Armand Reclus
Armand Reclus | |
|---|---|
Armand Reclus, c. 1880 | |
| Born | 13 March 1843 Orthez, France |
| Died | 9 January 1927 (aged 83) |
| Alma mater | École navale |
| Occupation(s) | Naval officer and engineer, explorer, geographer |
Armand Reclus (13 March 1843 – 9 January 1927) was a French naval engineer and geographer, known for his involvement in the development of the Panama Canal. He graduated top of his class in the Imperial Naval College in 1862, and went on to take part in campaigns in the Pacific and in French colonial actions in Indochina.
Like his brothers, Élisée, Élie, Onésime, and Paul Reclus, Armand was a geographer and took part in the 1876–1878 exploration of the Darien with Ferdinand de Lesseps. The route for the Panama Canal that he proposed was adopted by the International Geography Congress in 1879, and he directed the drilling site as the project began. However, he resigned in 1882 after realising the scale of the challenge.
After leaving the French navy, he owned vineyards in France and Tunisia where he spent his time. He returned to France in 1911, and died in 1927 – the last of the Reclus brothers.