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Panama
Panama-Pacific Exhibition Commemorative Depicting the Panama Canal

Map Issue of 1915
This stamp depicting a topographic map of the Panama Canal is the second value in a set
of eight stamps issued to commemorate the Panama Pacific Exhibition issued in 1915-1916.

Panama became independent from Colombia in November of 1903. It was quickly recognized by the United States and the U.S.S. Nashville anchored off Colon to back up the the new government. Thirteen days later a French engineer, acting as an ambassador for the new nation, signed a treaty with United States granting it control over a ten mile wide corridor across the isthmus to enable the Americans to build a waterway connecting the Caribbean with the Pacific. In exchange the United States paid ten million dollars and an annual fee of $250 000. Construction of the Panama Canal was completed in 1914. In the following years the engineering marvel was featured in most of the eight designs of Panama's Panama-Pacific Exhibition commemoratives issued in 1915 and 1916.

Gatun Locks
Gatun Locks are featured on the sixth value in the Panama Pacific Exhibition commemoratives of 1915-1916.

Culebra Cut
The Culebra Cut is depicted on one of the seventeen regular and airmail stamps issued
on August 15, 1939 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal.

The Culebra Cut, where the 80 kilometre long Panama Canal crosses the continental divide, was renamed the Gaillard Cut after David Guillard, the engineer who supervised the work.


Bibliography

Billard, Jules B. "Panama, Link Between Oceans and Continents." National Geographic. Mar. 1970: 402-440.

McDowell, Bart. "The Panama Canal Today." National Geographic. Feb. 1978: 279-294.

"Panama." Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue. 2005.

Rossiter, Stuart and John Flower. The Stamp Atlas. London: Macdonald, 1986.


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