List of transcontinental canals
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The following is a list of transcontinental canals and waterways, that is, canals or canal proposals, which allows waterway traffic to span across a continent or subcontinent.
List
{{listdev|date=May 2018}}
| class=wikitable | |||||||
| | Canal
!| Place !| Location !| Map !| Status !| Endpoints !| Notes !| | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Grand Canal | Chinese subcontinent | {{Coords|34|41|38|N|112|28|6|E|display=inline}} | File:Map of the South–North Water Transfer Project in China (blank).png | {{ubl|Construction began 15th c. BC|First major section completed in 6th c. BC|First Grand Canal completed 6th c. CE|In-operation}} | {{bulleted list| South China | North China Plain }} | Bypassing the eastern coast of China, it provides a stable pirate-free wave-free channel for ship transport and water transport, crossing across the North China continental block. | {{cite web |url= https://www.laurustravel.com/grand-canal-of-china.htm |title= The Grand Canal of China : (Jing-Hang) Da Yun He /（京杭）大运河 |publisher= Laurus Travel |year= 2016 }} |
| | Rhine–Main–Danube Canal | European continent | {{Coord|49|11|30|N|11|15|3|E |region:DE-BY_type:river |display=inline |name=Rhine–Main–Danube Canal}} | File:Europa Ludwigskanal Rhein Main Donau.png | {{ubl|Initially proposed by Charlemagne|Post-War WWII reconstruction completed 1992|In-operation}} | {{bulleted list| North Sea | Black Sea }} | Channelizing the Rhine, the Main and the Danube, and connecting with a canal crossing the European Continental Divide, it traverses Europe. When combined with the Marne–Rhine Canal, it connects to the English Channel. With the addition of the proposed Danube–Oder Canal, the waterway system would also access the Baltic Sea. | {{cite web |url= https://www.rivercruiseadvisor.com/2012/04/the-importance-of-the-main-danube-canal/ |title= The Importance of the Main-Danube Canal |author= Aaron Saunders |date= 13 April 2012 |publisher= River Cruise Advisor }} |
| | Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway | Eastern North America | {{Coord|43.7|N|77.9|W|type:waterbody|display=inline}} | File:Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway map 1959.png | {{ubl|Completed 1959|In-operation}} | {{bulleted list| Great Lakes | Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Saint Lawrence)}} | Following the route of the Saint Lawrence River, it allows access to the centre of the continent from the ocean by shipping. When combined with the New York State Canal System, it has a second access to the ocean at Long Island Sound / Hudson Estuary, turning New England into a virtual island. When combined with the Illinois Waterway, it can reach the Gulf of Mexico from the Great Lakes, turning the entire East Coast and Midwest of the United States into a virtual island. | {{cite book |url= http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/st-lawrence-seaway/ |title= St. Lawrence Seaway |work= The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher= Historica Canada |date= October 2013 }} |
| | Mississippi River System | Central United States | In-operation | {{bulleted list|Gulf of Mexico|Great Lakes}} | Channelizing the Mississippi River and major tributaries/distributaries, it accesses central North America. With the Saint Lawrence Seaway it reaches the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and turns the Midwest and East Coast of the United States into a virtual island. | |||
| | Intracoastal Waterway | East Coast and South Coast of North America | In-operation | {{bulleted list|Boston|Chesapeake|Florida|Brownsville}} | Following the coastline of North America, wrapping all the way around the coast of the United States, a series of canals, channelized waters, navigable sheltered natural waters, allow protection from the open ocean. | {{cite web |url= https://www.passagemaker.com/destinations/running-the-ditch |title= Running The Ditch |author1=Bill Moeller |author2=Jan Moeller |publisher= PassageMaker |date= 20 July 2012 }} | ||
| | Unified Deep Water System of European Russia | Russia | File:United Deep Waterway System of European Russia.svg | In-operation | {{bulleted list|Baltic Sea|Black Sea|Caspian Sea|White Sea}} | Traversing across European Russia, the shipping waterway accesses the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean basins, and combined with the Suez Canal, accesses the Indian Ocean as well. | {{cite web |url= https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/waterways.htm |title= Inland Waterways |date= 2017 |publisher= GlobalSecurity.org }} | |
| | Eurasia Canal (Caspian Canal) | Caucasus | Proposed | {{bulleted list | Caspian Sea | Black Sea }} | Connecting the Caspian and the Black Seas, it would complete the Manych Ship Canal and Volga–Don Canal to fully connect the two seas with a shipping route. | |||
| | Iranrud (Caspian Canal) | Iran | {{Coord|35|41|N|51|25|E|display=inline}} | File:Iranrood.png | Proposed | {{bulleted list| Caspian Sea | Indian Ocean (Persian Gulf or Gulf of Oman) }} | Russian plan for independence from the Bosphorus, Straits of Gibraltar, Suez Canal; by digging a canal to connect to the Indian Ocean from the Caspian Sea. through the Iranian Plateau and Iran; needing to cross mountains over {{convert|1600|m|ft|abbr=on}} high and being over {{convert|1400|km|mi|abbr=on}} long. | {{cite news |url= https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431210-200-megacanals-could-slice-through-continents-for-giant-ships/ |title= Mega-canals could slice through continents for giant ships |date= 11 April 2017 |author= Fred Pearce |publisher= New Scientist }} |
| | Canal des Deux Mers | France | In-operation | {{bulleted list| Mediterranean Sea | Atlantic Ocean }} | The Canal des Deux Mers (English: Two Seas Canal) has been used to describe two different but similar things since the 1660s. In some cases, it describes the entire path from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, including two canals, the Canal du Midi and the Canal Latéral de la Garonne. In others it is used interchangeably with the Canal du Midi in particular. |
See also
References
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