The Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is an important waterway in Egypt. It connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Before the canal was built, ships traveling between Europe and Asia had to sail all the way around Africa. The canal made that trip much shorter and faster.

A Shortcut for Ships

The Suez Canal is about 120 miles long. Ships can travel through it in about 12 to 16 hours. Without the canal, a ship going from London to Mumbai would have to travel an extra 5,000 miles around Africa. About 50 ships pass through the canal every day. It is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.

Building the Canal

The Suez Canal opened in 1869 after 10 years of construction. About 1.5 million workers helped dig it, mostly by hand. Unlike the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal has no locks because the sea level is about the same on both ends. The canal has been widened and deepened several times to fit bigger modern ships.

Fun Facts

• In 2021, a giant container ship got stuck sideways in the Suez Canal and blocked traffic for six days.
• About 12% of all the world's traded goods pass through the Suez Canal each year.
• Ancient Egyptians built early versions of the canal thousands of years ago, but they kept filling with sand.

Did You Know?

The Suez Canal does not have any locks. Ships can sail straight through from one end to the other because the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea are almost the same height.