Ship canal

A ship canal is a canal especially constructed to carry ocean-going ships, as opposed to barges. Ship canals can be enlarged barge canals, canalized or channelized rivers, or canals especially constructed from the start to accommodate ships.

For a canal to qualify as a ship canal, it must have a minimum depth of at least 5 metres (16.4 feet), although many are much deeper. The purpose of a ship canal is:

To create a shortcut and avoid lengthy detours.
To create a navigable shipping link between two land-locked seas or lakes.
To provide inland cities with a direct shipping link to the sea.
To provide an economical alternative to other options.

Important ship canals (by length)

**List of important ship canals by length**
Canal	Length	Lock depth	Dimensions	Location	Notes
White Sea – Baltic Canal	141 mi (227 km)	3.5 m (11 ft)		Russia	Opened in 1933, is partly a canalised river, partly an artificial canal, and partly some natural lakes. Shallow depth limits modern vessels from using the canal.
Rhine-Main-Danube Canal	106 mi (171 km)	4 m (13 ft)	lock dimensions: 190m x 11.45m x 4m	Germany	Opened in 1992, links the large rivers Rhine and Danube, and thus also the North Sea and the Black Sea.
Suez Canal	100 mi (160 km)		300 m (980 ft) wide	Egypt	Opened in 1869, links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
Volga-Don Canal	62 mi (100 km)	3.5 m (11 ft)	lock dimensions: 140m x 16.6m x 3.5m	Russia	Opened in 1952, connects the Black, Azov, and Caspian Seas.
Kiel Canal	60 mi (97 km)	14 m (46 ft)	lock dimensions: 310m x 42m x 14m	Germany	Opened in 1895. Shortens the passage between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Houston Ship Channel	56 mi (90 km)	14 m (46 ft)	161 m (528 ft) wide	USA	Connects Houston, Texas to the Gulf of Mexico.
Panama Canal	51 mi (82 km)	25.9 m (85 ft)	lock dimensions: 320m x 33.53m x 25.9 m	Panama	Opened in 1914. Links the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, creating a shortcut.
Danube-Black Sea Canal	40 mi (64 km)	5.5 m (18 ft)	lock dimensions: 138m x 16.8m x 5.5m	Romania	Opened in 1984. Links the Danube to the Black Sea.
Manchester Ship Canal	36 mi (58 km)	8.78 m (28.8 ft)	lock dimensions: 170.68m x 21.94m x 8.78m	UK	Opened in 1894. Links the in-land city of Manchester to Irish Sea.
Welland Canal	43.4 km (27.0 mi)	8.2 m (27 ft)	lock dimensions: 225.5m x 2.3m x 8.2 m	Canada	Opened in 1931. Links Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and is part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
Saint Lawrence Seaway		8.2 m (27 ft)	lock dimensions: 225.5m x 2.3m x 8.2 m	Canada USA	Links Montreal with Lake Superior.

Navigability

The standard used in the European Union for classifying the navigability of inland waterways is the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN) of 1996, adopted by The Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), which defines the following classes:^[1] (This table is incomplete.)

Class	Tonnage (t)	Draught (m)	Length (m)	Width (m)	Air Draught (m)	Description
Class III	1,000
Class IV	1,000–1,500	2.5	80–85	9.5	5.2–7.0	Johann Welker^[1]
Class Va	1,500–3,000	2.5–2.8	95–110	11.4	5.2–7.0–9.1	Large Rhine^[1]
Class VIb	6,400–12,000	3.9	140	15	9.1	^[1]
Class VII	14,500–27,000	2.5–4.5	275–285	33.0–34.2	9.1	^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e European Agreement on the main Inland Waterways of international importance (AGN). 2072, I-35939. United Nations. p. p.343. http://untreaty.un.org/unts/144078_158780/9/5/2638.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-30.