The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea across Egypt.
The modern Suez Canal runs through the Isthmus of Suez and provides a direct water route between Europe and Asia. Ships using it avoid sailing around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, greatly shortening many journeys between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean systems.
The canal was constructed under the direction of the Suez Canal Company and officially opened in 1869. Ferdinand de Lesseps was a leading promoter of the project, while Egyptian labor and engineering work were central to its construction. Unlike the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal has no lock system because its two seas are close enough in level for a sea-level waterway.
Egypt nationalized the canal in 1956, triggering the Suez Crisis. The canal was later closed during conflicts, including after the 1967 war, and reopened in 1975. It remains one of the world’s most important shipping routes.