Why a Canal Built in 1869 Is More Important Than Ever

The Suez Canal, which cuts through Egypt to connect the Mediterranean and Red seas, is so important to world trade that world powers have fought over it since it was completed in 1869. That strategic shipping lane was completely blocked on March 23, when the heavily laden cargo ship Ever Given, longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, went askew in heavy winds and got its bow wedged into the side of the waterway. The mishap snarled international shipping amid efforts by elite teams to refloat the massive vessel.

The 193 kilometer (120 mile) man-made waterway cuts through Egypt to connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, and by extension the Atlantic and Indian oceans. That makes it a key transit point for ships moving goods between Asia and Europe and the eastern U.S. It entered service in 1869, 45 years before the Panama Canal, which is much shorter, linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The sea-level canal is the longest in the world without locks, with a normal transit time from end to end of about 13-15 hours, according to GlobalSecurity.org.