THE CANOPY TOWER
The Canopy Tower
is located in the heart of Soberania
National Park, in the Panama Canal's shore. Right on top of Semaphore Hill,
in well preserved semidecidous tall forest. The area is noted for its abundant wildlife
and exuberant flora. Indentified 269 species of plants, 96 species of birds, 35 species of
mammals and 15 species of amphibians within the 37 acres given in concession. The survey
concluded that Semaphore Hill contained the greatest variety of mammals and reptiles of
all eastern bank of the Panama
Canal, including several species in danger of extinction globally and nationally.
 From
the Canopy Tower you can see the widening of the Culebra Cut. When completed in 2003, four
times the amount of soil digged to build the tunnel communicating England with France,
will have been moved.
The Canopy Tower is at an altitude of 900 feet above sea
level. In the distance, you can see the skyline of Panama City and the Pacific entrance to
the Panama Canal.
The Canopy
Tower was built in the early 60's by the United States Air Force to house a radar which served as an
essential part of the intercontinental defense of the United States. Later, it was used by
the Federal Aviation Administration to control air traffic in the area and, finally, by
the Panama Canal Commission as a communications tower. It was transferred to Panama in
November of 1996 in compliance with the Torrijos - Carter Treaties. The Government of
Panama, in turn, signed a concession contract with a Panamanian Corporation, to transform
the site into a center for the observation of fauna and flora of the neo-tropical
rainforest.
*Column's pictures and
text courtesy of CanopyTower. |
THE
PANAMA CANAL TOURISTIC DESTINATION OF THE WORLD
The idea of an Interoceanic Canal in America starts with the arrival of
Spaniards to the isthmus of P anama in 1,501, and began
to take shape when Vasco Nuņez de Balboa discovers the South Sea (The Pacific Ocean)
September 25, 1,513 and since then, the world was in need of a marine pathway for
international commerce.
Later when France
began the construction of the Canal in 1.881, the visionary idea about Panama's
geographical position becoming the ideal route to shorten distances and time for the
benefit of world commerce, becomes a reality. This concept comes to fruition with the
completion of the construction of the Panama Canal August 15, 1,914, by the United States
of America, based on the Hay Buneau-Variila Treaty with Panama in 1903.
From the
aforementioned date on and after an extensive period of negotiations preceded by
vindicative atruggle by Panama against the 1903 Traty, finally on September 7, 1,977 at
the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, the Panama
Canal Treaties Knonw as the Torrijos-Carter, that in realty are two treaties were signed:
one concerning the Permanent Neutrality and the other the Operation of the Panama Canal.
These treaties
contain a gradual process of reversion of territorries, buidings and civilian and military
installions starting in 1977 and ended on December 31, 1999, when the Republic of Panama
took total control of the administration of both the Canal, and all the adjacent
infraestructure, in a country enjoying full democracy, prepared to pffer the world a Canal
with opportunities for investments in commerce, industry and tourism.
Be a witness to this world
event, come now and get to know about the operation of the so called "world's eighth
wonder", the Panama Canal.
*Text: www.panamatours.com ; Pictures courtesy of Marcela
Gilbert.
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