SUEZ
CANAL – INTERNATIONAL
News: The Daily Quiz - The Hindu
What's
in the news?
● The Suez Canal, an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, officially opened on November 17, 1869.
Suez Canal:
●
Suez Canal is a sea-level waterway running
north-south across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt to connect the Mediterranean
and the Red seas.
●
The canal separates the African continent from Asia.
●
Suez Canal is actually the first canal
that directly links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
● The Suez Canal is also important because it is the shortest maritime route from Europe to Asia.
Alternative
Route:
●
An alternative route to the Suez Canal is
through the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa.
● But this route takes two weeks longer than the Suez Canal Route.
Operated
by:
●
The
United Kingdom and France owned the canal until 1956 when the President of
Egypt nationalized it.
● Since then, the canal is operated and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).
Trade:
●
The Suez Canal is one of the world’s
busiest and important trade routes. About 12%
of global trade passes through it.