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Description: The Panama Canal is an artificial 51-mile waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit for maritime trade. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduces the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous Cape Horn route. France began construction in 1881, but backed out in 1889 due to high worker mortality rate and slow progress. The United States took over the project on May 4, 1904, and opened the canal on August 15, 1914.
