The 148-year-old Suez Canal, a 101-mile-long, man-made structure that surrounds the Red Sea between Africa and Saudi Arabia, surrounds Turkey, Greece, and Italy, and connects the Mediterranean Sea.
BC Although there was an idea in the 13th century to connect Egypt with the Nile, the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, the idea was later abandoned. According to historical records, the first steps in the construction of the Suez Canal were taken by the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Emperor Napoleon Between 1789 and 1799, a number of European countries were conquered by aggressive warfare. Emperor Napoleon, during his explorations in Egypt, came up with the idea of cutting a canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. Napoleon hoped to use the canal under his control to influence maritime trade in Britain. If the canal is used, it is to be taxed by the British. AD In 1804 the construction of the canal was ready to begin. However, Napoleon had to halt construction immediately due to miscalculations in calculating sea levels between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
Back in 1858, Ferdinand de Lessep, a French engineer, used his diplomatic contacts to obtain the support and consent of the Egyptian government to build the Suez Canal. This led to the establishment of the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company, an agency for the construction and control of the Suez Canal. The company was authorized to begin construction of the canal and to operate for 99 years. Initially, the majority of its shareholders were private investors in France. Accordingly, construction of the Suez Canal began on September 25, 1859, amidst various challenges and epidemics such as malaria. Ten years later, on November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal was completed and officially opened. It is said that this has cost 100 million dollars. Subsequently, in 1962, the Egyptian government took over the administration of the Suez Canal, after making a final payment to the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company.
In 1875, due to economic bankruptcy and heavy debt, the Egyptian government ceded ownership of the Suez Canal to Britain. According to international conventions, the year 1888 was a unique moment in the world economy, enabling all countries of the world to use the Suez Canal. In 1936, Britain deployed troops to administer the Suez Canal, creating further conflict. Then a renewed conflict arose with the involvement of Israel. The conflict also led to the suspension of shipping on the Suez Canal in 1948. In 1954, following an agreement reached by the Egyptian government with Britain, Britain withdrew its troops from control of the Suez Canal. Accordingly, the crisis over the Suez Canal ended in November 1956, and the Suez Canal reopened in March 1957. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, Arab countries, including Egypt, had to suspend operations on the Suez Canal from time to time due to wars with Israel.
Today, the Suez Canal is administered by the Suez Canal Authority. The total length of the Suez Canal is about 101 miles (163 km). The width is 984 feet or 300 meters. In some places the width is said to be 200 meters. There is also a railway line running parallel to the canal across the west bank. Ships with a height of 19 meters and a weight of 210,000 tons are allowed to use the Suez Canal, but due to the limited width of the canal, it is difficult to switch to two ships at once. As a solution to this, one lane and several parking lots have been constructed. Sailors are regularly instructed to sail at low speeds to avoid damage to the banks on either side of the canal due to waves during shipping. The charge depends on the type of ship and the capacity. The annual revenue of the Suez Canal is estimated to exceed $ 5,000 million.
Talking about the importance of the Suez Canal, it saves 8900 km and ten days of shipping used for imports and exports between Asian countries, European countries and the United States, and covers 11300 nautical miles (20,0900 km) around the tip of Africa. ) Dangerous and tiring sea voyages for sailors to reach Europe in as little as 24 days over long distances, saving 6400 nautical miles and 14 days in a safer and more efficient manner. Violence at sea around the tip of the greeting in Africa. Dangerous. In addition, Somali pirates roam the region. The Suez Canal saves 43% of the total freight distance to European countries and covers 10% of the world's total shipping. The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea are at the same level, so there are no water locks like on the Panama Canal, and ships can cross the Suez Canal in 11-16 hours on average. The Suez Canal typically carries between 50-60 ships a day. It carries an average of 3 million tons of cargo per day.
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