Corinth Canal

a ship canal in Greece, linking the Ionian and Aegean seas. It was constructed across the Isthmus of Corinth between 1881 and 1893. The canal measures 6.3 km long, 8 m deep, and 24.6 m wide. It can accommodate ships with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons. The canal significantly shortens the traveling distance from the western to the eastern coast of Greece. Destroyed in 1944, it was rebuilt in 1948. Approximately 15,000 ships, carrying up to 7 million tons of cargo (1969), pass through the canal yearly. Navigation is one way in alternating directions. The canal’s course cuts across highway and railroad routes.