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When did the Suez Canal open to navigation?

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Red Sea Map showing the Red Sea and the countries surrounding it. The Red Sea is one of the most heavily traveled waterways in the world. It is about 1,200 miles (1,930 km) long, and its maximum width is about 190 miles (305 km).

The Suez Canal was officially opened to navigation on November 17, 1869, following an elaborate ceremony. Construction of the waterway, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, took 10 years to complete.123