Which two bodies of water does the Panama Canal connect?

The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The waterway crosses Panama at the narrowest part of the Americas, allowing ships to avoid the long voyage around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. Although ships enter the canal from the Caribbean Sea on the Atlantic side, the standard geographic description is that it links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Construction began under France in the 1880s and was completed by the United States in 1914. The canal uses locks to raise ships to Gatun Lake and lower them again toward the opposite ocean.

Panama gained full control of the canal at the end of 1999 under the Torrijos–Carter Treaties. The canal’s importance comes from both its shorter route and its ability to accommodate major international trade, though ship size is limited by the canal’s dimensions.