with
us backing, panama seceded from colombia in 1903 and promptly signed
a treaty with the us allowing for the construction of a canal and
us sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure.
the panama canal was built by the us army corps of engineers between
1904 and 1914. on 7. september 1977, an agreement was signed for the
complete transfer of the canal from the us to panama by the end of
1999. certain portions of the zone and increasing responsibility over
the canal were turned over in the intervening years. the entire panama
canal, the area supporting the canal, and remaining us military bases
were turned over to panama by or on 31. december 1999 |