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Kiel Canal
Canal in Germany / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kiel Canal (German: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, literally "North [Sea]–East (i.e. Baltic) Sea canal", formerly known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal) is a 98 km (61 mi) long freshwater canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The canal was finished in 1895, but later widened, and links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of 460 km (290 mi) is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula. This not only saves time but also avoids storm-prone seas and having to pass through the Danish straits.
Nord-Ostsee-Kanal | |
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![]() Locks at Brunsbüttel connecting the canal to the River Elbe estuary, and thence to the North Sea | |
![]() Current map of Kiel Canal in Schleswig-Holstein | |
Specifications | |
Length | 98.26 km (61.06 miles) |
Maximum boat length | 235 m (771 ft) |
Maximum boat beam | 32.5 m (107 ft) |
Maximum boat draft | 9.5 m (31 ft) |
History | |
Construction began | 1887 |
Date completed | 1895 (1895) |
Date extended | 1907–14 |
Geography | |
Start point | Brunsbüttel (North Sea) |
End point | Kiel (Baltic Sea) |
The Kiel Canal is one of the world's most frequented artificial waterways with an annual average of 32,000 ships (90 daily), transporting approximately 100 million tonnes of goods.[1]
Besides its two sea entrances, the Kiel Canal is linked, at Oldenbüttel, to the navigable River Eider by the short Gieselau Canal.[2]