Many people may want to cruise up to Panama. Some may want to cruise the nations coastline. Some may want to see the landscapes and scenery of the nation. Some may want to travel on luxury or cheap cruises. Some may want to go on large or small ocean liners.
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the north west, Colombia to the south east, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
Panama is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. Its location on the Isthmus of Panama is strategic.
The dominant feature of the country's landform is the central spine of mountains and hills that forms the continental divide. The divide does not form part of the great mountain chains of North America, and only near the Colombian border are there highlands related to the Andean system of South America. The spine that forms the divide is the highly eroded arch of an uplift from the sea bottom, in which peaks were formed by volcanic intrusions.
The mountain range of the divide is called the Cordillera de Talamanca near the Costa Rican border. Farther east it becomes the Serranía de Tabasará, and the portion of it closer to the lower saddle of the isthmus, where the canal is located, is often called the Sierra de Veraguas. As a whole, the range between Costa Rica and the canal is generally referred to by Panamanian geographers as the Cordillera Central.
The highest point in the country is the Volcán Barú (formerly known as the Volcán de Chiriquí), which rises to 3475 meters. A nearly impenetrable jungle forms the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia. It creates a break in the Pan-American Highway, which otherwise forms a complete road from Alaska to Patagonia.
Nearly 500 rivers lace Panama's rugged landscape. Mostly unnavigable, many originate as swift highland streams, meander in valleys, and form coastal deltas. However, the Río Chepo and the Río Chagres are sources of hydroelectric power.The kampia lake and Madden Lake (also filled with water from the Río Chagres) provide hydroelectricity for the area of the former Canal Zone.
The Río Chepo, another major source of hydroelectric power, is one of the more than 300 rivers emptying into the Pacific. These Pacific-oriented rivers are longer and slower running than those of the Caribbean side. Their basins are also more extensive. One of the longest is the Río Tuira which flows into the Golfo de San Miguel and is the nation's only river navigable by larger vessels.
Some may want to cruise around the islands or the bays of the nation. Some may want to cruise up the canal. .
List of islands of Panama
Isla Colon, Barro Colorado Island, Causeway Islands, Coiba, Isla Contadora, Cébaco, Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Galeta Island, Isla Grande, Islas Secas, Narganá, Pearl Islands, Isla del Rey (Panama), San Blas Islands, Soledad Miria, Taboga, Taboga Island, Taborcillo
Panama Bay is a large body of water off the coast of southern Panama. It is a part of the greater Gulf of Panama.
The Gulf of Panama (Spanish: Golfo De Panamá) is a gulf in the Pacific Ocean, near the southern coast of Panama. It has a maximum width of 250 km, a maximum depth of 220 metres and the size of 2,400 square kilometers. The Panama Canal connects the Gulf of Panama, with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Panamanian capital Panama City is the main urban centre on the gulf shore. The gulf itself also contains a few minor gulfs, with Panama Bay to the north, Gulf of Parita to the west and Gulf of San Miguel to the east. The gulf has a few islands and on the coast there are a few important ports, like Panama City, La Palma and Chitrè. Pearl Islands is a group of over 200 islands situated to the east in the gulf. Panama’s largest river, Tuira, flows south into the Gulf of San Miguel.
The Bay of San Miguel (Spanish: Golfo de San Miguel) is located on the Pacific coast of Darien, a district of eastern Panama. It is fed by the Tuira River. At its southern end is Cape Garachiné (also known as Point Garachina), and at its northern end is Punta San Lorenzo (a.k.a. Cape Gardo).
Gatun Lake (Sp. Lago Gatún) is a large artificial lake situated in the Republic of Panama; it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships for 33 km of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama. The lake was created between 1907 and 1913 by the building of the Gatun Dam across the Chagres River. At the time it was created, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world, and the dam was the largest earth dam.
The Chagres River (Spanish: Río Chagres) is a river in central Panama. The central part of the river is dammed by the Gatun Dam and forms Gatun Lake, an artificial lake that constitutes part of the Panama Canal. It drains northwest into the Caribbean Sea. It was explored in 1527 by Hernando de la Serna, and founded the town of Chagres in its mouth, and the fortress of San Lorenzo was built. Goods were transported on foot in its bed from Panama City to the coastal town of Cruces and from there sailing on the river to its mouth. This road, called Camino de Cruces, was very popular until the eighteenth century. It was not until the late nineteenth century when once again the attention of the river was focused, but to use it as a support of the Panama Canal.
Folks River is a city and river along the Caribbean seacoast in Colón Province, Panama, near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal.
The Tuira River is located in the Darién Province of eastern Panama. It flows into the Bay of San Miguel at the province capital of La Palma.
The Panama Canal is a man-made canal in Panama which joins the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. A ship sailing from New York to San Francisco via the canal travels 9,500 km, well under half the 22,500 km route around Cape Horn. Although the concept of a canal near Panama dates back to the early 16th century, the first attempt to construct a canal began in 1880 under French leadership. After this attempt failed and saw thousands of workers die, the project of building a canal was attempted and completed by the United States in the early 1900s, with the canal opening in 1914. The building of the 77 km canal was plagued by problems, including disease (particularly malaria and yellow fever) and landslides. By the time the canal was completed, many thousands of workmen are estimated to have died in the French and American efforts.
The canal consists of artificial lakes, several improved and artificial channels, and three sets of locks. An additional artificial lake, Alajuela Lake (known during the American era as Madden Lake), acts as a reservoir for the canal. The layout of the canal as seen by a ship passing from the Pacific end to the Atlantic is as follows.
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