Why the Suez Canal is so important -- and why its blockage could be so damaging

  • 📰 CNN Philippines
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 37 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 18%
  • Publisher: 63%

Philippines Headlines News

Philippines Latest News,Philippines Headlines

The importance of the canal stems first and foremost from its location - it is the only place that directly connects the waters of Europe with the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the countries of the Asia-Pacific.

Since it was completed in 1869, the Suez Canal has been one of the world's most important bodies of water; a portal between East and West that has been controlled by multiple countries, threatened to ignite war, and become a bedrock of the global economy.

Without the Suez, shipments traveling between those parts of the world would have to traverse the entire continent of Africa, adding hefty costs and substantially extending their journey times. Adding to its importance is that there are no alternatives to the Suez; were it not for the Red Sea stretching up above the Horn of Africa and along Sudan and Egypt, no land masses would be narrow enough to support an artificial waterway that links Europe with the Asia-Pacific.

Its positioning made it a flashpoint in both of the 20th century's major conflicts; in World War I, Turkish forces tried to attack the canal from the east, and in World War II, the Nazis' Afrika Korps aimed to do the same from the west.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 13. in PH

Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Ship in Suez Canal moved 80% in ‘right direction’ – Egypt canal authorityEgypt’s Suez Canal Authority said Monday the Ever Given container ship, which has been blocking the crucial waterway for nearly a week, has been turned in the “right direction.” | AFP AFP Tagal na neto grabe
Source: inquirerdotnet - 🏆 3. / 86 Read more »

Why Suez Canal must upgrade quickly to avoid future disruptionCAIRO - Egypt's Suez Canal must move quickly to upgrade its technical infrastructure if it is to avoid future shipping disruption, shipping industry sources said, as the major trade route tries to bounce back from a costly six-day closure.
Source: ANCALERTS - 🏆 26. / 50 Read more »

Suez Canal could be blocked for weeks by 'beached whale' shipA huge container ship blocking the Suez Canal like a 'beached whale' may take weeks to free, the salvage company said, as officials stopped all ships entering the channel on Thursday in a new setback for global trade.
Source: ANCALERTS - 🏆 26. / 50 Read more »

Lone backhoe tries to dislodge giant cargo ship grounded on the Suez CanalA handout picture released by the Suez Canal Authority on Thursday shows the Taiwan-owned MV Ever Given (Evergreen), a 400-metre- (1,300-foot-)long and 59-metre wide vessel, lodged sideways and impeding all traffic across the waterway of Egypt's Suez Canal.
Source: ANCALERTS - 🏆 26. / 50 Read more »

Ship blocking Suez Canal like 'beached whale' could be stuck for weeks(UPDATED) The Ever Given is blocking transit in both directions through one of the world's busiest shipping channels for goods, oil, grain, and other trade linking Asia and Europe
Source: rapplerdotcom - 🏆 4. / 86 Read more »