Essay Outline Grid
Essay Title: The Panama Canal: describe its history, how ships travel through it and
its economic significance
Paragraph 1
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Panama Canal = one of world’s most important canals
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Canal lets ships go from Atlantic/Pacific oceans in less than a day - built about 100
yrs ago – engineering feat
* why topic
interesting and/or
important

Now essential part of world economy
* aim of the essay

Describe Panama Canal
Introduction
* general topic of
research
* background/ or
history of the
topic
*define key terms
* sequence of the
main ideas
its development through time, how ships move through the PC, why it is
important for some country’s economies
Paragraph 2
Main Idea
Main Body
* Support
History
 Before 1914 canal ships went Pacific-Atlantic via SA Cape Horn (Hernandez,
2009)
 1882 – French gov’t plan build canal – cost 20,000 lives – project stopped
 Begin 20th century, US plan build canal – Panama part of Colombia – Colombia
gov’t no want - US support revolution = Panama independence
 1903 – Panama independent – president made treaty US – build canal and
control 5 mile-wide zone either side
 Started 1907 – 1914 difficult engineering – blasted rock & mountains - 1914 =
finished – cost $366.5 million (Davidson, 2001)
 1960s-1999, Panama unhappy b/c $ all to US – over years 2 x treaties signed,
US gave canal back to Panama, both Panama & US protect it
(Central American Trade, 2008)
Paragraph 3
Main Idea
* Support
How Ships Travel Through it
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Locks in 3 places from Pacific to Atlantic (Miraflores, Pedro Miguel, Gatun)
– 6 steps (3 locks raise ship, 3 locks bring down sea level)
Each lock = 2 chambers – two way transit – ease congestion
Lock gates lift ship 26m above sea level/two lakes in canal system – supply
water to aid transport/
Other locks help bring ship back down 26m to sea level
(The Panama Canal, n.d.)
Takes approx. 15 hr pass through canal/ but busy or delays make journey up
to 44 hr (Global Shipping Trade, n.d.)
Paragraph 4
Main Idea
Economic Significance
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* Support
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Thousand ships every year = major shipping lane for world
Before canal ships travel Pacific/Atlantic around South America = long journey,
so canal saves 7,872 miles & about a week (Global Shipping Trade, n.d.)
US superpower – concerned world economy runs smoothly
If trade disruption = economic hardship – ruin US + world economies
Disruption in canal = ships using longer route – increase price goods – poorer
nations not afford prices – affect all world economy
Important – Panama economy – jobs/income; very important US – 10%US
shipping through canal – exports + imports for US
(Hudson, 2008)
Paragraph 5
* restate the aim
Conclusion
* summarise main
ideas/points
* personal
opinion
* suggestions
and/or
recommendations


Has described Panama Canal
Has focused on 1) development from 1882 to 1999, 2) how ships use 6 x locks to
cross Panama, 3) economic importance to US and world economy
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Clearly huge cost in lives & $ to build, but now vital for trade
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Perhaps could make bigger to be faster/more reliable
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Key target for terrorists to attack US economy – security will become more impt.
* call for further
research
* predict future
developments/or
comment on topic
Reference List
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