Consider the following statements about the Suez Canal:
(A) The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway in north-eastern Egypt.
(B) The canal connects Port Said on the Red Sea with the Gulf of Suez.
(C) The canal did away with the need for ships to sail around Africa.
(D) Its opening in 1869 reduced the cost of transportation and made access to the Chinese market easier.
(E) Its opening further intensified British control over India’s foreign trade.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A), (C) and (E) only
(A) The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway in north-eastern Egypt. — Correct. It is an artificial waterway in north-eastern Egypt.
(B) The canal connects Port Said on the Red Sea with the Gulf of Suez. — Incorrect. Port Said is on the Mediterranean Sea. The Gulf of Suez is an arm of the Red Sea.
(C) The canal did away with the need for ships to sail around Africa. — Correct. It gives a direct route, so ships need not sail around Africa.
(D) Its opening in 1869 reduced the cost of transportation and made access to the Chinese market easier. — Incorrect. It made access to the Indian market easier.
(E) Its opening further intensified British control over India’s foreign trade. — Correct. The canal further intensified British control over India’s trade.
NCERT (2026-27): “Box 1.3: Trade Through the Suez Canal Suez Canal is an artificial waterway running from north to south across the Isthmus of Suez in north-eastern Egypt. It connects Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, an arm of the Red Sea. The canal provides a direct trade route for ships operating between European or American ports and ports located in South Asia, East Africa and Oceania by doing away with the need to sail around Africa. Strategically and economically, it is one of the most important waterways in the world. Its opening in 1869 reduced the cost of transportation and made access to the Indian market easier.” “1.5 Foreign Trade … For all practical purposes, Britain maintained a monopoly control over India’s exports and imports. As a result, more than half of India’s foreign trade was restricted to Britain while the rest was allowed with a few other countries like China, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Persia (Iran). The opening of the Suez Canal further intensified British control over India’s foreign trade (see Box 1.3). …” |