Who built the Panama Canal?
Posted on Aug 16, 2025 / Travel
France began construction in the 1880s under Ferdinand de Lesseps but abandoned the effort due to disease and engineering challenges. The United States resumed the project in 1904 after securing rights and sovereignty arrangements, switching to a lock-based design. Enormous public health campaigns against yellow fever and malaria enabled progress. The U.S. completed the canal, which officially opened on August 15, 1914. In 1999, control transferred from the U.S. to Panama under the Torrijos–Carter Treaties. Since then, Panama has operated and modernized the canal.
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