Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is a man-made navigable space connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea and separating Africa from the Asian part of the Eurasian continent. It was founded in 1869, although the ideas to connect the above seas belonged to the pharaohs. Since 2015, navigation has been carried out in two parallel directions, which increases the number of water transport passing by up to 100 daily.
The canal, with a length of 193.3 km, is the largest waterway. The Suez Canal is not only an important transport route, but also a historical monument. In the 19th century, the French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps was able to successfully complete the project. However, the construction of the canal was associated with great difficulties and sacrifices. More than 120 thousand workers participated in the construction of the canal, and about 20 thousand of them died.
The Suez Canal is the main transport route for ships carrying oil, gas and other goods between Europe and Asia. The channel also allows you to reduce the time of delivery of goods and reduce the cost of transportation. Thanks to this, many countries of the world get access to the necessary goods and resources.
The Suez Canal not only brings economic benefits, but is also an important object for tourism. Many tourists visit Egypt to see this historical monument and take a boat ride on the canal. In addition, the canal is an important venue for international sailing competitions.
Climatic features
The course of the Suez Canal changes depending on the season. In winter, it rushes to the north, in summer - to the south. The highest water temperature falls on August +28, the lowest - in January and February +17. The water in the channel at a high degree of salinity is quite transparent, visibility is 200 m. As a result of the absence of flowing rivers and a very hot subtropical climate, it is highly susceptible to evaporation. The Mediterranean type of air prevails with an average temperature in January above 20 degrees Celsius, in July over 30 degrees.
Plant and fauna
Since the Suez Canal is man-made, there is naturally no native flora and fauna. Everything that grows and lives in it is formed by active marine migration processes. The southern zone is represented by colorful corals, fish and sea urchins. On the north side, there are more algae than animals. More than 500 species of fish live here, and octopuses, spiny lobsters, squids and crabs live. In springtime, migrating birds of prey - griffins, imperial eagles, steppe eagles - can be observed above the canal.
War over the Suez Canal
However, the Suez Canal has also become an object of conflict and tension. On July 26, 1956, the Suez Canal was nationalized by the President of Egypt. Soon Egypt was attacked by the troops of France, Great Britain and Israel, which led to the week-long Suez War. The Egyptians blocked the canal, drowning 47 ships in it, the canal was calculated only on April 24, 1957. UN troops were brought in to maintain the neutral status of the Sinai Peninsula.
Already in 1967, the channel was closed due to the Six Day War. In 1973, during another military conflict, the Egyptians took back the Sinai Peninsula and the Suez Canal. After the clearing of the canal and approaches to it by the US and the USSR, navigation along it was restored in 1975.
In 2015, Egypt began construction on expanding the canal to increase its capacity and reduce transit times. This project was successfully completed in 2018 and has increased the number of ships passing through the canal by 30%.
The Suez Canal is an important facility for the global economy, tourism and security. It is a historical monument and a symbol of technological progress. The channel continues to play an important role in global trade and the economy and will only grow in importance in the future.
