Room 613 Student Blogs - 2005/2006

Did you know that the location of the Suez canal is in the northeastern corner of Africa and the corner of southwestern Asia? The Suez Canal is a shortcut for ships so they don’t have to go all the way around the continent of Africa. The Suez Canal is the longest canal in the world with no locks. It has no locks because the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez almost have the same water level. About 25,000 ships pass though the canal each year. Some people hope by 2010 supertankers will be able to pass without unloading part of what they have into another boat and stopping at the end to pick it up. A Suez Canal company is supposed to operate it for 99 years. A canal is a large waterway that is manmade.

Ah,the Suez Canal a brilliant piece of history,people,and enginering. First I’ll speak of its engineering. Stretching about 101 miles it connects the Red Sea to the Mediteranean Sea. Without the canal traders from around the world would have to make a 6,000 mile extra journey. After a great deal of work the canal finally opened in 1869. The debt of this canal put Egypt in its place of not being able to pay it off. Great Britian then took it from them. After a series of wars Eygpt signed a treaty saying the canal is free to all nations.

Next the history of the Suez Canal! The history of the Suez Canal is very very interesting. Lets start from point A the year it was attempted to be built but failed because of sand storms that clogged it up. About 150 years ago England had a massive trade with India, but theirs a hitch the ships would have to go around South Africa without the canal. The canal cut the trip about 6,000 miles. In 1956 an Egyption president took the canal and declared it property of Egypt. Egypt had to fight 3 awful wars against Isreal to get it back. Now you know abit of the Suez Canals history. Now you know about an extrordinary piece of work….the Suez Canal

The suez canal is west of the Sinai Peninsula. It is placed in Egypt between Port said on the Mediterranean Sea and Suez on the Red Sea. Also, the canal allows two-way north to south water transport between Europe and Asia without going around Africa. The canal makes up two parts, north and south of the Greak Bitter Lake and links the MediterraneanSea to the Red Sea. Last, because of were the suez canal is it is sometimes known as the cross roads of Europe.

On April 25, 1859 the canals construction began. About 25 thousand ships pass through the canal each year. Approxamitly 14% of world shipping goes through the canal. The passage takes between 11 and 16 hours. Many tours by tourists go through the canal.

Did you know the suez canal was man made? Here’s some historic facts on it. Also, did you know that before the opening, some transport was conducted by offloading ships and carrying the cargo overland between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea? The canal opened to traffic on November 17, 1869. Also, in 1888 the convention of constantinople declared that the canal is a neutral zone under protection of the british, after the british troops moved in to protect the suez canal in 1882. In 1951, Egypt regected the treaty, and by 1954 the United Kingdom agreed to pull out. The result of the damage and sunken ships, the suez canal was closed until April 1957. Then it had been cleared by UN assistance. In 1967 after the Six Day War, the canal was closed until June 5, 1973. Then it was later opened in 1975.

By, Celeste, Kim, and Alex

Can you believe that The Suez Canal is 120 miles long? Well it is. An amazing fact about The Suez Canal is that about 25,000 ships pass though it every year. The maximum depth of the canal is 23 meters allowing ships a maximm drought of 62 feet. In case you don’t know what a drought is, it is the length from the bottom of a boat to the bottom of the canal. Many, many people from Asia used to have to sail all around Africa to be able to trade with Europe. The Canal connects two parts the north and south ends of the Bitter Lake. Now because that is connected it links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

(Ali) Are you ready to learn about the Suez Canal? (Brianna) Well now is your chance. We will tell you about the human characteristics, history and, physical characteristics!

Now for the human characteristics. The suez canal connects the mediterranean sea to the red sea. It is usually titled “the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and, Asia ” because countries on those continents transport goods to other countries around the world. By taking the suez canal, people shipping goods from, for example, England to India, can cut 6,000 miles off their journey because they don’t have to go around Africa now that the suez canal is in business. now I will hand it off to Brianna, Briannas part of the story will be on the Suez Canals history.

Thanks Ali the history on the Suez Canal is very interesting it starts like this. The Suez Canal has had a very very important history. Said Pasha started this big project. He had many egyptions who were beeten to finish this incredible task. They began construction on the 25th of April, 1859. Then after all the hard work people put into the Suez Canal it finally opened in 1869. On August 25th 1882 the British took contrle of the canal. Then after a long period of time, it was restored to Egypt this back and forth of the owners, from Britain to Egypt, happend a couple more times. then on June 5th 1975 it was closed and blocked by Egypt. there were also many presidents of the Suez Canal company. one of them was Charles Jonnart. He was president from 1913 till 1927 through this period he played an important part of the canals history!!! Today the Suez Canal is open to every nation that is the way it should stay for years to come.

Now you will hear from Sarah with the physical characteristics!

Now I will tell you about the physical characteristics of the Suez Canal. The canals long length reaches to 193 km or 101 miles. The width of the canal is 365.3 m. The distence between the booy’s is 205.18 m. it is from 58 feet to 68 feet deep. thats one HUGE canal. Very large ships weighing from 300,000 tons to 500,000 tons can pass freely through this canal because of its size.

Now you know a lot more about the Suez Canal

By: Sarah D.,Ali R., and, Brianna L.