Editing Suez Crisis (section)

=== Construction of the Suez Canal ===
{{See also|History of Israel|History of Egypt}}
[[File:Canal de Suez.jpg|thumb|The location of the [[Suez Canal]], which connects the [[Mediterranean]] and the [[Indian Ocean]] via the [[Red Sea]].]]

The [[Suez Canal]] was opened in 1869, after ten years of work financed by the French and Egyptian governments.<ref>{{Harvnb|Turner|2006|pp=21–24}}</ref> The canal was operated by the [[Suez Company (1858–1997)|Suez Company]], an Egyptian-chartered company; the area surrounding the canal remained sovereign Egyptian territory and the only land-bridge between Africa and Asia.

The canal instantly became strategically important, as it provided the shortest ocean link between the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and the [[Indian Ocean]]. The canal eased commerce for trading nations and particularly helped European colonial powers to gain and govern their colonies.

In 1875, as a result of debt and financial crisis, Egypt was forced to sell its shares in the operating company to the British government. They were willing buyers and obtained a 44% share in the company for £4&nbsp;million (equivalent to £{{Inflation|UK|4|1875|r=0}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|UK}}). This maintained the majority shareholdings of the mostly-French private investors. With the 1882 [[Anglo-Egyptian War|invasion and occupation of Egypt]], the UK took ''de facto'' control of the country as well as the canal, its finances and operations.