Which of the following statements with regard to the Suez Canal and the Velds of Southern Africa is/are correct? 1. The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway cutting across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt to connect the Mediterranean Sea directly to the Red Sea. 2. The Velds represent open temperate and subtropical grassland landscapes distributed across Southern African nations including South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Botswana. Select the answer using the code given below: |ForumIAS

[A] 1 only

[B] 2 only

[C] Both 1 and 2

[D] Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Constructed in 1869 across the Isthmus of Suez, the canal enables lock-free maritime navigation between the North Atlantic/Mediterranean and the Red Sea/Indian Ocean, physically dividing the African continent from the Sinai Peninsula (Asia).
Statement 2 is correct: The term Veld refers to the broad, open grassland plateaus of Southern Africa (categorized into Highveld, Middleveld, and Lowveld based on elevation and climate) across South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.