The recent breeding of the Panamanian Flag Ever Given at one end of the largest navigation channels in the world has caused a strong impact on international trade.
That is why we have decided to talk about the navigation channels and what are the most important in the world.
What are navigation channels?
A navigation channel is a waterway or water course of natural or artificial origin.
Artificial navigation channels are very common in many cities, built by the human being, wide and deep enough so that a ship can navigate on it.
Types of navigation channels
Natural navigation channels
Are those geographical accidents carried out by nature without the intervention of man and located in the last sections of a river, a delta or a narrow, although this is usually quite narrow.
Artificial navigation channels
They are also narrow passages, but pass through a watershed, the limit region between two hydrographic basins.
To have an artificial channel it is necessary to dig a long trench and ensure its continuous water supply; This usually is achieved by connecting it directly with the sea, taking water from rivers or springs or pumping the liquid from other sources.
The reasons for building channels are varied, but usually serve to connect bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, seas or oceans.
For example, the Suez Canal was created in the nineteenth century to physically separate Asia and Africa and thus facilitate the pass from Europe to South Asia, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
Most important navigation channels in the world
The Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is another of those important navigable channels worldwide. It is situated in Egypt and joins the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
This work of man converted the Sinai region into a new peninsula, turning it into the border between the continents of Africa and Asia.
It has a length of 163 kilometers, between Puerto Said and Suez.
It is the river way that makes it possible to go directly from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea without the need to border the entire African continent, so its strategic importance is incredible, both at the merchandise level and at the level of tourism.
The Panama Canal
Without a doubt, one of the most important channels is the Panama Canal.
We can say that it is an authentic wonders of engineering, in addition to being one of the most important channels around the world.
This channel is an interopean navigation path between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It crosses the Panama isthmus at its narrowest point and has an extension of more than 80 km. A maritime passage through which more than 12,000 boats circulate a year, both transport and passenger.
The Corinth Canal
Perhaps not so famous, but another of the important in the world of cruises, is the Channel of Corinth, in Greece.
They say about this channel that is another of the great engineering of the world. The truth is that its beauty is evident, something that also happens with its size.
This channel unites the Gulf of Corinth with the Aegean Sea by the Corinth isthmus.
It was excavated on the rock at the end of the 19th century and has a height of more than 40 meters between these rocks, something that is impressive seen from a cruise.
While it is true that the width does not allow some of today’s biggest ships to circulate out there, it is still a very important and strategic attraction that will leave you completely amazed.
The Grand Canal of China
We are heading this time to China. That is where we find the Grand Canal of China, one of the largest projects of ancient China.
It is one of the oldest (it began to be built at 486 a. C. under the Wu family dynasty) and also one of the largest in the world, surpassing even the Suez or Panama to the one.
This channel begins in Beijing and ends at Hangzhou, so it has more than 1700 kilometers of travel.
The Kiel Canal
Finally, we find the Kiel Canal, in Germany. Recall that this city has the port of Kiel, one of the most important north of Europe.
It is a channel of more than 90 km in length. Its purpose is nothing other than communicating the Baltic Sea with the North Sea, a connection that is able to save enough fuel and hours on the commercial and tourist routes between both seas.
The channel has four locks in the last sections, where both seas are located.
These locks remain open most of the time to facilitate circulation, both commercial and tourist boats.
Importance of navigation channels
Currently, channels facilitate the transportation of millions of tons of goods and raw materials a year between production zones and destination areas.
Undoubtedly, the importance of these as strategic points for world trade will continue to increase over time.
Many governments seek to develop these infrastructure projects to increase the rapidity of supply chains and economic growth.
It might interest you: Risks of international trade: what are they and types
