Suez Canal: Egypt’s gift to world, lifeblood of international economy

On 17 November 1869, Egypt announced the completion of its man-made waterway, the Suez Canal, calling it a gift to the world.

Running between Port Said and the Gulf of Suez, the canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez.

The Suez Canal was constructed between 1859 and 1869 by the Suez Canal Company, established by Ferdinand de Lesseps in 1858. This was a time when Ismail Pacha was the Khedive of Egypt.

It linked the northern and southern hemispheres through the shortest maritime route between the three continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe.