Kiel Canal
canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein
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The Kiel Canal is a waterway located in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein that connects major bodies of water and allows ships to travel between them. It is an important route for maritime traffic, significantly shortening journey times for vessels traveling between different seas.
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The Kiel Canal (German: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, formerly Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal) is a 98-kilometer-long (61 mi) freshwater canal that links the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. It runs through the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, from Brunsbüttel, at the mouth of the Elbe, to Holtenau, on the Kiel Fjord. It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 and widened between 1907 and 1914. In addition to the two sea entrances, the canal is linked at Oldenbüttel to the navigable River Eider by the short Gieselau Canal.
The canal reduces the journey between the North and Baltic Seas by 460 km (290 mi) by allowing ships to bypass the Jutland peninsula and the Danish Straits. It 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.