Alfonso Llanes, Master Degree in International Development
Historians tell us that between 1500 BC and 300 BC the Phoenicians a Semitic civilization that originated in the Eastern Mediterranean which included the coastline of what is now Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Syria, and south-west Turkey dominated sea trade in the Mediterranean Sea . Later on some Phoenician colonies reached the Western Mediterranean (Carthage) and then the Atlantic Ocean.
China with its multi-mast sailing junks used to carry over 200 people at around 200 AD. The Southeast Asian mariners, Polynesians, and Northern European Vikings during the same period developed oceangoing vessels. India and Arabia were building the lateen-sail ship known as the dhow that was used on the waters of the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. The Arab Empire expanded a wide trade network across parts of Asia, Africa and Europe.
Another independent group in the historical chronicle, is the Hanseatic League which was composed of an alliance of trading guilds that established a trade monopoly over the Baltic Sea, some of the North Sea, and most of Northern Europe in the Late Middle Ages. Historians generally trace the origins of the League to the foundation of the Northern German town of Lübeck, established in 1158-1159.
Historical records also indicate that the Somali sultanates and republics of Merca, Mogadishu, Barawa, Hobyo and their respective ports flourished with a lucrative foreign commerce. Ships were sailing to and coming from Arabia, India, Italian Venice—a territory of northeastern Italy and western Slovenia between the Alps and the Po River—Persia, Egypt, Portugal and as far away as China.
From the early 15th during the “Age of Discovery” it was a period that continued into the early 17th century, during this time European ships traveled around the world establishing trade routes and forming commercial partnerships to enlarge the rising capitalism in Europe. It is believe that the end of the sailing period took place around the battle of Lepanto in 1571 where Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra, author of Don Quijote de la Mancha, lost the use of his left hand because of a wound suffered fighting in the battle.
With the advantage of the economical steam engines international trade grew at a rapid pace. Later, the internal combustion engine and gas turbine came to replace the steam engine in most ship applications in the 20th century.
Maritime transport can be understood as the navigation over water by boat, ship, sailboat or barge, over oceans, lakes, canals or along rivers. Extensive inland shipping still is very important today with the Mississippi River in the US and the Rhine River in Europe as the major waterways of the world that are integral parts of worldwide economies. Virtually any material can be moved by water; however, water transport can be impractical when material delivery is time-critical. Refrigeration has extended trade of perishable products worldwide as, water transport is highly cost effective with regular scheduled cargoes, such as trans-oceanic shipping of consumer products. Heavy loads of bulk cargoes such as coal, coke, ores or grains as well as liquid bulks like petroleum and its byproducts crisscross the world every day with laden with this valuable cargoes. No doubt that the industrial revolution was aided by cheap water transport in canals, and river navigation, by all types of watercraft that supported cost effective bulk transport to coastal ports.
Starting in the 1970′s containerization of maritime transport revolutionized "General cargo" trade of goods packaged in boxes, cases, pallets, and barrels. Since then, other improvements have been made to the supply chain by connecting ocean shipping with ground transportation (rail or truck) called multi-modal transportation which has added another layer of efficiency to international trade in general in its many dimensions.
Current sources of shipping information and statistics on world shipping can be found in several publications among them:
International Chamber of Shipping Annual Review (yearly publication)
World Shipping Council www.worldshipping.org
International Maritime Organization (IMO) www.imo.org/home
United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) https://www.marad.dot.gov/
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