Shipping canals are waterways specifically built along major seawater routes to enable the passage of vessels.

Most of the time, these canals are constructed to connect to waterbodies including seas, lakes, and rivers, offering an alternative route to the vessels.

Such canals offer shorter transportation routes across major seawater networks and also help to regulate maritime traffic internally within countries. 

There are hundreds of shipping canals all over the world, in different lengths, widths, and depths, facilitating the easy movement of a variety of vessels on an everyday basis.

Some of these canals are also the busiest traffic routes around the world.

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal 

Popularly known as Grand Canal, the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest and the oldest canal in the world. Connecting China’s, the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the canal goes through several provinces in the country as well as connect with several other rivers.

While the canal covers a length of 1,776 km (1,104 mi), its greatest height reaches at a summit of 42 m in the mountains of Shandong.

Suez Canal 

Opened in November 1869, the 193.30 km (120 miles)-long Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway located in Egypt.

Linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, the Suez Canal is an extremely crucial shipping canal as it is one of the most heavily used shipping routes in the world. 

The canal, which separates Asia from the African continent, provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the regions which share a border with the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean.

The Suez Canal has been recognized as a maritime route to be open at all times, to shipping vessels of all countries in order to facilitate continuity in maritime trade operations irrespective of global conflicts. 

Panama Canal 

Panama Canal provides connectivity between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean through the Panama isthmus– a narrow strip that separates the Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean.

Since the oceans that the canal connects with are not at the same level, the canal uses Lock Gates on either side to lift the vessel to the higher level and similarly to drop down to the sea level.

The canal helps vessels transiting between the east and west coasts of the US to shorten their journey by 15,000 km.

The 82 km (51 mi)-long waterway offers its service to 29 major liner services, mostly on the US East Coast to Asia trade route. 

Volga-Don Canal 

The Volga-Don ship canal interlinks the Russian rivers Volga and Don, providing an important water passage through the Azoff Sea (a bay of the Black Sea) and the Caspian Sea to the major oceanic networks.

The route was considered important because of the fact that it provided a much passage to connect the Eastern European shipping networks with their Western counterparts.

The 101 km-long waterway passes through three reservoirs including Karpovka, Bereslavka, and Varvarovka.  

Kiel Canal 

Connecting the Baltic Sea with the North Sea, the Kiel Canal passes through the German province of Schleswig-Holstein.

The 98 km-long canal helps vessels to bypass the longer route that passes via Denmark (peninsula of Jutland), which is regarded as quite an unstable maritime route, saving an average of 250 nautical miles. 

Corinth Canal 

Connecting the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea, the Corinth Canal goes through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and divides the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. With a 6.4-kilometer length and 8 meters (26 ft) depth, the Corinth Canal is considered to be the deepest canal in the world.

The canal holds its importance as it helps seafarers avoid the dangers of sailing around the Peloponnese’s treacherous southern capes while moving between the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf.

Though its economic importance has been reduced due to the incapability to accommodate modern ships, the canal still serves around 15,000 ships from at least 50 countries.