The Byzantine Empire was located around the city of Constantinople in Europe and is now known as present-day Istanbul. It was the continuation of the Eastern Roman empire in the Middle Ages and held a strong position in the eyes of competitors. The vital center of the empire was Constantinople which had an excellent harbor and was guarded by three sides of water. It commanded key trade routes linking Europe and Asia and was Europe's busiest marketplace. This led to the Byzantine Empire having a stable and thriving economy as well as the leadership. The empire was split into strict military districts and used district militaries to collect taxes from the people while having a very efficient security and messenging system. They ruled according to a hierarchy and can be seen clearly as a peasant child helped in the fields while a noble child would be sent away to learn their responsibilities in the society.
I hope this helps! I'm not completely sure if I am 100% correct but I did try to point the features you asked for...Good Luck!!
This means that WW2 caused many things to be the way they are today, such as the racisim, the invisible line of subtle seperation between races and religions, etc.
I would say that the answer is the Panama Canal. Even though construction began in 1904, it is the only canal I can think of which fits the description given.
The canal cuts across the isthmus of Panama and it connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.
