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Article: Grand cruise canals: long or short, these marvelous manmade waterways add wonder to any cruise itinerary.(CRUISE ROUNDUP)
- Article from:
- Cruise Travel
- Article date:
- January 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 World Publishing, Co. (Illinois). This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Canal digging dates back to the Ancient World, providing the means to move crops, building stones, and people. Wheeled transport, where it existed, was hobbled by poor road surfaces, and loads carried could not approach what a canal barge transported. One of the earliest canals, connecting the River Nile to the Gulf of Suez, dates to the reign of Ramses II in the 13th century B.C.
By the 18th century, Europe was heavily investing in canal building, substantially lowering the costs of moving heavy bulk items such as coal for making iron and clay for manufacturing bricks. England's fine china industry took off when smooth canal transport almost eliminated the ...