Which waterway connecting the Mediterranean to the Red Sea is a vital chokepoint for global trade? The answer is the Suez Canal.
The Suez Canal is an artificial, sea-level waterway in Egypt that crosses the Isthmus of Suez. It links the Mediterranean at Port Said with the Red Sea near the city of Suez, giving ships a direct route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. Without it, many vessels must sail around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, adding substantial distance, time, and fuel consumption.
Construction of the modern canal began in 1859 under French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, and the waterway officially opened on November 17, 1869. Unlike the Panama Canal, it has no locks because it runs through relatively flat terrain and connects seas with only a small effective level difference.
The canal is called a chokepoint because disruption can affect shipping, energy flows, and supply chains far beyond Egypt. The 1956 Suez Crisis, the canal’s closure from 1967 to 1975, and the 2021 grounding of Ever Given all demonstrated how quickly a blockage can reverberate through world trade.