Kiel Canal

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kiel-canal

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is the Kiel Canal?98 kilometers (61 miles)
2. What is the location?Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, linking the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
3. What is the original construction period?1887-1895
4. What is the Kiel Canal and why is it called a super shortcut for ships?The Kiel Canal is a 98‑kilometer freshwater waterway that connects the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. It lets ships skip the long and risky Danish straits, saving about 460 kilometers of travel.
5. How many ships use the Kiel Canal each year?About 32,000 vessels pass through the canal every year, which is roughly 90 ships a day, making it one of the busiest man‑made waterways.

Jutland Peninsula: A large peninsula in Northern Europe, forming the westernmost part of Denmark and a portion of Germany.
Danish Straits: The narrow waterways connecting the Baltic Sea to the North Sea, primarily the Øresund, Great Belt, and Little Belt.
Geopolitical Significance: The importance of a location or feature in terms of international relations, power, and strategy.