A late 19th Century illustration of the opening of the Suez Canal under French control in November 1869. The canal passes through the Isthmus of Suez offering vessels a direct route between the North Atlantic and northern Indian oceans via the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, avoiding the South Atlantic and southern Indian oceans and reducing the journey distance from the Arabian Sea to London by approximately 8,900 kilometres (5,500 miles). The canal opened with an audience of royalty and a procession of ships on the morning of 17 November.

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Size: 4584px × 3435px
Location: Suez Canal, Egypt
Photo credit: © De Luan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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