File:Panama Canal Diagram.png

Description: A diagram illustrating the layout of the Panama Canal.

A diagram illustrating the layout of the Panama Canal.

Due to the shape of the Isthmus of Panama, the Pacific end of the canal is actually the south-east end, and the Caribbean / Atlantic end is at the north-west. From the Pacific side, the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks (with two and one stages respectively) lead up to the highest level of the canal, 26 metres (85 feet) above sea level. The Culebra Cut (or Gaillard Cut) leads to Gatún Lake, created by damming the Chagres River; then the Gatún Locks lead back down to sea level in Limón Bay.

The heavy red line shows the ship route. The narrower red line in Gatún Lake is the Banana Cut, a shortcut used by canal boats and yachts.

Author: Johantheghost

Date: Unknown

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Panama_Canal_Rough_Diagram.png Wikipedia Commons

Permission: "I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following licenses: GNU head Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled 'GNU Free Documentation License". Johantheghost