Rulers and administrators

The Panama Canal is a 77.1-kilometre ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres  above sea level. The current locks are 33.5 metres wide. A third, wider lane of locks is currently under construction and is due to open in 2015.

-George W. Goethals 1914-1917
-Chester Harding 1917-1921
-Jay J. Morrow 1921-1924
-Meriwether Walker 1924-1928
-Harry Burgess 1928-1932
-Julian Schley 1932-1936
-Clarence S. Ridley 1936-1940
-Glen E. Edgerton 1940-1944
-Joseph C. Mehaffey 1944-1948
-Francis K. Newcomer 1948-1952
-John S. Seybold1952-1956
-William E. Potter 1956-1960
-William A. Carter 1960-1962
-Robert J. Fleming 1962-1967
-Walter P. Leber 1967-1971
-David S. Parker 1971-1975
-Harold Parfitt 1975-1979
-Dennis McAuliffe 1979-1989
-Gilberto Guardia Fábrega 1990-1996
-Alberto Alemán Zubieta 1996-2012
-Jorge Luis Quijano 2012