Special report: Panama Canal handover

BBC News Online tells the epic story behind one of the century's greatest maritime achievements, and looks at what its handover by the US to Panama means for the future:

Changing hands

End of an era
The United States hands over control of the Panama Canal to the Panamanian people - ending more than 80 years of US occupation of the canal zone.

Panama in control
For many Panamanians the handover of the canal is the true moment of independence, writes regional analyst Nick Caistor.

America's strategic artery
The Panama Canal has been a blunt reminder of one nation's dominance in the world, writes Washington Correspondent Richard Lister.

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The canal story

Old World dreams
For centuries governments and adventurers dreamed of building a transoceanic canal, but when construction began in 1881 engineers were ill-prepared for the challenges ahead.

New World success
When the canal was completed, it proved the basis for realising Roosevelt's dream of turning the US into a 20th century superpower.

Picture Gallery: Canal in the jungle