Isthmus of Panama

The Isthmus of Panama is a narrow isthmus, which is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea and to the south by the Pacific Ocean. He also represents represents the land bridge between North America and South America

The isthmus was formed about 4.5 million years ago during the Pliocene, when two tectonic plates collided. Here, the Pacific Plate has been slowly pushed under the Caribbean Plate. The formation of the Isthmus is an important geological event that greatly contributed to the formation of the Gulf Stream.

After the land connection of the first exchange of terrestrial mammals between the two continents took place.

In 1501, the Isthmus of Panama was discovered by the Spaniard Rodrigo de Bastidas Galván.

The State of the Panama Isthmus belonging was used because of its suitable geographic features for the construction of a channel, which had the sea route from the North American east coast to the west coast by more than half. The Panama Canal (built 1906-1914 ) is 81.6 km long.