Why was the canal built in Panama instead of Nicaragua?

Question

I'm very curious

Answer 1

In 1878 Ferdinand de Lesseps, the French engineer who built the Suez Canal, began to dig a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, which was then part of Colombia. Tropical disease and engineering problems halted construction on the canal, but a French business (the New Panama Canal Company) still held the rights to the project. Roosevelt agreed to pay $40 million for the rights, and he began to negotiate with Colombia for control of the land. He offered $10 million for a fifty-mile strip across the isthmus. Colombia refused.

"We were dealing with a government of irresponsible bandits," Roosevelt stormed. "I was prepared to . . . at once occupy the Isthmus anyhow, and proceed to dig the canal. But I deemed it likely that there would be a revolution in Panama soon."

Biographical info about Osmund Osmundsen, a Norwegian immigrant who worked as a ship rigger during the building of the canal. Includes historical photos Teddy was right. The chief engineer of the New Panama Canal Company organized a local revolt. Roosevelt immediately sent the battleship Nashville and a detachment of marines to Panama to support the new government. The rebels gladly accepted Roosevelt's $10 million offer, and they gave the United States complete control of a ten-mile wide canal zone.

Answer 2

There are political as well as geographical reasons why the Canal was built in Panama rather than Nicaragua.

Politically the US already had sort of a presence in Panama with the Panama Rail Road.  It was the first interamerican rail road in existance, and it was owned by an American Corporation.  In fact the Panama Rail Road became one of the highest paying stocks at the New York Stock Exchange in the late 1800's.  The treaty that allowed the US to have the rail road through Panama also made the US guarantee the sovereignty of Colombia over Panama (at that time Panama was a province of Colombia)

The US then tried to negotiate a treaty with Colombia in order to build the Canal.  The treaty was the Hay - Herran Treaty.  The approval of that treaty meant several advantages for Panama, that was one of the most poorest regions of Colombia at that time.  Having the Canal built in Panama meant a better economy, and several improvements in different areas.  

Then the Colombian Senate voted against the Hay - Herran Treaty, and this sparked the quest for the Panamanians to seek independence from Colombia as they felt that the central Colombian government at Bogota wasn't interested in the very least of Panama's problems.

Then the former manager of the French company that started building the Canal, Mr. Phillipe Buneu-Varilla, negotiated a deal to sell the US all the rights to build the Canal, and he elaborated the situation so that the future Panamanian government sent him to Washington DC as a Minister to negotiate Panama's sovereignty and the building of the Canal.  

Unfortunately for Panama he struck a deal that because of Panama's fragile independence from Colombia, the Panamanians were forced to take, because if the Panamanians didn't accept the military support that the US was giving Panama would have been withdrawn, and the Colombian government would have gotten control of Panama again, and the Canal would have gone to Nicaragua.

Now for the geographical reasons.  Panama is a more stable region than Nicaragua.  Nicaragua has had serious earthquakes in the past, and the country does have active volcanoes that threatened the building of the Canal, and the further maintenance.  History proved it right when the Nicaraguan earthquake hit in the 1970's.  History states than when the lobby was being made in Washington DC for the Panama Canal, that a Nicaraguan postal stamp was shown with a smoking volcano, and it was stated that a country showing proudly an active volcano as one of their landmarks meant that Nicaragua wasn't the safest route.

Also one of Panama's landmarks was a shallow arc that stood for over 450 years was shown as proof that Panama was a more stable seismic region than Nicaragua.

The most important fact was that the shortest crossing from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean was in Panama, so the labor to build the Canal in Panama would definitely take less time, rather than Nicaragua.  You can also add the fact that the French had some work already done, so basically the US just picked up where the French left.

There's a book called "The Path Between The Seas" that you can pick up in Barnes & Noble.  It explains in detail the history of the Panama Canal.  I recommend it.

Answer 3

who cares! panama is great