On A AH Cliche

Why is it on almost every alternate history is there a Nicaraguan Canal rather then the Panama Canal? Why not Honduras Canal or Chiapas Canal?
 

Glen

Moderator
Geography.

The Isthmus of Panama is the shortest distance between the Atlantic and Pacific without mountains in the way.

Nicaragua has several rivers linking the Atlantic to Lake Nicaragua and from there it's a short distance to the Pacific.
 
Why is it on almost every alternate history is there a Nicaraguan Canal rather then the Panama Canal? Why not Honduras Canal or Chiapas Canal?

They are the second shortest and shortest feasible routes, and although a Nicaraguan canal is longer its also less challenging technically and in a less unhealthy area, so would be the one that would be built if the construction is done earlier (as it often seems to be in ATLs where the author is working from hindsight on good ideas).
 

Thande

Donor
There's one other alternative which I think I saw in a Tony Jones TL - building a huge megaproject overland route where ships are lifted out of the water and transported across the isthmus on gigantic railtracks. Proposed in OTL I believe.
 
The Nicaragua canal was a much easier and more feasible plan. The French started the Panama canal because Nicaragua was too solidly in the U.S. sphere of influence, but the expense and difficulty proved too much. The Panama canal goes through some very rough mountains, while the Nicaragua canal, while longer, is largely though a lake and river and would require far less locks. If it hadn't been for a few minor flukes of history, the canal would be in Nicaragua.
 

MrP

Banned
There's one other alternative which I think I saw in a Tony Jones TL - building a huge megaproject overland route where ships are lifted out of the water and transported across the isthmus on gigantic railtracks. Proposed in OTL I believe.

I have this vision of Dad and The Dean with huge grins about now. ;)
 
Are there any TL with both canals? that could be interesting... I take it the other side of the sinai peninsula is too mountainous?
 
Are there any TL with both canals? that could be interesting... I take it the other side of the sinai peninsula is too mountainous?

....That'd be thre Suez Canal you're thinking of, there, not the Panama Canal. I can see how you might confuse Central America with the Middle East, though. No, actually, I don't think I can. Never mind. As for two canals, it's hard to justify that economicaly, unless the traffic volume is larger than OTL by a good margin. Even in the present, we really only can justify expanding the Panama canal, not building a whole new one.
 
Are there any TL with both canals? that could be interesting... I take it the other side of the sinai peninsula is too mountainous?

It was at one point threatened to do this, but I can't remember the circumstances. It could have ben done if the Suez Canal had become too controlled by a single power that wasn't Britain.
 

Neroon

Banned
Are there any TL with both canals? that could be interesting... I take it the other side of the sinai peninsula is too mountainous?
I'd say if there are 2 near-hegemons in the Americas you would have gotten both built. Say a nation on rougly the same level as the US in terms of population and per-capitata GNP forming in South America. Have both have a rivalry but not big wars and both would want to control a canal rather than have their shipping rely on a canal controlled by the other.
 
....That'd be thre Suez Canal you're thinking of, there, not the Panama Canal. I can see how you might confuse Central America with the Middle East, though. No, actually, I don't think I can. Never mind. As for two canals, it's hard to justify that economicaly, unless the traffic volume is larger than OTL by a good margin. Even in the present, we really only can justify expanding the Panama canal, not building a whole new one.

I didn't get them confused I asked a) Are there TLs with both Nicaragua and Panama and b) Is the others side of the Sinai penisula to mounatainous for a canal there.
 
The Nicaraguan canal is the more rational route, as said it was largely politics that led to Panama. Even then though it took nature- I recall there was a volcano eruption in Nicaragua right at the time that the US was considering where to build a canal which really gave massive fuel to the pro-Panama people.
 
I don't think the two canals is that farfetched. Right now there is a huge project going on in trying to expand the Panama Canal because it is not large enough for modern ships.
Just a few years ago, before the expansion project began, there was serious though of simply building the Nicaragua canal since many thought it would be less of a hassle than having to expand the Panama canal while it is still in operation. But it ultimately proved more efficient to expand the already built canal.
To have both canals you would have simply needed the Panama canal to be a tiny bit less efficient than it is in OTL. Easily managed by changing one of the main engineers when it is first built and later when an expansion or new canal is needed just have a company convince everyone that a new canal would be more cost efficient in the long run.
In the end it is all about the money!
 

mowque

Banned
I didn't get them confused I asked a) Are there TLs with both Nicaragua and Panama and b) Is the others side of the Sinai penisula to mounatainous for a canal there.

A. Unbroken Chains might have two... {Shame less plug}
 
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