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What country is Suez in?
The Suez Canal is located in Egypt and connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. It allows an enormous shortening of the distance between the Indian and the North Atlantic Oceans. The passage is therefore very important for world trade.
The Suez Canal: all the information at a glance
The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. It is located in Egypt and is named after the port city of Suez, as it connects the seas through the isthmus near Suez.
The shipping channel connects the port city of Port Said, which is located on the Mediterranean Sea, with the port city of Port Taufiq, located on the Red Sea.
From the Indian Ocean, which lies between Africa, Asia and Australia, you can reach the North Atlantic Ocean via the Suez Canal. It is located between America, Africa, Europe and Greenland. So you don’t have to drive around Africa and the route will be shortened by a lot.
The canal forms the border between Africa and Asia and is located between Egypt and Israel. On November 17, 1869, it was opened to shipping for the first time.
Until 2009, the Suez Canal was 164 km long. Due to depressions, it has become longer by 29.3 km. In addition, there were 35 kilometers parallel to the existing canal. For this, dredging was carried out in the Sinai desert.
The deepening and widening of the channel in 2015 now also allow oncoming traffic. Previously, there were interchanges for ships, but passing at the same time was not possible.
World trade benefits enormously from the use of the Suez Canal. Almost eight percent are settled on it. In addition, the canal can be used by all ships on equal terms.
Since there is no height difference to overcome there, you also do not need any locks.
Only for warships in wartime restrictions apply, such as no right to supply and a groundless passage. In addition, their transits must be registered with the Maritime Security Authority and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense.
The most important thing about the Suez Canal
The 193-kilometer-long Suez Canal is one of the most important trade sea routes. More than every 10th container ship in the world passes through it.
The Suez Canal gained international attention in the spring of 2021: the huge freighter “Ever Given” blocked the waterway for days and thus the onward journey of hundreds of ships.
The Suez Canal even has its own “unit of measurement” to prevent such breakdowns: Suezmax. The term determines the maximum dimensions of a loaded ship: 68 meters in height, 77 meters in width and 20 meters in draft. The length is not decisive, since there are no locks in the Suez Canal.
Cruises through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea are a classic among ship trips. The Suez Canal, which is just over 160 kilometers long, connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Way between the port cities of Port Said and Port Taufiq near Suez and has been saving maritime shipping the way around the Cape of Africa since 1869. Cruises in the Red Sea then lead to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman or Dubai, among others. The winter months from October to April are also ideal for destinations in the Red Sea. In summer, on the contrary, it gets very hot.
Is Suez Asia or Africa?
What country owns the Suez Canal?
Is Suez a city in Egypt?
