<P> The Isthmus of Panama (Spanish: Istmo de Panamá), also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien (Spanish: Istmo de Darién), is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America . It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal . Like many isthmuses, it is a location of great strategic value . </P> <P> The isthmus formed around 2.8 million years ago . This major geological event separated the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and caused the creation of the Gulf Stream . This was first suggested in 1910 by North American paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn . He based the proposal on the fossil record of mammals in Central America . This conclusion provided a foundation for Alfred Wegener when he proposed the theory of continental drift in 1912 . </P>

What is the name of the canal that separates central and south america