They aren't necissarily making a "new Panama Canal," but they are expanding and adding onto the current one.
Before air travel, the Panama Canal was the shortcut from New York City to San Francisco. Today it is still a shortcut if you are traveling by water.
Panama was a part of Columbia. The US fomented a revolt in Panama, then signed a treaty with the new state of Panama. This was around 1902 (maybe not exact). Panama signed over the canal zone to the USA, and the USA built the system of locks, canals, and lakes that is called the Panama Canal.
newyork to sanfrancisco on the panama canal
1977 ;
1977 ;
It would be 18,000miles shorter. If using Panama Canal.
Panama is the only country the canal passes through. There was initially interest (a bit of which remains to this day) of building the canal through Nicaragua - there are three proposals being 'floated' around in Nicaragua currently to build a new trans-oceanic passing, but the Panama Canal only goes through Panama.
in the 2013.......... i think
You guys are stupid
You would transit the Panama Canal going South.
The Panama canal
That would be the Panama Canal.