The
Suez Canal ( ) is an artificial
sea-level waterway in
Egypt, connecting the
Mediterranean Sea to the
Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez, and separates the African continent from Asia. After 10 years of construction, it was officially opened on November 17, 1869. The canal allows
ships to travel between
Europe and
South Asia without navigating around
Africa, thereby reducing the sea voyage distance by about . It extends from the northern terminus of
Port Said to the southern terminus of
Port Tewfik at the city of
Suez. Its length is , including its northern and southern access channels. In 2012, 17,225 vessels traversed the canal (47 per day).