Which nation completed the construction of the Panama Canal in 1914?

• A. United States
• B. France
• C. Britain
• D. Spain

Answer: (A)

Building the Panama Canal shows how big engineering projects, plus public health progress, can reshape a nation’s reach and military mobility. France had begun the work but couldn’t finish it due to disease and money problems. The United States then took charge in the early 1900s, securing rights in Panama and guiding construction from 1904 to 1914. American engineers built a system of locks and used Gatun Lake to raise and lower ships, while public health measures—led by Dr. William Gorgas to combat yellow fever and malaria—made the project feasible. The canal opened in 1914, dramatically shortening sea routes between the Atlantic and Pacific. So the United States is the nation that completed it. France started the effort but did not finish; Britain and Spain were not the ones who completed the canal.