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The Isthmus Cut by the “Path Between the Seas”

There are hundreds of islands near the Panamanian coasts. The two major archipel- agos are the San Blas and Bocas del Toro chains in the Caribbean Sea, although the best snorkeling, diving, and deep-sea fishing are to be found in the Pacific near Coiba Island and the Pearl Islands. The Distance-Saving Canal The Panama Canal extends approximately 50 miles from Panama City on the Pacific Ocean to Colón on the Caribbean Sea. It is widely considered to be one of the world’s greatest engineering achievements. The United States is the largest user of the Canal in terms of cargo tonnage , although Asian countries are beginning to close the gap. About 12 percent of U.S. seaborne international trade, in terms of tonnage, passes through the Canal annual- ly. Ships bound for Japan from the east coast of the United States save about 3,000 miles by going through the Canal. Ships sailing from Ecuador to Europe save about 5,000 miles. The Canal Zone lies in rainforest, which covers the northwestern portion of the coun-

Panama is located within the tropics, and has many rainforests. This small rainforest waterfall is located in Soberania Park.