Explanation:
Historically speaking, rivers had a monumental impact on trade, transportation, and natural resources in all regions of the world prior to the development of turnpikes and locomotives. The ancient Romans used rivers for their plumbing and water systems, the Egyptians used the Nile river for trade and for water supply for their crops (and still do), the United States used the Mississippi river to access their northern and southern regions must faster to transport soldiers and commerce in and around the country. Until the "era of the railroad," water passageways were essential to the success of any economy.
France began work on the canal in 1881 but stopped due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate. The United States took over the project in 1904, and opened the canal on August 15, 1914. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduced the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous Cape Horn<span> route around the southernmost tip of </span>South America<span> via the </span>Drake Passage<span> or </span>Strait of Magellan<span>. The french started it but americans finished it SO THE ANSWER IS FRENCH AND AMERICA</span>
<span>In April of 1789 the ink on the recently ratified Constitution was barely dry when George Washington began the trek from his Mount Vernon plantation to the national capital at New York. The public reverence usually accorded to royalty was on display throughout the weeklong trip, including a laurel crown lowered from an arch of triumph in Philadelphia, rose petals cast in Washington’s path by white-robed girls at Trenton, and a specially composed ode sung by a chorus of sailors in New York harbor to the tune of “God Save the King.” It was a rather courtly way to launch a republic.</span>
