flaps of the mudfish resembled the wings of a butterfly.

Panama has been subjected to numerous occupations by foreign powers since the Renaissance period. Since 1513, when the Spanish explorer Vasco Nuñez de Balboa crossed a narrow strip of land and discovered the Pacific Ocean, the Isthmus of Panama has been a major crossroad of the world, linking two great continents and separating two great oceans. His discovery opened up a shorter route to Peru and the gold of the Incas. Fortune seekers from Europe could land at Colón, cross the narrow isthmus, and set sail on the Pacific for Peru.

By 1519 Spanish settlements had been established, and the king’s appointed governor, Pedro Arias de Avila, had settled in the village of Panama. Under his rule, Balboa’s Indian allies were killed and other Indians were enslaved. Many fled to the jungle or to the swampland and isolated islands on the northeast coast. A priest, Bartolomé de la Casas, was outraged by the Indian enslavement and persuaded Spain’s government to send African slaves in their stead. The separation of Indian groups from Panamanians remains today. African slaves became so important that the British were given a contract to deliver 4,800 slaves a year for 30 years. Slave revolts moved the Spanish king to interrupt the delivery for a time.

The California gold rush in the 1840s renewed interest in travel between the oceans. In 1845, the United States helped build the first transcontinental railroad that crossed Panama. Meanwhile, France, Britain, and the United States explored the possibility of a canal to join the two oceans by way of either Panama or Nicaragua. In 1879 Ferdinand de Lesseps of France, and builder of the Suez Canal, began construction of a canal in Panama under a license from Colombia. However, disease (yellow fever, malaria), rain, and mud made him abandon the project. From 16,000 to 22,000 workers had died.

Located in Central America, Panama gained its independence in 1903 and gradually it has been transformed into a passage of international commerce. Its society became more complex during the 20th century. Beside other aspects, Panamanian uniqueness is also given by is cuisine, more exactly by the way in which every meal is prepared in this region. Is seems that Panama has been blessed with a large variety of vegetables, herbs, and tropical fruits. Its cuisine is influenced by the Hispanic population, native Europeans, Indians, or by Chinese people. In Panamanian cuisine a lot of cooking traditions have been borrowed from Panama’s neighbors and developed from these neighbor’s traditional dishes. Despite the fact that there are no unique or specific preparation methods in Panamanian cuisine, it should be taken into account that attention to every detail plays a crucial role in this region. This cuisine contains a great diversity of cereals and vegetables. Another attention is given to the visual attractiveness of every Panamanian dish and to the real balance between colors and proportion, as well. Every traditional Panamanian dish is prepared differently than the others. Meat is the most important item belonging to Panamanian cuisine.

Panamanian cooking always requires various equipment meant to generate the most interesting and sophisticated dishes. Such kitchen utensils include cake pans, colanders, can openers, egg rings, poachers and holders, food pans and containers, as well as food scales, food scoops, fryer baskets and many other accessories. In case the food in transported you definitely need insulated food carriers or a set of kitchen linens and uniforms. Some of the items you need while cooking Panamanian food are: kitchen knives, juicers, kitchen slicers, kitchen thermometers, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers, strainers, measuring cups or measuring spoons. The most common utensils are spatulas, serving spoons, turners, forks, kitchen knives, and scrapers.

Most Panamanian festivities occur during Christmas time. Here, the Holidays begin on December 8 when people celebrate the Immaculate Conception which coincides with Mother’s Day. On this occasion, the Panamanians serve some of their traditional food, such as pavo, which is Turkey; relleno, meaning stuffing; arroz dulce, and tamales which consists of a cornmeal made into a paste with Arturo sauce, prunes, capers, meats, and spices wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled. The most popular dessert from the Panamanian cuisine is represented by fruitcakes. Obviously, this does not mean that the family gathered around the table cannot serve Chicken with rice, Chickpea “Ceviche”, or different kind of soups or meat dishes. No matter how weird or complicated it may sound, in order to prepare an avocado soup you need only Chicken consommé, avocados, and whipped cream or evaporated milk. As for a fish soup, its preparation requires white fish, onions, parsley, celery leaves, lemon juice, pepper, salt, flour, and water.