Panama Canal

The canal was completed in 1914 by the Americans, finishing what the French started. The Americans built terraces as they dug, controlling erosion. The revenue from the canal was controlled by the US until 1999. The bottom of the canal is not flat as it was too hard to dig through some sections of rock. As such, there are locks that lower and lift the ships through the canal, and the water fills through gravity by filling the previous lock. The new lock system has been built entirely by panama in 2016. Additionally, the canal is a great place for biological research as it provides a great small sample source.