Canals are tight waterways in-game that allow your ships to sail between continents. Their appearance is the same as in the real world. The first canals were added in the Naval Update alongside three new types of naval units.
Countries with Canals[]
- The Suez Canal: Between mainland
Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula; connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea - The Panama Canal: Between North American Panama and South American Panama; connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean
- The Bosporus/Istanbul Strait: Between European Turkey and Asian Turkey; connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea
- The Kiel Canal: Cuts east-west through Schleswig-Holstein ( Germany); connects the Baltic Sea with the North Sea
Canal Cities[]
In the UI Update, some cities were granted canals (Istanbul, Suez, and Panama City). If you are a country with these canals, you can click the city and press Canal Controls. You can allow or block access to the canal for certain countries by clicking the country on the list, or clicking allow or block all.
All cities that can control these canals have a little C on top of them.
On April 11, 2021, the Kiel Canal was added.
Strategy[]
- You can block off ships by closing your canal, forcing them to go a different route or be trapped.
- This strategy best works with the Panama Canal and Suez Canal, especially if South African, Chilean, or Argentine regions are hostile to opponents who want to get past the Americas or Africa, respectively. This can lead to opponents forming close diplomatic ties with you.
- You can trap ships in the Black Sea by closing your canal. (Bosporus Strait-exclusive)
- Closing the Kiel Canal will force ships to navigate through the difficult and tight Danish straits.
- You can force people to pay to use them, driving you more profit if you are a country like Egypt or Panama. (However, this might get you Invaded.)
- The Suez and Panama Canals are especially important as they are an easy way to avoid going around South America or Africa.