Abstract

PEREZ RANCEL, Juan José. Canalization for colonization: corographic commission and the Panama Canal. Apuntes [online]. 2010, vol.23, n.2, pp.132-149. ISSN 1657-9763.

The Colombian definition of its nationality in the XIX century, reached its final stage during the explorations organized by the New Grenade's Corographic Commission (1850-1858). Along various decades, the need of knowing the size, shape and contents of the whole virreinato, demanded several studies to solve these incognites. These studies were based more and more with time in scientifics bases. The Corographic Commission unified the largest volume of data about the natural, material, economic cultural and social realities of the country, and showed its particularities about the other ex colonies independized. Between it's most authentic characteristics the one that highlighted was its geographic condition opened to the globe's oceans, most of the scientific studies were directly related with this point, as so many international and commercial activities, territorial occupation plans and other ideas of possibles constructions. The most important of this was the idea of a inter-oceanic canal. Project which the Commission provided with enough time and resources, producing in 1854 the most precise report about the factibility of constructing the canal and its final route. The role of the Commission Chief, Agustin Codazzi, was determinant for the definition of the neo-Grenadian territory and in his recommendations about a way between the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Keywords : Corographic Commission; Inter-oceanic Canal; Agustín Codazzi; Colonization and Canalization; New Grenade.

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