Write a short note on suwas canal.
Answers
Explanation:The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea. It enables a more direct route for shipping between Europe and Asia, effectively allowing for passage from the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean without having to circumnavigate the African continent. The waterway is vital for international trade and, as a result, has been at the center of conflict since it opened in 1869.Where Is the Suez Canal?The Suez Canal stretches 120 miles from Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt southward to the city of Suez (located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Suez). The canal separates the bulk of Egypt from the Sinai Peninsula. It took 10 years to build, and was officially opened on November 17, 1869.Owned and operated by the Suez Canal Authority, the Suez Canal’s use is intended to be open to ships of all countries, be it for purposes of commerce or war—though that hasn’t always been the case.Suez Canal OpensIsmail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt and the Sudan, formally opened the Suez Canal on November 17, 1869.Officially, the first ship to navigate through the canal was the imperial yacht of French Empress Eugenie, the L’Aigle, followed by the British ocean liner Delta.However, the HMS Newport, a British navy ship, was actually the first to enter the waterway, with its captain having navigated it to the front of the line under the cover of darkness the night before the ceremonial opening. The captain, George Nares, was officially reprimanded for the deed, but also secretly lauded by the British government for his efforts in promoting the country’s interests in the region.At least initially, only steamships were able to use the canal, as sailing vessels still had difficulty navigating the narrow channel in the region’s tricky winds.Although traffic was less than expected during the canal’s first two years of operation, the waterway had a profound impact on world trade and played a key role in the colonization of Africa by European powers. Still, the owners of the Suez experienced financial troubles, and Ismail Pasha and others were forced to sell their stock shares to Great Britain in 1875.