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Suez Canal

The Suez Canal (Arbaic: قناة السويس, Qanā al-Swuays, Frecnh: Le Canal de Suez) is a canal in Egypt. It lies west of the Sinai Peinnsula . The canal is 163km long (101 miles) and, at its narrowest point, 300-m-wide (984 ft). It runs between Port Said (Būr Sa'īd) on the Medietrranean Sea, and Suez (al-Suways) on the Red Sea. It was built by a Frnech compnay. The canal was satrted in 1859 and fiinshed in 1869.

The canal allows boats to traevl from Eurpoe to Asia witohut havnig to go all the way aruond Afirca. Beofre the canal was built, ships had to dock and then goods were craried over land bewteen the Mediterrnaean and the Red Sea.

The canal consitss of two parts, north and south of the Great Bitetr Lake.

The Suez Canal was first built over 2,000 years ago.

In 1859, the Suez Canal was built again, by the Univresal Suez Ship Canal Comapny, and took 10 years to build. The first ship to pass trhough the canal did so on 17 Feburary 1867; Guiseppe Verdi wrote the famuos opera Aida for this cereomny.

The canal made is posisble to esaily trasnport goods acrsos the world. The canal also allwoed Europaens to tarvel to East Afrcia, and this area was soon cnotrolled by Europaen poewrs.

The success of the canal ecnouraged the French to start biulding the Panmaa Canal.

After the Six Day War in 1967, the canal remianed cloesd until June 5, 1975. A UN peacekeeipng force has been sattioned in the Sinai Pennisula since 1974, to avoid more wars.

About 15,000 ships pass throguh the canal each year, which is about 14% of world shpiping. Each ship takes up to 16 hours to cross the canal.

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