Canals are man-made waterways that are used for a variety of purposes such as irrigation, shipping, local transportation, flood control, and tourism. In addition, it links rivers, lakes, cities, and seas. The old towns were widely linked by water canals, which facilitated transit.
The Panama Canal is not on the list; it connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and saves a lot of time and money for ships, and it is considered one of the world’s engineering marvels. The Grand Canal in China is the world’s longest canal, stretching 1,776 kilometers and containing 24 locks.
| Rank | Name of Canal | Length | Connection | Country | Locks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canal | 1,776 Km | Beijing-Hebei-Shandong-Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Hagzhou | China | 24 |
| 2 | Qaraqum Canal | 1,375 Km | Amu Darya-Karakum Desert | Russia | |
| 3 | Saimaa Canal | 814 Km | SaimaGulf of Finland | Russia | 8 |
| 4 | Eurasia Canal | 700 Km | Black Sea-Kuma Manych Depression | Russia | 13 |
| 5 | Manych Ship Canal | 700 km | Black Sea-Caspian Sea | Russia | 6 |
| 6 | Erie canal | 584 km | Albany-New York-Buffalo | USA | 36 |
| 7 | Grand Union Canal | 461 Km | London-Birmingham | England | 236 |
| 8 | Nara Canal | 364 km | Sukkur Barrage-Khaipur, Sanghar-Districts | Pakistan | |
| 9 | Rhone–Rhine Canal | 349 km | Rhine-Rhone, North Sea-Mediterranean | France | |
| 10 | Marne–Rhine Canal | 313 Km | Rhine, Marne, Meuse River, Moselle River, Canal des houillères de la Sarre | France | 154 |
| 11 | Leeds and Liverpool Canal | 204 Km | Leeds-Liverpool | England | 91 |
| 12 | Suez Canal | 193.5 Km | Mediterranean Sea-Red Sea | Egypt | 0 |
| 13 | Gota Canal | 190 Km | Gothenburg | Swedan |
Note: The above ranking of the longest rivers includes only known longest canals; other unverified canals are not included.