SHIPPING

the Isthmus of Panama. Running
from Cristobal on Limon Bay, an
arm of the Caribbean Sea, to
Balboa, on the Gulf of Panama,
the canal is slightly more than 64
km long. Its operational
characteristics involve a depth of
12.5 meters (39.5 feet), width
of 32 meters (106 feet) and a
length of 294 meterss (965 feet ).
Its construction ranks one of
the greatest engineering works
of all time in the world as it prevents a long
detour around South America,
thus supporting the maritime
flows of world trade. The
Panama Canal is of strategic
importance to the United States
as it enables to link the East and
the West coast more quickly,
saving about 13,000 km (from
21,000 km to 8,000 km) for a
maritime journey. It is composed
three main elements, the