~ Top 10 Artificial Canals ~

[MysteRy]

Top 10 Artificial Canals


1. Suez Canal   



The most famous canal created by man is the so called "The Highway to India", Suez Canal, which is the most grand artificial canal in the world. This navigation canal was created in 1869 in Egypt and remains one of the most unbelievable creations. It was built to connect the Mediterranean and the Red Sea and it is constructed with the same as the seas' level. The canal serves as a water way for transportation between Europe and Asia, shortening to a great extent the transportation process! The length of the canal in the beginning was 164 kilometres and its depth - 8 meters. It was enlarged several times afterwards and its length reached 193.3 kilometres, its depth is now 25 meters and it is wide 205 meters. It is interesting to note that there are no locks in the canal and that sea water fills it all flowing through its whole length. Suez Canal is a marvellous creation, definitely worth seeing!

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2. Kiel Canal   



Kiel Canal in Germany is also one of the most noticeable man-created navigation canals in the world and according to its own site, it holds the first place for heaviest sea traffic among other artificial canals in the world. It was finished in 1895 and it connects the Baltic Sea with the North Sea, making the transportation between two much easier, shorted and of course - cheaper, because according to numbers it saves about 460 kilometres of the waterway! The canal is long 98 kilometres and is also one of the most immense artificial waterways in the world. For the building of this grand structure were used more than 9,000 workers for its construction, which continued eight years. There are very strict regulations for the vessels passing the canal - they are divided into groups, depending on their measures. Because of the many bridges most of the modern cruise ships cannot pass it, but yet there are many possibilities to make a journey through it!

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3. Corinth Canal   



Corinth Canal is also very famous; indeed it is known that it was planned in ancient times - about the 1st century AD! Unfortunately these plans were not implemented, but much later, in 1893 the canal was finally completed. It separates the Peloponnese peninsula from Greece and makes it an independent island. However it is not one of the most used for traffic navigation canals in the world, because of the many repair works, which should be organized too often, because it is not wide enough. Today Corinth Canal is used mostly to transport tourist tours and this is why it is so famous. It offers one of the most interesting and picturesque sea tours in Greece, even it is quite short - only 6.4 kilometres length and width of 21.3 meters. The canal is built according to the sea level and even it is neither a long one, nor it serves for a heavy traffic, it is one of the most visited by tourists, because it is in a tourist destination and because the ancient plans for its creation!

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4. Panama Canal   



Panama Canal is one more enormous artificial canal, created with the purpose to ease and shorten the transportation in Panama. It connects the Caribbean Sea and after that the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean. The length of the navigation canal is 82 kilometres and the building process continues more than 30 years, until finally in 1914 it was completed. According to specialists it was a very challenging project, which took a lot of investment and engaged most of the specialists in this branch. Yet it proved that it was worth all the efforts, because the time needed to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean was now half compared to before. There is no need to mention the great importance of the Canal for the economy, offering much shorter, safer and cheaper transportation alternative. The dimensions of the canal allow even biggest vessels to pass it without a problem! It is one of the most interesting sea routes in this destination and the very canal often called for one of the seven wonders of the modern world!

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5. Canal du Midi   



Canal du Midi connects the Atlantic with the Mediterranean Sea. There were plans for creation of a canal like this many years before the very building began, but we must note that the area, which Canal du Midi is passing is not the easiest for building a canal. It was started in 1666 and we have information that the number of workers involved in this grand creation reached 12,000. The canal is crossing such a various landscape that its creation was more than challenging, especially in these times when building was not that developed as today and many of the modern technologies were not even dreamt of...  We must mention that the canal eases to a great extend the transportation today and when it was built, it offered much shorter and, in the times of pirates, safer route for the ships, which needed much more time before. The canal is attractive for tourists, because of the innumerable bridges and locks and its colossal length now is 240 kilometres! We must note that since 1996 the canal is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site!

[MysteRy]

6. Oxford Canal   



One of the most tourist and famous canals in the world is Oxford Canal in England. It connects Oxford with Coventry, and once its main purpose was to ease the transportation enabling trade and offering a cheaper transport alternative, while now its mostly a tourist tour and offers wonderful journeys! It was built in several periods, because of problems connected with financing the projects - at times the cheapest materials and methods were used in order to manage with the building with lowest possible budget. It was finally opened with an official ceremony in 1790, and since there is one of the most used navigation canals in the world. Its length of 126 kilometres is also noticeable, like the various landscapes it is passing through! After it was opened the Canal turned to be one of the most preferable routes for different goods, from London to the Midlands, absolutely everything was transported thanks to it. Nowadays its main purpose is mainly tourist, even the transport function still exists. The scenery landscape and the picturesque sights, make it one of the most attractive offers for a boat journey!

[MysteRy]

7. Kennet and Avon Canal   



Kennet and Avon Canal in England is also one of the most interesting and attractive artificial canals in the world, whose building continued for about sixteen years and it was finally opened in 1810. In fact it follows the natural flow of the river Avon, connecting a part of the river, which allows shipping, after that there is the artificial man-made canal and then again it connects to a river - the navigable part of river Kennet. After that sailing can continue to the river Thames. The Kennet and Avon Canal is a name used for the whole length of the water way, not only for the artificial part connecting the two rivers. The whole length of the canal is now 140 kilometres and it is now a very famous tourist attraction, offering options for boating, canoeing, swimming, fishing and many others! The picturesque landscape will make every one remember the water journey on the canal and wish to repeat it again and again.

[MysteRy]

8. Lancaster Canal   



Lancaster Canal is one more man-made artificial canal in England, which is still impressive and attracts many volunteers to sail it! According to the original plans it should be built to reach Westhoughton, the original plan was never completed, now there is a part which allows shipping Preston to Tewitfield, which is almost 68 kilometres long. The canal is passing a landscape so beautiful, that only boating there is an option tourists will definitely not miss, but there are also many more activities that the region offers to everybody, who would like to observe the local nature and also enjoy some fishing in the waters! Even its main function was transportation water way, the canal is now a very famous tourist destination that not only the locals prefer, but also many foreign tourists would rather plan a boat tour to have some time travelling in the country! This is an option that all guests in the area should consider!

[MysteRy]

9. Wesel-Datteln Canal   



Another Canal created by men is Wesel-Datteln in Germany. This canal, like all German creations is impressive with the precise structure and perfect architectural implementation. It flows from Rhine, close to Wesel to the Dortmund-Ems Canal, offering a wonderful, comfortable and easy transportation from the two destinations. As the canal is shipping, boating is a famous sport among those, who live close to this wonderful architectural achievement. The length of the canal is over 60 kilometres and since its building was completed in 1930 many of the traders prefer to arrange the transportation using this effective and cheap water way alternative transportation. Being so much used, the canal is famous not only among traders and travellers, there are many tourist tours, including or mainly offering a boat trip. There is no doubt that if tourists have the opportunity should not miss to sail the canal!

[MysteRy]

10. Royal Canal   



Ireland could also offer one of the most interesting and noticeable artificial canals in the world - The Royal Canal. It is a grand 145 kilometres long canal, floating through various landscapes, connecting River Liffey in Dublin with River Shannon at Cloondara. The building of the canal prolonged for 27 years, because of the difficulties the area offered and it was a long and hard process, finally it was open in 1817. The canal offers a good and cheap option for all the traders to transport all the stocks in one of the shortest possible ways. There were built forty six locks over the whole length of the canal. Being a very hospitable and always welcoming guests country, Ireland always charms the visitors with the green nature, picturesque landscape and sailing the canal is an option which could offer one of the most interesting sailing routes in this magnificent area!