Suez Canal 29323 225756982 2008-07-15T07:11:59Z 204.118.135.218 {{other|Suez (disambiguation)}} [[Image:SuezCanal-EO.JPG|thumb|Suez Canal, seen from Earth orbit]] [[Image:SuezCanal ElBallah.JPG|thumb|right|310px|Ships moored at El Ballah during transit]] The '''Suez Canal''' ({{ArTranslit|Qanāt al-Suways}}), is a large man-made canal in [[Egypt]], west of the [[Sinai Peninsula]]. It is 163 km (101 miles) long and 60m (197ft) wide at its narrowest point, and runs between [[Port Said]] (''Būr Sa'īd'') on the [[Mediterranean Sea]], and [[Suez]] (''al-Suways'') on the [[Red Sea]]. The [[canal]] allows two-way [[water transportation]] between [[Europe]] and [[Asia]] without circumnavigation of [[Africa]]. Before its opening in 1869, goods were sometimes offloaded from ships and carried overland between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The canal comprises seven parts, north and south of the [[Great Bitter Lake]], linking the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the [[Gulf of Suez]] on the [[Red Sea]]. == History == === 2nd millennium BC === Perhaps as early as the [[Twelfth dynasty of Egypt|12th Dynasty]], [[Pharaoh]] [[Senusret III]] ([[19th century BC|1878 BC]]–[[19th century BC|1839 BC]]) may have had a west-east river dug through the Wadi Tumilat, joining the [[River Nile]] with the [[Red Sea]] (which in ancient times reached north to the [[Bitter Lakes]].<ref>''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', 11th edition, s.v. [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Suez_Canal "Suez Canal"]. Accessed [[14 May]] [[2008]].</ref><ref>''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', Sixth Edition, s.v. [http://www.bartleby.com/65/su/SuezCana.html "Suez Canal"]. Accessed [[14 May]] [[2008]].</ref> This allowed direct trade with [[Land of Punt|Punt]], and, indirectly, linked the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The reliefs of the [[Land of Punt|Punt]] expedition under [[Hatshepsut]] depict sea-going vessels carrying the expeditionary force returning from Punt. This has given rise to the theory that, at the time, a navigable link existed between the Red Sea and the Nile.<ref>Sanford (1938), p.72; Garrison (1999), p.36.</ref> Evidence indicates its existence by the 13th century BC during the time of [[Ramesses II]].<ref>''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', 11th edition, s.v. [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/S/SU/SUEZ_CANAL.htm "Suez Canal"]. Accessed [[14 May]] [[2008]].</ref><ref>Hess, Richard S. Rev. of [http://www.denverseminary.edu/dj/articles1998/0100/0114.php ''Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition''], by James K. Hoffmeier. ''The Denver Journal'' 1 ([[January 1]], [[1998]]). Accessed [[14 May]] [[2008]].</ref><ref>Encyclopaedia of the Orient, [http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct-frame.pl?http://i-cias.com/e.o/suez_can.htm "Suez Canal"]. Accessed [[14 May]] [[2008]].</ref><ref>Hassan, Fekri A. [http://www.e-c-h-o.org/khd/location.html Kafr Hassan Dawood On-line], [[17 August]] [[2003]]. Accessed [[14 May]] [[2008]].</ref><ref>{{es icon}} Martínez Babon, Javier. [http://www.realidade.com.br/rih2/egipto.htm "Consideraciones sobre la Marinay la Guerra durante el Egipto Faraónico"]. Accessed [[14 May]] [[2008]].</ref> === Repair by Necho, Darius I, and Ptolemy === The waterway fell into disrepair, and according to the [[The Histories of Herodotus|''Histories'']] of the Greek historian [[Herodotus]],<ref>Herodotus ii.158.</ref> about 600 BC, [[Necho II]] undertook re-excavation but did not complete it. Herodotus was told that 120,000 men perished in this undertaking.<ref>"The figure ‘120,000’ is doubtless exaggerated. [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Mehemet Ali]] lost only 10,000 in making the Mahmûdieh Canal (from the Nile to Alexandria)." remarked W. W. How and J. Wells, ''A Commentary on Herodotus''.</ref> With Necho's death, work was discontinued.<ref>According to Herodotus, "stayed by a prophetic utterance that he was toiling beforehand for the barbarian. The Egyptians call all men of other languages [[barbarian]]s." (Herodotus, ''eo. loc.''.</ref> The canal was finally completed by [[Darius I of Persia]], who conquered Egypt. According to Herodotus, the completed canal was wide enough that two [[trireme]]s could pass each other with oars extended, and required four days to traverse. Darius commemorated his achievement with a number of [[granite]] [[stela]]e that he set up on the Nile bank, including one near Kabret, {{convert|130|mi|km|0}} from Pie. The [[Darius the Great's Suez Inscriptions|Darius Inscriptions]] read: {{cquote|''Saith King Darius: I am a Persian. Setting out from Persia, I conquered Egypt. I ordered this canal dug from the river called the Nile that flows in Egypt, to [[Red Sea|the sea that begins in Persia]]. When the canal had been dug as I ordered, ships went from Egypt through this canal to Persia, even as I intended.''<ref>[http://www.livius.org/aa-ac/achaemenians/DZ.html Darius' Suez Inscriptions<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>}} The canal left the Nile at [[Bubastis]]. An inscription on a pillar at the canal's Red Sea end at [[Pithom]] records that in 270/69 it was again reopened, by [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]].<ref>F.W.Walbank, ''The Hellenistic World'' 1981:202.</ref> Over the next 1000 years it was successively modified, destroyed and rebuilt, until finally it was put out of commission in the eighth century by the [[Abbasid]] [[Caliph]] [[al-Mansur]]. [[Image:SuezCanalElGuisr.jpg|thumb|Construction of the canal]] === Napoleon considers repair === At the end of the 18th century while in Egypt, [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] contemplated the construction of a canal to join the [[Mediterranean]] and [[Red Sea]]s. But his project was abandoned after the preliminary survey erroneously concluded that the Red Sea was 10 metres higher than the Mediterranean, making a locks-based canal too expensive and very long to construct. The Napoleonic survey commission's error came from fragmented readings mostly done during wartime, which resulted in imprecise calculations.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} [[Image:Suez_Canal_drawing_1881.jpg|thumb|left|1881 drawing of the Suez Canal.]] === Re-construction by Suez Canal Company === In 1854 and 1856 [[Ferdinand de Lesseps]] obtained a concession from [[Sa'id of Egypt|Said Pasha]], the [[viceroy]] of Egypt, to create a company to construct a canal open to ships of all nations, according to plans created by [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]] engineer [[Alois Negrelli]]. The company was to operate the canal by leasing the relevant land, for 99 years from its opening. De Lesseps had used his friendly relationship with Said, which he had developed while he was a French diplomat during the 1830s. The Suez Canal Company (''[[Compagnie universelle du canal maritime de Suez|Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez]]'') came into being on [[15 December]] [[1858]]. The excavation took nearly 11 years using [[forced labour]] of Egyptian workers. Some sources estimate that over 30,000 people were forced to work on the canal. [http://www.arte.tv/fr/connaissance-decouverte/aventure-humaine/Cette_20semaine/1291022.html] The [[United Kingdom|British]] recognised the canal as an important trade route and perceived the French project as a threat to their geopolitical and financial interests. The [[British Empire]] was the major global naval force and officially condemned the forced work and sent armed [[bedouin]]s to start a revolt among workers. Involuntary labour on the project ceased, and the viceroy condemned the slavery, halting the project.<ref>Oster (2006)</ref> Angered by the British opportunism, de Lesseps sent a letter to the British government remarking on the British lack of remorse a few years earlier when forced workers died in similar conditions building the British railroad in Egypt. Initially international opinion was skeptical and Suez Canal Company shares did not sell well overseas. [[United Kingdom|Britain]], the [[United States]], [[Austria]] and [[Russia]] did not buy any shares. All [[France|French]] shares were quickly sold in France. A contemporary British skeptic claimed: <br> {{cquote|"''One thing is sure... our local merchant community doesn't pay practical attention at all to this grand work, and it is legitimate to doubt that the canal's receipts... could ever be sufficient to recover its maintenance fee. It will never become a large ships accessible way in any case.''" [http://www.arte.tv/fr/connaissance-decouverte/aventure-humaine/Cette_20semaine/1291022.html (reported by German historian Uwe A. Oster)]}} [[Image:SuezCanalKantara.jpg|thumb|One of the first traverses in the 19th century.]] The canal opened to shipping on [[17 November]] [[1869]]. Although numerous technical, political, and financial problems had been overcome, the [[Cost overrun|final cost]] was more than double the original estimate.<ref>*[http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521009464&id=RAV5P50UjEC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=Megaprojects+and+Risk:+An+Anatomy+of+Ambition&sig=tyt4h0TwEnf7NDKcG1WY8Qw2VQI Bent Flyvbjerg, Nils Bruzelius, and Werner Rothengatter, Megaprojects and Risk: An Anatomy of Ambition (Cambridge University Press, 2003). ISBN 0521009464]</ref> The canal had an immediate and dramatic effect on world trade. Combined with the [[First Transcontinental Railroad|American transcontinental railroad]] completed six months earlier, it allowed the entire world to be circled in record time. It played an important role in increasing European penetration and colonization of [[Africa]]. External debts forced Said Pasha's successor, [[Isma'il Pasha]], to sell his country's share in the canal for £4,000,000 to the [[United Kingdom]] in 1875, but France still remained the majority shareholder. Prime minister Benjamin Disraeli was accused by [[William Gladstone]] of undermining Britain's constitutional system , due to his lack of reference or consent from Parliament when purchasing the shares with funding from the [[Rothschilds]]. <ref>Stephen J. Lee, ''Gladstone and Disraeli''. [[Routledge]], 107</ref>. The [[Convention of Constantinople]] in 1888 declared the canal a neutral zone under the protection of the British; British troops had moved in to protect it during a civil war in Egypt in 1882. Under the [[Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936]], the UK insisted on retaining control over the canal. In 1951 Egypt repudiated the treaty, and in 1954 the UK agreed to remove its troops, and withdrawal was completed in July 1956. === Suez Crisis === {{main|Suez Crisis}} After the United Kingdom and the [[United States]] withdrew their pledge to support the construction of the [[Aswan Dam]] due to Egyptian overtures towards the [[Soviet Union]], Egyptian President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] nationalised the canal in 1956, intending to finance the dam project using revenue from the canal, while at the same time closing the [[Gulf of Aqaba]] to all Israeli shipping by closure of the [[Straits of Tiran]]. This provoked the [[Suez Crisis]], in which the [[UK]], [[France]] and [[Israel]] colluded to invade [[Egypt]]. The intention was for [[Israel]] to invade on the ground, and for the Anglo-French partnership to give air and other support, later to intervene to resolve the crisis and control the canal. To stop the war from spreading and to save the British from what he thought was a disastrous action, Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs, [[Lester B. Pearson]], proposed the creation of the very first [[United Nations]] peacekeeping force to ensure access to the canal for all and an Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai. On [[4 November]] [[1956]], a majority of nations at the [[United Nations]] voted for Pearson's peacekeeping resolution, which [[mandate]]d the UN peacekeepers to stay in the [[Sinai Peninsula]] unless both Egypt and Israel agreed to their withdrawal. The [[US]] backed this proposal by putting financial pressure on the British government, which then agreed to withdraw its troops. Pearson was later awarded the [[Nobel Peace Prize]]. As a result of damage and ships intentionally sunk under orders from Nasser<ref>The Other Side of Suez (documentary) - 2003</ref> the canal was closed until April 1957, when it was cleared with UN assistance. A UN force ([[United Nations Emergency Force|UNEF]]) was established to maintain the neutrality of the canal and the [[Sinai Peninsula]]. === The Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973 === In May 1967 President [[Nasser]] ordered the UN peacekeeping forces out of the [[Sinai Peninsula]], including the Suez Canal area. Despite Israeli objections in the [[United Nations]], the peacekeepers were withdrawn and the Egyptian army took up positions on the Israeli border, closing the [[Straits of Tiran]] to Israeli shipping. The canal itself had been closed to Israeli shipping since 1949, except for a short period in 1951-1952. These actions were key factors in the Israeli decision to launch a pre-emptive attack on Egypt in June 1967, and to capture the [[Sinai Peninsula]] to the Suez Canal. After the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, also called the [[Six Day War]], the canal was closed by an Egyptian blockade until [[5 June]], [[1975]]. As a result, fourteen cargo ships known as "[[The Yellow Fleet]]" remained trapped in the canal for over eight years. In 1973, during the [[Yom Kippur War]], the canal was the scene of [[The Crossing|a major crossing]] by the Egyptian army into Israeli-occupied Sinai, followed by an Israeli counteroffensive which ended in a cease-fire. Much wreckage from this conflict remains visible along the canal's edges. The [[United Nations Emergency Force|UNEF]] mandate expired in 1979. Despite the efforts of the [[US]], [[Israel]], [[Egypt]], and others to obtain an extension of the UN role in observing the peace between Israel and Egypt, as called for under the [[Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty]] of 1979, the mandate could not be extended because of the veto by the [[USSR]] in the [[security council]], at the request of [[Syria]]. Accordingly, negotiations for a new observer force in the Sinai produced the [[Multinational Force and Observers]] (MFO), stationed in Sinai in 1981 in coordination with a phased Israeli withdrawal. It is there under agreements between the [[US]], [[Israel]], [[Egypt]], and other nations. ([http://www.mfo.org/ Multinational Force and Observers]). === Shooting involving Global Patriot === On [[25 March]] [[2008]] [[United States Navy | US Navy]] security teams, aboard a civilian cargo ship, Global Patriot, which was under short term charter from the US Navy, shot at a small Egyptian boat causing one fatality.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7314225.stm] == Operation == [[Image:Bainbridge in Suez.jpg|thumb| [[USS Bainbridge (CGN-25)|USS ''Bainbridge'']], an American warship in the Suez Canal]] The canal has no [[canal lock|locks]] due to the flat terrain, and the minor sea level difference between each end is inconsequential. The canal allows passage of ships up to 150,000 tons [[Displacement (fluid)|displacement]]. It permits ships up to 16 m (53 ft) [[Draft (hull)|draft]] to pass, and improvements are planned to increase this to 22 m (72 ft) by 2010, allowing passage of fully-laden [[supertanker]]s. Presently, supertankers can offload part of their cargo onto a canal-owned boat and reload at the other end of the canal. Tankers exceeding [[Suezmax]], the largest permissible size through the canal, must travel around [[Cape Agulhas]]. There is one shipping lane with several passing areas. On a typical day, three convoys transit the canal, two southbound and one northbound. The first southbound convoy enters the canal in the early morning hours and proceeds to the [[Great Bitter Lake]], where the ships anchor out of the fairway, awaiting passage of the northbound convoy. The northbound convoy passes the second southbound convoy, which moors in a bypass near [[El Qantara]]. The passage takes between 11 and 16 hours at a speed of around {{convert|8|kn|km/h|0}}. The low speed helps prevent erosion of the canal banks by ships' wakes. Egypt's [[Suez Canal Authority]] (SCA) reported that in 2003 17,224 ships passed through the canal. The canal averages about 8% of the world shipping traffic. By 1955 approximately two-thirds of Europe's oil passed through the canal. About 7.5% of world sea trade is carried via the canal today. Receipts from the canal July 2005 to May 2006 totaled $3.246 billion. In 2007, 18,193 vessels passed through the canal. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5195068.stm] Average per-ship cost is roughly $150,000.00 On [[30 December]], [[2007]] it was announced that Egypt will increase Suez Canal transit fees by an average of 7.1% in 2008. == Connections between the shores == From north to south connections are: * The [[Suez Canal Bridge]], also called the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge, is a high-level road bridge at [[El Qantara]]. In [[Arabic]], ''al qantara'' means "the bridge". It has a 70-metre clearance over the canal and was built with assistance from the [[Japan]]ese government and by [[PentaOcean]] Construction. * [[El Ferdan Railway Bridge]] 20&nbsp;km north of [[Ismailia]] was completed in 2001 and is the longest [[swing bridge|swing span bridge]] in the world, with a span of 340 m (1100 ft). The previous bridge was destroyed in 1967 during the Arab-Israeli conflict. * Pipelines taking fresh water under the canal to [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]], about 57km north of Suez, at {{coor dm|30|27.3|N|32|21.0|E|}}. * [[Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel]] south of the [[Great Bitter Lake]] was built in 1983. Because of leakage problems, a [http://www.kajima.co.jp/topics/perspect/vol_15_3/salt/ new water-tight tunnel] was built inside the old one, from 1992 to 1995. * The [[Suez Canal overhead line crossing]] powerline was built in 1999. A railway on the west bank runs parallel to the canal for its entire length. == Environmental impact == [[Image:Red_Sea_topographic_map-en.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Map of the Red Sea]] The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 created the first salt-water passage between the Mediterranean and Red seas. The Red Sea is about 1.2 m higher than the eastern Mediterranean [http://www.sbg.ac.at/ipk/avstudio/pierofun/lm/lesseps.htm], so the canal serves as a tidal [[strait]] that pours Red Sea water into the Mediterranean. The [[Bitter Lakes]], which are hypersaline natural lakes that form part of the canal, blocked the migration of Red Sea species into the Mediterranean for many decades, but as the salinity of the lakes gradually equalised with that of the Red Sea, the barrier to migration was removed, and plants and animals from the Red Sea have begun to colonise the eastern Mediterranean. The Red Sea is generally saltier and more nutrient-poor than the [[Atlantic]], the direction of flow is generally from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, so the Red Sea species have advantages over Atlantic species in the salty and nutrient-poor eastern Mediterranean. Accordingly, most Red Sea species invade the Mediterranean biota, and only few do the opposite. This migratory phenomenon is called '''[[Lessepsian migration]]''' (after Ferdinand de Lesseps) or '''Erythrean invasion'''. The construction of the [[Aswan High Dam]] across the [[ River Nile]] in the 1960s reduced the inflow of freshwater and nutrient-rich silt from the Nile into the eastern Mediterranean, making conditions there even more like the Red Sea, worsening the impact of the [[invasive species]]. Invasive species originated from the Red Sea and [[introduced species|introduced]] into the Mediterranean by the construction of the canal have become a major component of the Mediterranean ecosystem, and have serious impacts on the Mediterranean ecology, endangering many local and [[endemism|endemic]] Mediterranean species. Currently about 300 species from the Red Sea have been identified in the Mediterranean Sea, and there are probably others yet unidentified. The Egyptian government's intent to enlarge the canal have raised concerns from [[marine biologist]]s, fearing that this will worsen the invasion of Red Sea species in the Mediterranean. <ref>Galil and Zenetos (2002)</ref>. Construction of the Suez Canal was preceded by cutting a small fresh-water canal from the Nile delta along Wadi Tumilat to the future canal, with a southern branch to Suez and a northern branch to Port Said. Completed in 1863, these brought fresh water to a previously arid area, initially for canal construction, and subsequently facilitating growth of agriculture and settlements along the canal. <ref>Britannica (2007)</ref> == Timeline == * Circa 1799 — Napoleon I of France conquered Egypt and ordered a feasibility analysis. This reported a supposed 10&nbsp;metre difference in sea levels and a high cost, so the project was set on standby. * Circa 1840 — A second survey found the first one incorrect. A direct link between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea would be possible and not be as expensive as expected. * Circa 1854 — The French consul in [[Cairo]], Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps, created the "Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez". * 25 Apr 1859 — The French were allowed to begin canal construction (Said Pacha acquired 22% of the Suez Canal Company, the remainder controlled by French private holders). * 16 Nov 1869 — The Suez Canal opened; operated and owned by Suez Canal Company. * 25 Nov 1875 — Britain became a minority share holder in the Suez Company, acquiring 44% of the Suez Canal Company. The remainder were controlled by French syndicates. * 25 Aug 1882 — Britain took control of the canal. * 2 Mar 1888 — The Convention of Constantinople guaranteed right of passage of all ships through the Suez Canal during war and peace. * 14 Nov 1936 — Suez Canal Zone established, under British control. * 13 Jun 1956 — Suez Canal Zone restored to Egypt. * 26 Jul 1956 — Egypt nationalised the Suez Canal. * 5 Nov 1956 to 22 Dec 1956 — French, British, and Israeli forces occupied the Suez Canal Zone. * 22 Dec 1956 — Restored to Egypt. * 5 June 1967 to 10 June 1967 — Canal closed and blockaded by Egypt, against Israel, sparking the [[Six-Day War]]. * 5 June 1975 — Suez Canal reopened. === Presidents of the Suez Canal Company (1855-1956) === Before nationalisation: * [[Ferdinand de Lesseps|Ferdinand De Lesseps,]] (1855 – [[7 December]] [[1894]]) * [[Jules Guichard]] ([[17 December]] [[1892]] – [[17 July]] [[1896]]) (acting for de Lesseps to [[7 December]] [[1894]]) * [[Auguste-Louis-Albéric, prince d'Arenberg]] ([[3 August]] [[1896]] – 1913) * [[Charles Jonnart]] ([[19 May]] [[1913]] – 1927) * [[Louis de Vogüé]] ([[4 April]] [[1927]] – [[1 March]] [[1948]]) * [[François Charles-Roux]] ([[4 April]] [[1948]] – [[26 July]] [[1956]]) === Chairmen of the Suez Canal Authority (1956-Present) === Since nationalisation: * [[Doctor (title)|Doctor]] [[Mohamed Helmy Bahgat Badawy]] ([[26 July]] [[1956]] – [[9 July]] [[1957]]) * [[Engineer]] [[Mahmoud Younis]] ([[10 July]] [[1957]] – [[10 October]] [[1965]]) * [[Engineer]] [[Mashhour Ahmed Mashhour]] ([[14 October]] [[1965]] – [[31 December]] [[1983]]) * [[Engineer]] [[Mohamed Ezzat Adel]] ([[1 January]] [[1984]] – December 1995) * [[Admiral]] [[Ahmed Ali Fadel]] ([[22 January]] [[1996]] – Present) === British Vice-Consuls of [[Port Suez]] (1922-1941) === * [[G. E. A. C. Monck-Mason]], 1922 – 1924 * [[G. C. Pierides]] (acting), 1924 – 1925 * [[Thomas Cecil Rapp]], 1925 – 1926 * [[Abbas Barry]] (acting), 1926 – 1927 * [[E. H. L. Hadwen]] (acting to 1930), 1927 – 1931 * [[A. N. Williamson-Napier]], 1931 – 1934 * [[H. M. Eyres]], 1934 – 1936 * [[D. J. M. Irving]], 1936 – 1940 * [[R. G. Dundas]], 1940 – 1941 === British Consuls of Port Suez (1941-1956) === * [[R. G. Dundas]], 1941 – 1942 * [[H. G. Jakins]], 1942 – 1944 * [[W. B. C. W. Forester]], 1944 – 1946 * [[Frederick Herbert Gamble]], 1946 – 1947 * [[E. M. M. Brett]] (acting), 1947 – 1948 * [[C. H. Page]], 1948 – 1954 * [[F. J. Pelly]], 1954 – 1955 * [[J. A. D. Stewart-Robinson]] (acting), 1955 – 1956 * [[J. Y. Mulvenny]], 1956 === Governors of the Suez Canal Zone === * 14 Nov 1936 – 24 Jul 1939: ? * 24 Jul 1939 – 7 May 1941: Sir [[Archibald Wavell]] * 7 May 1941 – 7 Aug 1942: Sir [[Claude John Eyre Auchinleck]] * 7 Aug 1942 – 19 Feb 1943: [[Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander]] * 19 Feb 1943 – 6 Jan 1944: [[Henry Maitland Wilson]] * 6 Jan 1944 – Jun 1946: Sir [[Bernard Charles Tolver Paget]] * Jun 1946 – Jun 1947: [[Miles Dempsey|Miles Christopher Dempsey]] * Jun 1947 – 25 Jul 1950: Sir [[John Tredinnick Crocker]] * 25 Jul 1950 – Apr 1953: Sir [[Brian Hubert Robertson]] * Apr 1953 – 28 Sep 1953: Sir [[Cameron Gordon Graham Nicholson]] * 28 Sep 1953 – 13 Jun 1956: Sir [[Charles Frederic Keightley]] === Supreme Allied Commander === During the [[Suez Crisis]]: * [[November 5]], [[1956]] - [[22 December]], [[1956]]: [[Charles Frederic Keightley|Sir Charles Frederic Keightley]] == Popular culture == ''Suez'', a film made in 1938, starred [[Tyrone Power]] as de Lesseps and [[Loretta Young]] as a love interest. An epic, it is very loosely based on history. The Suez Canal appears in the 1962 film ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]],'' where it marks the end of [[T. E. Lawrence]]'s march across the [[Sinai Peninsula]] to report to his superiors in [[Cairo]]. The Suez Canal is also a playable map in the game [[Battlefield 2142]]. The Suez crisis is mentioned in the 1989 hit song, "[[We Didn't Start the Fire]]" by [[Billy Joel]] == See also == * [[Wikisource:Constantinople Convention of the Suez Canal]] * ''[[Faraon|Pharaoh]]'' ([[historical novel]] by [[Bolesław Prus]], incorporating motifs of an ancient Suez Canal) * [[Suez Crisis]] * [[List of Lessepsian migrants]] * [[Panama Canal]] == Notes == {{reflist}} == References == * Britannica (2007) "Suez Canal", in: ''The new encyclopaedia Britannica'', 15th ed., '''28''', Chicago, Ill. ; London : Encyclopaedia Britannica, ISBN 1-59339-292-3 * Galil, B.S. and Zenetos, A. (2002). "A sea change: exotics in the eastern Mediterranean Sea", in: Leppäkoski, E., Gollasch, S. and Olenin, S. (eds), ''Invasive aquatic species of Europe : distribution, impacts, and management'', Dordrecht ; Boston : Kluwer Academic, ISBN 1-4020-0837-6 , p. 325&ndash;336 * Garrison, Ervan G. (1999) ''A history of engineering and technology : artful methods'', 2nd ed., Boca Raton, Fla. ; London : CRC Press, ISBN 0-84939-810-X * Oster, Uwe (2006) [http://www.arte.tv/fr/connaissance-decouverte/aventure-humaine/Cette_20semaine/1291022.html ''Le fabuleux destin des inventions : le canal de Suez''], TV documentary produced by [[ZDF]] and directed by Axel Engstfeld (Germany) * Sanford, Eva Matthews (1938) ''The Mediterranean world in ancient times'', Ronald series in history, New York : The Ronald Press Company, 618 p. == External links == {{commons|Suez Canal}} * [http://www.livius.org/aa-ac/achaemenians/DZ.html Darius the Great's Suez Inscriptions] * [http://www.mfa.gov.eg/MFA_Portal/en-GB/Foreign_Policy/Treaties/CONVENTION+RESPECTING+THE+FREE+NAVIGATION+OF+THE+SUEZ+MARITIME+CANAL.htm Constantinople Convention of the Suez Canal, 1888] * [http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct-frame.pl?http://i-cias.com/e.o/suez_can.htm Encyclopedia of the Orient: ''Suez Canal''] * [http://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/catalog/display.pperl?037570812X Parting the Desert] by [[Zachary Karabell]] * [http://www.londonancestor.com/newspaper/1882/0722/port-said.htm Entrance of the Suez Canal - 1882] * [http://www.londonancestor.com/newspaper/1882/0708/map-suez.htm Plan of the Suez Canal - 1882] * [http://www.scctportsaid.com/ Suez Canal Container Terminal at Port Said] * [http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/297370/December+1869+Suez+Canal.htm Opening of the Suez Canal, 1869] *[http://www.ppl.nl/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=82 Bibliography on Water Resources and International Law] Peace Palace Library {{coor title dms|30|42|18|N|32|20|39|E|region:EG_type:waterbody}} [[Category:Suez Canal| ]] [[Category:Macro-engineering]] [[ar:قناة السويس]] [[an:Canal de Suez]] [[ast:Canal de Suez]] [[az:Süveyş kanalı]] [[bn:সুয়েজ খাল]] [[zh-min-nan:Suez Ūn-hô]] [[be-x-old:Суэцкі канал]] [[bs:Suecki kanal]] [[br:Kanol Suez]] [[bg:Суецки канал]] [[ca:Canal de Suez]] [[cv:Суец каналĕ]] [[cs:Suezský průplav]] [[cy:Camlas Suez]] [[da:Suez-kanalen]] [[de:Sueskanal]] [[et:Suessi kanal]] [[el:Διώρυγα Σουέζ]] [[es:Canal de Suez]] [[eo:Sueza Kanalo]] [[eu:Suezko kanala]] [[fa:کانال سوئز]] [[fr:Canal de Suez]] [[gl:Canal de Suez]] [[km:ព្រែកជីកស៊ុយអេ]] [[ko:수에즈 운하]] [[hr:Sueski kanal]] [[io:Suez-kanalo]] [[id:Terusan Suez]] [[is:Súesskurðurinn]] [[it:Canale di Suez]] [[he:תעלת סואץ]] [[jv:Terusan Suèz]] [[kn:ಸುಯೆಜ್ ಕಾಲುವೆ]] [[ka:სუეცის არხი]] [[sw:Mfereji wa Suez]] [[ku:Kanala Sûweyş]] [[la:Fossa Clysmatena]] [[lb:Suezkanal]] [[lt:Sueco kanalas]] [[hu:Szuezi-csatorna]] [[mk:Суецки канал]] [[ms:Terusan Suez]] [[mn:Суэцийн суваг]] [[nl:Suezkanaal]] [[ja:スエズ運河]] [[no:Suezkanalen]] [[nn:Suezkanalen]] [[oc:Canal de Suèz]] [[om:Suez Canal]] [[pl:Kanał Sueski]] [[pt:Canal de Suez]] [[ro:Canalul Suez]] [[ru:Суэцкий канал]] [[scn:Canali di Suez]] [[simple:Suez Canal]] [[sk:Suezský prieplav]] [[sl:Sueški prekop]] [[sr:Суецки канал]] [[sh:Sueski kanal]] [[fi:Suezin kanava]] [[sv:Suezkanalen]] [[ta:சுயஸ் கால்வாய்]] [[th:คลองสุเอซ]] [[vi:Kênh đào Suez]] [[tr:Süveyş Kanalı]] [[uk:Суецький канал]] [[ur:نہر سوئز]] [[yi:סועץ קאנאל]] [[zh:苏伊士运河]]