This effort to capture Noriega finally ended and the U.S. returned control of the Canal Zone to Panama on December 31, 1999. Instead you had the military and you couldn't go in the Canal Zone. It's just that it was a different time. He came to the Atlantic and then they burned down the city and stole all the gold. And while the Canal Zone is what one usually thinks of at the mention of Panama, there is a lot more to the country than just her most famous area.
Many residents revel in the splendour of the area and have no intention of leaving.
There's no stopping progress but the Panamanians seem to know how to get rid of the old and bring in the new without robbing people of their dignity. I'm a developer here in this area and what we're trying to do is go out of our way to relocate these people with some dignity. Panamanians also feel that the lifestyle they lead there is incomparable to anywhere else in the world. They find it truly inspiring to be here. Although it's very hot but going to the beach and the simplicity of life is the best thing about being here.