The Suez Canal, also translated as the Suez Canal, was built and opened to navigation in 1869. It is a sea-level waterway that runs through the Suez Isthmus in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, and providing the shortest route from Europe to the land near the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most frequently used routes in the world, and is also the boundary between Asia and Africa. It is the main channel for people from Asia, Africa and Europe to communicate.