The Suez Canal
Connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean
Creation
In the beginning, all ships coming from Asia were forced to make the bitter, months long trip around the southern tip of Africa to bring their goods to Europe. Now, with the creation of the Suez Canal, built by the British in 1869, boats could take off months of travel by cutting through the Red Sea.
This Small Thing
While the Suez Canal is 120 miles long, it is only 79 ft. deep and just under 700 feet wide. These tiny dimensions means that some ships cannot make this journey, and there are sever restrictions in place as to what can use the canal.
Ownership
The Suez Canal is owned by the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company. This company was originally owned by French private investors and Egypt.
Shortening the Journey
The goal of this canal was to make it easier for ships to travel more easily between Europe and Asia. This journey from London, England, to Mumbai, India, was shortened from 12,300 miles to 7,200 miles.
Another Title
The canal has had many titles in as many languages. The title in English is the Suez Canal. In Egyptian, the name is "Qanat as Suways"
The Risks
Terrorists have always been powerful, and everything is susceptible to it. The Suez Canal was shut down for the duration of the Arab-Israeli War of 1967.