World History · Middle East & Africa
Suez Canal Opened
HistoryCentral · Primary Source & History
On November 17, 1869 the Suez Canal opened to traffic. The canal linked the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. It was 103 miles long and it brought Oriental ports 5,000 miles closer to Europe. Work had begun on the canal in 1859. It was financed primarily by French investors. The canal increased the strategic importance of Egypt to European powers.
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