Thousands of cargo ships, passenger cruise liners and oil tankers ships pass through the Panama Canal each year. Every ship pays a toll based upon their size or tonnage.

Before the canal was created, ships had to travel thousands of miles more around South America.

This shortcut through the Isthmus of Panama in Central America is about 40 miles long and consists of man made lakes, channels and water filled chambers called locks.

Some of the common products that pass through the Panama Canal each day on container ships include automobiles, refrigerated food products, liquid gas, iron ore and grain.