Ship canal

Ship Canal

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Ship canal

A ship canal is a canal

Canal

Canals are artificial channels for water. There are two types of canals: Aqueduct canals, which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water, and waterways, which are navigable transportation canals used for passage of goods and people, often connected to existing lakes, rivers, or oceans....
especially constructed to carry ocean

Ocean

An ocean is a major body of Seawater, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a World Ocean that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas....
-going ship

Ship

A ship is a large watercraft that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the ferry or cargo ships, fishing, cruise ship, Coast guard, and warship....
s, as opposed to barge

Barge

A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Most barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats....
s. Ship canals can be enlarged barge canals, canalised or channelized river

Channel (geography)

In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or man-made deeper course through a reef, bar , bay, or any shallow body of water....
s, or canals especially constructed from the start to accommodate ships.

For a canal to qualify as a ship canal, it must have a minimum depth of at least 5 metres (16.4 feet), although many are much deeper.

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Encyclopedia

A ship canal is a canal

Canal

Ocean

Ship

Barge

Channel (geography)

To create a shortcut and avoid lengthy detours.
To create a navigable shipping link between two land-locked seas or lakes.
To provide inland cities with a direct shipping link to the sea.
To provide an economical alternative to other options.

Important ship canals (by length)

**List of important ship canals by length**
canal	dimensions	location	notes
White Sea-Baltic Canal White Sea-Baltic Canal The White Sea-Baltic Sea Canal , often abbreviated to White Sea Canal is a ship canal in Russia opened on 2 August 1933. It connects the White Sea with the Baltic Sea, near to Saint Petersburg....	141 miles (227 km) long 3.5 metres deep	Russia Russia Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....	Opened in 1933, is partly a canalised river, partly an artificial canal, and partly some natural lakes. Shallow depth limits modern vessels from using the canal.
Rhine-Main-Danube Canal Rhine-Main-Danube Canal The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal , located in Bavaria, Germany, connects the Main and the Danube rivers across the European Watershed, running from Bamberg via Nuremberg to Kelheim....	106 miles (171 km) long lock dimensions: 190m x 11.45m x 4m	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....	Opened in 1992, links the large rivers Rhine Rhine File:Swiss Grand Canyon.jpgThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than .... and Danube Danube The Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg River rivers which join at the eponymously named German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows eastwards for a distance... , and thus also the North Sea North Sea The North Sea is a marginal sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean.... and the Black Sea Black Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolia and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Seas and various straits.... .
Suez Canal Suez Canal The Suez Canal is a canal in Egypt. Opened in November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa or carrying goods overland between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea....	100 miles (160 km) long 300 metres wide	Egypt Egypt Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....	Opened in 1869, links the Mediterranean Sea Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia.... to the Red Sea Red Sea The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb sound and the Gulf of Aden.... .
Volga-Don Canal Volga-Don Canal File:Volgograd 1979.jpgLenin Volga-Don Shipping Canal is a canal which connects the Volga River and the Don River, Russia at their closest points....	62 miles (100 km) long lock dimensions: 140m x 16.6m x 3.5m	Russia Russia Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....	Opened in 1952, connects the Black Black Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolia and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Seas and various straits.... , Azov, and Caspian Sea Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the List of lakes by area or a full-fledged sea. It has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers .... s.
Kiel Canal Kiel Canal The Kiel Canal , until 1948 known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal, is a 61 miles long canal in the Germany States of Germany Schleswig-Holstein that links the North Sea at Brunsb?ttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau....	60 miles (98 km) long lock dimensions: 310m x 42m x 14m	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....	Opened in 1895. Shortens the passage between the North Sea North Sea The North Sea is a marginal sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean.... and the Baltic Sea Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53?N to 66?N latitude and from 20?E to 26?E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Denmark islands.... .
Houston Ship Channel Houston Ship Channel The Houston Ship Channel in Houston, Texas is part of the Port of Houston?one of the United States's busiest sea ports.The channel is a conduit between the continental interior and the Gulf of Mexico for both petrochemical products and Midwestern United States grain....	56 miles (91 km) long 161 m wide 14m deep	USA United States The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...	Connects Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2007 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles .... to the Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba.... .
Alphonse XIII Canal	53 miles (85 km) long	Spain Spain Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....	Opened in 1926, mostly canalised river. Links Seville Seville \|\|-\|\|}Seville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Seville .... to the Gulf of Cadiz Gulf of Cadiz File:Alboran Sea map.pngThe Gulf of C?diz is the arm of the Atlantic Ocean between Cape St. Vincent in Portugal and Cape Trafalgar at the western end of the Strait of Gibraltar.... .
Panama Canal Panama Canal The Panama Canal is a man-made canal which joins the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean oceans. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South Am...	51 miles (82 km) long lock dimensions: 320m x 33.53m x 25.9 m	Panama Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....	Opened in 1914. Links the Caribbean Sea Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean situated in the mid-latitudes of the Western Hemisphere, bounded to the south and west by the Americas, with the North Atlantic Ocean proper to the northeast and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest.... to the Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan.... , creating a shortcut.
Danube-Black Sea Canal Danube-Black Sea Canal The Danube?Black Sea Canal is a canal in Romania which runs from Cernavoda on the Danube to Agigea and Navodari on the Black Sea. Administrated from Agigea, it is an important part of the European canal system that links the North Sea to the Black Sea....	40 miles (64 km) long lock dimensions: 138m x 16.8m x 5.5m	Romania Romania Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....	Opened in 1984. Links the Danube Danube The Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg River rivers which join at the eponymously named German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows eastwards for a distance... to the Black Sea Black Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolia and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Seas and various straits.... .
Manchester Ship Canal Manchester Ship Canal The Manchester Ship Canal is a long river navigation in North West England. Built to give the city of Manchester direct access to the sea, it was built between 1887 and 1894 at a cost of about ?15M, and in its day was the largest navigation canal in the world....	35 miles (57 km) long lock dimensions: 170.68m x 21.94m x 8.78m	England England native_name =\|conventional_long_name = England\|common_name = England\|image_flag = Flag of England.svg\|image_coat = England COA.svg\|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...	Opened in 1894. Links Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853.... to Irish Sea Irish Sea The Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Republic of Ireland and Wales, and to the north by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland which forms part of... .
Welland Canal Welland Canal The Welland Canal is a ship canal that runs 42 km from Port Colborne, Ontario on Lake Erie to Port Weller, Ontario on Lake Ontario. As part of the St....	28 miles (45 km) long lock dimensions: 225.5m x 2.3m x 8.2 m	Canada Canada Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....	Opened in 1931. Links Lake Erie Lake Erie Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time.... to Lake Ontario Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The lake is bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and by the U.S.... and is part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Saint Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior.... .
Saint Lawrence Seaway Saint Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior....	lock dimensions: 225.5m x 2.3m x 8.2 m	Canada Canada Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean.... , USA	Links Montreal Montreal Montreal, or Montr?al, is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population.... with Lake Superior Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by Ontario, Canada and Minnesota, United States, and to the south by the U.S.... .

Navigability

The standard used in the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
for classifying the navigability of inland waterways is the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN) of 1996, adopted by The Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), which defines the following classes: (This table is incomplete.)

Class	Tonnage (t)	Draught (m)	Length (m)	Width (m)	Air Draught (m)	Description
Class III	1,000
Class IV	1,000–1,500	2.5	80–85	9.5	5.2–7.0	Johann Welker
Class Va	1,500–3,000	2.5–2.8	95–110	11.4	5.2–7.0–9.1	Large Rhine
Class VIb	6,400–12,000	3.9	140	15	9.1
Class VII	14,500–27,000	2.5–4.5	275–285	33.0–34.2	9.1