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17-936: A system of inland waterways and canals in the 120 interconnected lakes of the south-central and south-east part of Finland ( Finnish Lakeland ) are reached through the canal. The network of deep channels in Lake Saimaa with at least a draught of 4.2 m (14 ft) covers 814 km (506 mi). The deep channels extend all the way to Kuopio in Central Finland. The canal begins near Lauritsala , Lappeenranta , Finland, at coordinates ( 61°04′43″N 028°16′24″E  /  61.07861°N 28.27333°E  / 61.07861; 28.27333 ) and ends in Vyborg , Russia, at coordinates ( 60°48′38″N 028°44′13″E  /  60.81056°N 28.73694°E  / 60.81056; 28.73694 ), connecting Lake Saimaa and

34-479: A UNESCO World Heritage Site , the oldest known waterway system in the world, is considered to be one of the world's largest and most extensive project of engineering . The European Conference of Ministers of Transport established in 1953 a classification of waterways that was later expanded to take into account the development of push-towing. Europe is a continent with a great variety of waterway characteristics, which makes this classification valuable to appreciate

51-589: A waterway that could be termed "inland" but in practice is generally referred to as a "maritime waterway" (examples Seine Maritime, Loire Maritime , Seeschiffahrtsstraße Elbe). The term "inland waterway" refers to navigable rivers and canals designed to be used by inland waterway craft only, implicitly of much smaller dimensions than seagoing ships. In order for a waterway to be navigable , it must meet several criteria: Vessels using waterways vary from small animal -drawn barges to immense ocean tankers and ocean liners , such as cruise ships . In order to increase

68-462: Is assumed, and no engineering is required, except to provide the draft for deep-sea shipping to approach seaports ( channels ), or to provide a short cut across an isthmus; this is the function of ship canals . Dredged channels in the sea are not usually described as waterways. There is an exception to this initial distinction, essentially for legal purposes, see under international waters . Where seaports are located inland, they are approached through

85-507: Is sometimes used as an informal synonym for the more formal term "high seas", which under the doctrine of mare liberum ( Latin for "freedom of the seas"), do not belong to any state's jurisdiction. As such, states have the right to fishing, navigation, overflight, laying cables and pipelines, as well as scientific research. The Convention on the High Seas , signed in 1958, which has 63 signatories, defined "high seas" to mean "all parts of

102-670: The IMO ), such as the MARPOL Convention. Several international treaties have established freedom of navigation on semi-enclosed seas. Other international treaties have opened up rivers, which are not traditionally international waterways. Current unresolved disputes over whether particular waters are "International waters" include: At least ten conventions are included within the Regional Seas Program of UNEP , including: Addressing regional freshwater issues

119-645: The Karelian Isthmus and Vyborg to the Soviet Union ; control of the canal was divided and traffic ended. Finland obtained a 50-year lease on the Soviet part of the canal and Maly Vysotsky Island (Ravansaari) in 1963. Finland constructed a deeper 42.9 kilometres (26.7 mi) canal, which opened in 1968. The annual rent during this lease increased only once. In 2010, Finland obtained a second 50-year lease from Russia, starting in 2013. Maly Vysotsky

136-694: The Vyborg Bay . On the way, it connects Lake Nuijamaa , on the Finnish–Russian border at coordinates ( 60°57′6″N 28°34′33″E  /  60.95167°N 28.57583°E  / 60.95167; 28.57583 ), and three smaller lakes in Russia. There are a total of eight locks on the canal: the upper three locks in the Finnish part of the canal, and the lower five locks situated on the Russian side of

153-470: The baseline , where coastal states have sovereign rights to the water column and sea floor as well as the natural resources found there. The high seas make up 50% of the surface area of the planet and cover over two-thirds of the ocean. Ships sailing the high seas are generally under the jurisdiction of the flag state (if there is one); however, when a ship is involved in certain criminal acts, such as piracy , any nation can exercise jurisdiction under

170-543: The border: Mälkiä Lock has the highest lift (12.4 m, 41 ft), Tsvetochnoye Lock has the lowest (5.5 m, 18 ft). The canal crosses The canal, inaugurated in 1856, was built between the cities of Lappeenranta and Viipuri (now part of Russia), both of them then in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland in the Russian Empire . In the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940 , Finland ceded

187-511: The canal. [REDACTED] Media related to Saimaa Canal at Wikimedia Commons Inland waterway A waterway is any navigable body of water . Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is necessary between maritime shipping routes and waterways used by inland water craft. Maritime shipping routes cross oceans and seas, and some lakes, where navigability

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204-584: The different classes in waterway. There is also a remarkable variety of waterway characteristics in many countries of Asia, but there has not been any equivalent international drive for uniformity. This classification is provided by the UN Economic Commission for Europe , Inland Transport Committee, Working Party on Inland Water Transport. A low resolution version of that map is shown here. International waters The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of

221-448: The doctrine of universal jurisdiction . International waters can be contrasted with internal waters , territorial waters and exclusive economic zones . UNCLOS also contains, in its part XII, special provisions for the protection of the marine environment, which, in certain cases, allow port States to exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction over foreign ships on the high seas if they violate international environmental rules (adopted by

238-474: The following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins ) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems , enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries , rivers, lakes, groundwater systems ( aquifers ), and wetlands . "International waters" is not a defined term in international law. It is an informal term, which sometimes refers to waters beyond the "territorial sea" of any country. In other words, "international waters"

255-934: The importance of inland waterway transport, the European Commission presented a 35-point action plan in June 2021. The main goals are to increase the amount of goods moved through Europe's rivers and canals and to speed up the switch to zero-emission barges by 2050. This is in accordance with the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the European Green Deal , which set the target of boosting inland canal and short-sea shipping by 25% by 2030 and by 50% by 2050. Waterways have been an important part of human activity since prehistoric times and navigability has allowed watercraft and canals to pass through every body of water . The Grand Canal (China) ,

272-606: The sea that are not included in the territorial sea or in the internal waters of a State" and where "no State may validly purport to subject any part of them to its sovereignty." The Convention on the High Seas was used as a foundation for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), signed in 1982, which recognized exclusive economic zones extending 200 nautical miles (230 mi; 370 km) from

289-480: Was not included in the new lease. Negotiations in 2008 had raised the annual rent from € 290,000 to €1.22 million , with revisions every 10 years. The new agreement went into effect on 17 February 2012. Regulations pertaining to maritime rules and employment of canal staff fall under Finnish jurisdiction; in all other cases Russian laws apply. Passports are required at the international boundaries, but Russian visas are not required for just passing through

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