Which of the following facts about Suez Canal are correct?
A. The Suez Canal was constructed in 1869.
B. It links Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea.
C. Its length is 260 km.
D. It gives Europe a new gateway to the Indian Ocean.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A, B and D only
A shipping canal is a man-made waterway that joins two seas, so ships can take a shorter route. The Suez Canal in Egypt lets ships sail between Europe and Asia without going round Africa by the Cape of Good Hope.
(A) The Suez Canal was constructed in 1869. — Correct. The canal was built in 1869 in Egypt, between Port Said in the north and Port Suez in the south.
(B) It links Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. — Correct. Port Said stands on the Mediterranean Sea and Port Suez on the Red Sea. So the canal joins the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
(C) Its length is 260 km. — Incorrect. The canal is about 160 km long and 11 to 15 m deep. It is a sea-level canal, so it needs no locks. NTA changed one number of the book, and a true line became false. Read every number before you mark the answer.
(D) It gives Europe a new gateway to the Indian Ocean. — Correct. Ships from Europe pass through the canal into the Red Sea and reach the Indian Ocean directly. This cuts the sea distance between Liverpool and Colombo compared with the long route round the Cape of Good Hope.
NCERT (2026-27): “The Suez Canal … This canal had been constructed in 1869 in Egypt between Port Said in the north and Port Suez in the south linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It gives Europe a new gateway to the Indian Ocean and reduces direct sea-route distance between Liverpool and Colombo compared to the Cape of Good Hope route. It is a sea-level canal without locks which is about 160 km and 11 to 15 m deep.” |