The Suez Canal

Suez Canal

Geology

Construction

What bodies of water does it connect? The two bodies of water the Suez Canal connects are the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The Mediterranean sea is then connected to the Atlantic ocean.

What Countries are Involved? Egypt is the main country involved with the Suez Canal. Although many countries use this strait to transport goods, oils and many other things Egypt has complete and total control over this canal.

Dimensions The length and width of the Suez Canal when it was first built were 164 km long and 8m deep. As of 2010 the Suez Canal is 193.30 km long, 24 m deep and 205 m wide.

Why is the Suez Canal important The Suez Canal is a shortcut like many other straits. Many countries like Africa and the U.S. transport crude oil, oil, and many goods using this strait. Countries from the far east also use this strait to transport goods and oils. Europe also used this strait to colonize Africa.

Impact upon closing If this strait were to be closed no ships would be able to transport any goods and oils. Boats would have to travel around Africa to Europe to transport goods and oils.

Military and Economy The U.S. use this strait to drive warships through. They also use this strait to transport ammunition to other countries. This strait affects the economy because of the frequent trades of goods and oils. Without this strait some countries wouldn’t be able to get certain goods.

Military Conflict Background 1936 - Egypt signs treaty allowing Britain to keep military forces in canal zone. 1948 - Egypt begins preventing all Israeli ships from using canal. 1951, Sep 1 - UN Security Council orders Egypt to open canal to Israeli ships. Meanwhile, Egypt is talking trash against Israel. 1955, Aug 31 - Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian President, announces fedayeen. 1956, July 26 - Egypt seizes canal and declares it a national asset. 1956, October 29 - Israel launches the Sinai Campaign. 1956, October 30 - The Israel UN representative explains the situation to the UN.

Advantages This strait is an advantage to the countries on both sides of it because instead of traveling around Africa they could cut through these series of straits. Traveling around Africa would take many more months.

What moves through this strait? Things that move through this strait are goods from south Asia to Europe and also military boats carrying ammunition and people.

Physical Geography The Suez Canal is located by Egypt. The Canal cuts through the desert. Also located by Israel and is connected by many other straits.

Human Geography Egypt recently had a change in government. Egypt has then became more unstable. Recently people are having a strike which resulted into a shut down of the Suez Canal. The Suez canal is controlled by Egyptians and Saudi Arabians.

Some more Facts

 starter activity Map showing British Empire at its height in early twentieth century. If you were a school child at that time and looked at the map on the classroom wall, how would you feel ?

British overseas territories today British overseas territories today. How would the same school child in the early 1900s feel about this map if they could have seen it?

 Your task. Pin the tail on Suez  Your task. Pin the tail on Suez! Where do you think the Suez Canal was on this map?

The Suez Crisis

What was the Suez Canal ? The Suez Canal opened to traffic in November 1869 It was built by Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps using Egyptian forced labour; an estimated 120,000 workers died during construction It stretches 192km (120 miles) between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea It is 300m (984ft) wide at its narrowest point

The Suez Canal reduced the sea route to Asia by 6,000 km

Both the Panama and Suez Canals greatly improved world trade.

Why is the canal so important? By 1955 approximately two-thirds of Europe's oil passed through the canal The waterway closed 1967 due to the Six Day War, reopened 1975 About 7.5% of world sea trade is carried via the canal today Receipts from the canal July 2005 to May 2006 totalled $3,246m In 2005, 18,193 vessels passed through the canal

Section one Great Britain was in Eden’s (the Prime Minister) view still a great imperial nation, an influential figure in world politics Empire under threat, e.g. Ghana, Nigeria; India already given independence Anthony Eden

Mussolini, Italian dictator in early twentieth century Section two Mussolini, Italian dictator in early twentieth century Eden suspected that the Egyptian President Nasser would be the Mussolini of the Middle East Nasser was a nationalist – implications for imperialists like GB Canal was of limited strategic importance but of growing economic significance President Nasser

Section three France- had built Suez, but also Egypt had sponsored Algerian rebels Israel – wanted to retaliate for attacks by Palestinians supported by Egypt US not informed of plan, refused its support The military plan

Impact GB lost sight of Cold War tensions in Europe – Hungarian Uprising Confirmed GB had lost its global prominence GB moved closer to US, France to Europe in foreign policy planning Eden resigned Macmillan new PM

What was the Suez Canal ? The Suez Canal opened to traffic in November 1869 It was built by Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps using Egyptian forced labour; an estimated 120,000 workers died during construction It stretches 192km (120 miles) between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea It is 300m (984ft) wide at its narrowest point

The Suez Canal reduced the sea route to Asia by 6,000 km

Both the Panama and Suez Canals greatly improved world trade.

Why is the canal so important? By 1955 approximately two-thirds of Europe's oil passed through the canal The waterway closed 1967 due to the Six Day War, reopened 1975 About 7.5% of world sea trade is carried via the canal today Receipts from the canal July 2005 to May 2006 totalled $3,246m In 2005, 18,193 vessels passed through the canal

Section one Great Britain was in Eden’s (the Prime Minister) view still a great imperial nation, an influential figure in world politics Empire under threat, e.g. Ghana, Nigeria; India already given independence Anthony Eden

Mussolini, Italian dictator in early twentieth century Section two Mussolini, Italian dictator in early twentieth century Eden suspected that the Egyptian President Nasser would be the Mussolini of the Middle East Nasser was a nationalist – implications for imperialists like GB Canal was of limited strategic importance but of growing economic significance President Nasser

Section three France- had built Suez, but also Egypt had sponsored Algerian rebels Israel – wanted to retaliate for attacks by Palestinians supported by Egypt US not informed of plan, refused its support The military plan

Impact GB lost sight of Cold War tensions in Europe – Hungarian Uprising Confirmed GB had lost its global prominence GB moved closer to US, France to Europe in foreign policy planning Eden resigned Macmillan new PM

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