Panama Canal Zone

The Panama Canal Zone (Spanish: Zona del Canal de Panamá) was a 553-square-mile (1,430 km) unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending five miles (8.0 km) on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of the Canal Zone. Its border spanned two of Panama's provinces and was created on November 18, 1903 with the signing of the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty. When reservoirs were created to assure a steady supply of water for the locks, those lakes were included within the Zone. On February 26, 1904, the Isthmian Canal Convention was proclaimed. In this, the Republic of Panama granted...