The history and culture of a country whose destiny is tied to the canal, Panama City is the very reflection of this passageway. As the canal straddles the Isthmus, Panama City straddles time. From the early Spanish settlers of the 1500’s to modern times, there has been a constant flow between the Gulf waters and Pacific Ocean. By land, by rail and finally by water, the short cut has profited those on the southern shores, the gatekeepers of trade.