Panama Celebrates 25 Years of the Panama Canal! 🎉
Hey everyone! Did you know that Panama just celebrated 25 years of running the famous Panama Canal all by themselves? That’s right! On December 31, 1999, Panama took over the canal from the United States, and they’ve been doing a great job ever since! 🌟
What’s the Panama Canal?
The Panama Canal is a huge waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It helps ships travel between the two oceans without having to go all the way around South America! 🚢
A Bit of History
The canal was first opened by the United States in 1914. For 85 years, the U.S. controlled it. But on December 31, 1999, they handed it over to Panama. This happened because of an agreement signed in 1977 by Panama’s General Omar Torrijos and U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
Why Is This Important?
This handover was a big deal for Panama! It meant they could run the canal themselves and show the world they could do it safely and efficiently. Panama’s President, Jose Raul Mulino, said they’re proud to serve the world but especially proud to be Panamanians! 🇵🇦
Achievements in 25 Years
Since taking over, Panama has made great improvements. They expanded the canal and built bigger locks, called the “Third Set of Locks,” which started working in 2016. This allows even bigger ships to pass through! ⚓
A Special Honor
During the celebration, Miguel Guerra, the first Panamanian hired after the handover in 1999, received a special award called the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa. 🏅
Why Should You Care?
The Panama Canal is super important for global trade. It helps ships move goods all around the world faster. Plus, it’s a cool example of how a country can manage something really big and important! 🌎
So let’s congratulate Panama on 25 amazing years of running the canal! 🎊
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
