Panama Canal Zone

Definition

The Panama Canal Zone was a strip of land running across Panama that contained the Panama Canal, a key maritime route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was controlled by the U.S. from 1903 to 1979.

Analogy

The Panama Canal Zone is like a shortcut through your school's campus that you've been given exclusive rights to use. It saves you time (and in this case, shipping costs), but it's also something others might want access to.

Related terms

Roosevelt Corollary: An addition to the Monroe Doctrine by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, asserting the right of the U.S. to intervene in Latin American nations' affairs.

Panama Canal Treaty (1977): A treaty between U.S. and Panama which led to Panamanian control over the canal zone after December 31, 1999.

Monroe Doctrine: A principle of US policy introduced on December 2,1823 which stated that efforts by European nations to take control or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring US intervention.