The Panama Canal

Interesting details about the Panama Canal:

• Over 140 years ago the Panama Canal was built around Lake Gatun.
• Lake Gatun then became the largest man-made freshwater lake on the planet.
• With the locks at each end of the lake, ships can traverse between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans without having to dig a canal across The Isthmus of Panama.
• In 2022 40% (or, over $300B) of global shipping passed through the Canal.
• A ship can pass through the Canal in 3 hours vs 2-3 weeks sailing around South America.
• A lottery system determines how much a ship pays to make the passage.