Omar Torrijos

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/omar-torrijos

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Omar Torrijos born?February 13, 1929
2. When did Omar Torrijos die?July 31, 1981
3. Who was Omar Torrijos?Omar Torrijos was a powerful leader in Panama who ruled from 1968 until 1981. He helped Panama regain control of the Panama Canal.
4. How did Omar Torrijos get Panama to control the Panama Canal?He signed the Torrijos‑Carter Treaties in 1977 with U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The treaties set a plan that gave Panama full control of the canal by December 31, 1999.

Coup d'état: The sudden, illegal seizure of power in a country, typically by a small group or the military.
Torrijos-Carter Treaties: A pair of treaties signed in 1977 that set the terms for the U.S. to transfer control of the Panama Canal to Panama.
Sovereignty: The supreme authority within a territory; the right of a state to govern itself without external interference.
Panama Canal Zone: A strip of land surrounding the Panama Canal, formerly under U.S. jurisdiction, transferred to Panama in 1999.