‡ Backed by the United States, which wanted to negotiate a treaty to build a canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, Panama revolted against Colombia, of which it was a part, and declared itself independent in 1903.
‡ The United States built the Panama Canal from 1904 to 1914, and American relations with Panama long were shaped by the U.S. presence in the Canal Zone, which divides the country.
‡ In 1989, the United States invaded Panama and forcibly removed its leader, Manuel Noriega, to the United States, where he was tried and convicted for drug trafficking. (See alsoPanama Canal.)
