Whenever one thinks of canals, perhaps the romantic city of Venice comes to mind. Alternatively, huge engineering marvels such as the Suez and Panama Canals might pop into your head. Those are just a few examples of the many canals around the planet, all serving a variety of purposes. The creation of artificial waterways dates back thousands of years, with the majority of early canals built to provide irrigation for agricultural use and to supply drinking water. A good example of this occurred in ancient Egypt, where the Nile was dammed so that an elaborate irrigation system could be established in the region.
Canals have also been constructed for navigational reasons, that is, to provide more convenient transportation routes. The Romans, who created an expansive empire, developed a large number of waterways in Europe. They were built mainly for military transport and drainage, but deteriorated due to neglect after the fall of the Roman Empire around 400 CE. Centuries later during the Middle Ages, particularly in the Netherlands in the 13th and 14th centuries, various networks of canals were established as interest in developing trade grew. Amazingly, it has been estimated that at one time, as much as 85 percent of commercial transportation in medieval Europe was done by way of canals.
Outside of Europe, starting roughly 2,500 years ago, the Chinese took a great interest in and became quite proficient at building canals. They constructed several major transportation and irrigation systems in the region. One of the inventions to come out of China was an early type of lock, a mechanism that allows boats to travel from one water level to another by controlling the flow of water in a canal to raise or lower vessels. The concept of locks later spread to Europe and other parts of the world.
