Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world that runs north to south across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It is one of the worlds most heavily used shipping lanes that separates Africa from Asia and provides the shortest route between Europe and land around the Indian and western Pacific oceans. The Egyptian government controls the Suez Canal and therefore makes vessels pay tolls to provide a source of income. In 2007, there were 18,193 ships that passed through the Suez Canal. The Canal is very important in today's world because if it had never  been constructed, oil prices would be rise. As of early February 2011, the pipeline accommodated 1.7 million barrels of crude oil daily. It would cost much more because of supply and demand; it would take a longer time to transport it around the continent which would mean it would take longer to get where it was needed. The same thing would happen with American wheat traders.

The Suez Canal