Panama Canal
Definition
A 82-kilometer (51-mile) artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean, allowing ships to bypass the arduous route around Cape Horn.
One of the world's most significant engineering marvels, opened in 1914 after a decade of construction, featuring a series of locks to manage the elevation difference between the oceans.
Examples
Sailing through the Panama Canal is the nautical equivalent of finding a wormhole in traffic – New York to Tokyo without the South American detour.
The Panama Canal's locks are like nature's elevator for ships, lifting cargo dreams from sea level to watery highlands.
My weekend plans collapsed faster than the French attempt at the Panama Canal – ambitious start, muddy end.
The Panama Canal turned global trade into a shortcut game, where ships high-five instead of rounding continents.