Why does the Panama Canal have canal locks while the Suez Canal doesn’t have any?

Question

Why does the Panama Canal have canal locks while the Suez Canal doesn’t have any?

In: 2370

Answer 1

The Suez Canal was dug through mostly flat desert, so the canal could be kept at sea level.

The French tried to build the Panama Canal at sea level but massively underestimated the terrain and dangers of the environment which lead to huge cost overruns and an estimated 22,000 deaths from tropical diseases before the project was abandoned.

When the Americans came along they built dams to create a huge artificial lake in the middle feeding locks which brought ships up to its level. They also identified mosquitos as the main carriers of disease, clearing jungles and draining swaps around construction sites.