Finally, in 1977 the US and Panama signed a new treaty which stipulated that the 80,600 acre Canal Zone would be returned to the Panamanians in 1979, and that the Panama Canal itself would be returned by the end of the century.
美、巴兩國，終於在一九七七年簽署條約，這塊佔地達八萬六千英畝的運河區在七九年交還給巴拿馬；運河本身，也將在這個世紀結束前，交還地主國。