Page 46 - Digital Cornice Grade 10

SUEZ CANAL: A VITAL TRADE

EUROPE

On November 17th, 1869, the Suez Canal was Construction of the Suez canal:
completed and quickly rose to prominence as one of
the busiest trade lanes on the planet. The Suez Canal Early in 1859, construction on the canal's northernmost
allowed for trade between the Middle East, Europe, Port Said end started. An estimated 1.5 million people
and Asia by linking the Mediterranean Sea and the worked on the excavation effort for ten years.
Red Sea. To put things into perspective, as of today, Unfortunately, despite the protestations of numerous
the Suez Canal is the conduit for around 12% of world British, French, and American canal investors, many of
trade. erected in Egypt, When the canal was first these workers were slaves, and it is estimated that tens
opened in 1869, its channel was only 8 meters deep, of thousands of them perished from cholera and other
22 meters wide at the bottom, and 61 to 91 meters causes while working on the Suez. The canal's
wide at the top. A volume nearly equal to fill 30,000 construction was adversely affected by the local political
Olympic-sized swimming pools was removed and unrest. There were various uprisings against colonial
dredged during construction, amounting to 74 million control during the period in Egypt, which was ruled by
cubic meters of sediment. Between 1870 and 1884, Britain and France. This led to the Suez Canal's
about 3,000 ships ran aground in the tangled and construction expenses soaring to $100 million due to the
congested canal. The Suez Canal, connects Europe, limitations of construction technologies at the time.
Asia, and Africa and is the main commerce route, and
is situated in Egypt on the Isthmus of Suez. 1