It is 100 years since the official opening of the Panama Canal. Until navigation started on 15 August 1914, seafarers were forced to sail through the threatening seas of Cape Horn, at the southernmost tip of South America. A century after its opening, the Panama Canal is facing new challenges. Ships are getting larger, trade between countries continues to rise and increasing numbers of people take cruises which include a trip through the canal. This means that more and more vessels are using this shortcut between two of the world’s great oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific (see map on back page).
However, there are alternatives in the form of new routes opening up through the Arctic Ocean. In addition, rising tolls on the Panama Canal are causing ships to look to the Suez Canal route as a viable alternative.
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