THE TRANSPORT ISSUE
M
SUEZ CANAL :
THE SUPPLY CHAIN ’ S MAJOR ARTERY
THE GROUNDING OF THE EVER GIVEN IN THE SUEZ CANAL LAST YEAR HAD MAJOR REPERCUSSIONS FOR AN ALREADY UNDER PRESSURE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN . SO WE THOUGHT WE ’ D TAKE A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF ONE OF THE WORLD ’ S MOST IMPORTANT TRADING ROUTES .
Maritime trading has been in existence since recorded history began , and even today still accounts for around 80 per cent of international trade . In fact , there are around 50,000 cargo ships at sea at any one time .
One of the world ’ s most important cargo routes is via the Suez Canal – the modern version of which is the latest in a long line of shipping routes through Egypt , some dating back almost 2000 years BC .
Today , the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea , reducing the distance from London to the Arabian Sea by almost 9000km .
The modern incarnation of the trading route was officially opened in 1869 , after being under construction for almost 10 years .
It was a project that had been mooted for a while . Napoleon Bonaparte explored the possibility
A BRIEF HISTORY OF …
THE SUEZ CANAL
Bonaparte explored the possibility of a new canal after conquering Egypt .
Planning for the new canal officially gets underway .
1850BC 1798 1847 1854 1859-1869
It is thought the Egyptian Pharaoh Senusret III may have built an early canal connecting the Red Sea and the Nile .
The prospect of a canal was finally given the thumbs up after confirmation of no serious altitude difference between Mediterranean and Red Seas .
Construction of the Suez Canal takes place , and the transport route opened in 1869 .
22 GEMCELL . COM . AU APR – MAY 2022