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How does the Suez Canal form the boundary between Asia and Africa?

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A map of the continent of Asia, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities, as well as parts of Europe, Africa, and surrounding oceans. — Asia Map showing the countries and national capitals of Asia.

The Suez Canal serves as a physical boundary between Africa and Asia by cutting north-south across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt.12

Before the canal's construction, this isthmus functioned as the sole land bridge connecting the two continents. By creating an open-cut, sea-level waterway that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, the canal effectively separates the African mainland to its west from the Sinai Peninsula to its east, which is part of the Asian continent.32