Shipping routes, canals and chokepoints

Grade 9 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Card A. Compare chart, “Straits and shortcuts”, columns Passage | Joins | Size | One trade figure: Strait of Malacca | the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean) | 900 km long; 65 to 250 km wide, narrowing to 2.8 km near Singapore | about 15.2 million barrels of oil a day (2011); Strait of Hormuz | the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman | about 167 km long; about 39 to 97 km wide | 21 million barrels of oil a day (2018); Suez Canal route | Europe and Asia by sea | 193.3 km of canal | Singapore to Rotterdam: about 6,000 km and nine days shorter than around Africa; Panama Canal route | the Atlantic and the Pacific | 82 km of canal | ships avoid the trip around the southern tip of South America. Notes: in our words, a shorter route can mean fewer days at sea and less fuel, which can lower the cost of carrying goods; carrying is one part of a product’s price. In 2023 to 2025, about 25% of the oil traded by sea and 20% of liquefied natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Figures come from different years, so each keeps its year.

2. 1.

   Malacca is 900 km long and up to 250 km wide; Hormuz is about 167 km long and 39 to 97 km wide. Which statement fits the chart, Ari asks?

   • Hormuz is the tighter strait, since its widest point, 97 km, is under Malacca’s 250 km
   • Hormuz is the longer strait, since 167 km is its figure and 65 is Malacca’s
   • The two are equally tight, since both are called chokepoints
   • Malacca is larger overall, but narrows to 2.8 km, tighter than Hormuz’s 39 km
3. 2.

   Hormuz had 21 million barrels a day in 2018; Malacca 15.2 million in 2011. What does that support, Bo asks?

   • Hormuz’s is higher, but the years differ, so the gap is rough
   • Hormuz carries 38 percent more oil than Malacca does today
   • No comparison is possible, since the figures are from different years
   • Malacca carries more oil, since 2011 is nearer the start of the chart
4. 3.

   The Suez route saves about 6,000 km and nine days from Singapore to Rotterdam. What speed does that imply, Jun asks?

   • About 54,000 km a day, from 6,000 × 9, a speed no ship could reach
   • About 6 km a day, from 6,000 ÷ 1,000, counting the distance in thousands
   • About 670 km a day, 6,000 ÷ 9, if the saving is all distance
   • About 330 km a day, from 6,000 ÷ 18, since two directions
5. 4.

   Which claim about the Suez route and prices does Card A support, Kira asks?

   • A shorter route lowers prices, since fewer days cut the cost of goods
   • A shorter route can cut carrying cost, one part of a product’s price
   • A shorter route lowers a product’s price by the whole saving in carrying costs
   • A shorter route has no link to prices, since carrying is one cost among others
6. 5.

   A student says Hormuz carries a quarter of all oil. Which fix is right, Luz asks?

   • Leave it: a quarter of the oil traded by sea is the same as all oil
   • Change it: a quarter of the oil in 2018, when the barrels figure applies
   • Change it: about 25% of the oil traded by sea in 2023 to 2025, not of all oil
   • Change it: a quarter of liquefied gas, not oil
7. 6.

   A student says the Strait of Hormuz is a canal. What does Card A support, Milo asks?

   • Yes: it joins two bodies of water, so it is a canal
   • No: the chart calls it a strait; canals are the “km of canal” rows
   • No: a canal must be narrower than 100 km and Hormuz is wider
   • Yes: its 167 km length is like the 193.3 km of Suez
8. 7.

   Singapore to Rotterdam: Suez saves nine days compared with going around Africa. Which comparison is fair, Noah asks?

   • Against the Africa route: about 6,000 km and nine days
   • Suez saves 9,000 km, since the saving of nine days is 1,000 km a day
   • Suez saves nine days against the Panama Canal as well
   • Each ship saves exactly nine days, whatever its speed
9. 8.

   What can the chart say about whether ships from Singapore to Rotterdam should use Suez, Pia asks?

   • Yes: Suez is shorter by 6,000 km, so it is the cheapest route
   • It lacks tolls and other costs, so it cannot settle the cheapest route
   • The Panama Canal is the shortcut that serves Rotterdam
   • No: the Suez route is not shorter, since the chart gives no tolls
10. 9.

    Tala’s note says: “The Strait of Malacca joins the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.” Which fix is right?

    • Change it: Malacca joins the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea
    • Leave it: the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are near Malacca
    • Change it: Malacca joins the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea
    • Change it: Malacca joins the Atlantic and the Pacific
11. 10.

    Zee’s note says: “The Panama Canal route saves 6,000 km compared with going around Africa.” Which fix is right?

    • Change it: Panama saves 6,000 km compared with the Suez route
    • Change it: the 6,000 km is Suez’s saving, not Panama’s
    • Change it: Panama saved 6,000 km when it opened in 1914
    • Leave it: both canals save about 6,000 km on their routes