THE PANAMA CANAL

The Panama Canal with its unique location at the narrowest point between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans has had a far-reaching effect on world economic and commercial developments throughout most of this century. By providing a short, relatively inexpensive passageway between these two great bodies of water, the Canal has influenced world trade patterns, spurred growth in developed countries, and has been a primary impetus for economic expansion in many remote areas of the world.

The building of the Panama Canal involved three main problems — engineering, sanitation, and Organisation. Since the Canal first opened on August 15,1914, the waterway has provided quality transit service to more than 700 000 vessels. Despite the increase in the number and size of transiting vessels in recent years, the total time spent by a vessel at the Panama Canal still remains at slightly less than 24.hours.

About 23 per cent of the total ocean going transits are by PANAMA — size vessels, the largest vessels the waterway can accommodate. It requires about 9 hours for an average ship to transit the Canal. Draft of the ship must not exceed 12 meters. The principal physical features of the canal are the two terminal ports, short sections of the channel at either end at sea level, the three sets of twin locks, Gatun Jake and Gaillard Cut. The Canal runs from Northwest to Southeast with the Atlantic entrance being 33.5 miles north 27 miles west of the Pacific entrance.

The Panama Canal is 50 miles long from deep water in the Atlantic to deep water in the Pacific. It was cut through one of the narrowest and lowest saddles of the long mountainous Isthmus that joins the North and South American Continents. The original elevation was 312 feet above sea level where it crosses the Continental Divide in the rugged mountain range.

A ship that transits the Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific enters the channel from Limon Bay at the Cristobal breakwater.

This sea-level section of the Canal channel on the Atlantic side is 6 ¹/₂ miles long and 500 feet wide and runs through a mangrove swamp that is only a few feet above sea level in most places. A ship is raised or lowered 85 feet in a Continuous flight of three steps at Gatun Locks. Each lock chamber is 110 feet wide and I, 000 feet long. The length of Gatun Locks, including approach walls, is 1 ¹/₅ miles.

The Panama Canal Commission is continuing to make improvements to the waterway. New more powerful tugboats and locomotives have been acquired to accommodate increased traffic and larger ships. High mast lighting is now in place to brightly illuminate all locks areas and their approaches, resulting in safer night transit of larger vessels. New state-of-the-art computers installed in the Marine Traffic Control Centre surpass the high standards of previous equipment. Buoys have been converted to conform to internationally accepted standards.

II. NOTES:

spurred growth -побудило рост

primary impetus -первоначальный толчок

engineering -технический

PANAMAX size - суда, построенные для прохождения

vessels по Панамскому каналу

twin locks -двойные шлюзы

saddle -седловина

Isthmus -перешеек

breakwater -волнорез

mangrove swamp -мангровое болото

surpass -превосходить

previous -предыдущий

accepted standards - принятые стандарты

III.ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. What did the Panama Canal provide?

2. What did the Panama Canal give to many remote areas of world?

3. What did the buiding of the Panama Canal involve?

4. What is the total time spent by a vessel at the Panama Canal?

5. What is the length of the Panama Canal?

Поиск по сайту: