French Panama Canal Company

The French Panama Canal Company was a private organization established in 1879 by French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps to build a canal across Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Panama. Despite initial progress, the project faced technical difficulties, tropical diseases, and financial problems, leading to its failure. In 1904, the United States took over the project and eventually completed the canal in 1914. The company's efforts highlighted early attempts at constructing the canal but ultimately demonstrated the project's immense technical and logistical challenges.