Wikipedia

Port

(Redirected fromDeep water port)
This article is about the facility for ships. For other uses, seePort (disambiguation).

Aportis amaritimefacility comprising one or morewharvesor loading areas, where ships load and dischargecargoand passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such asHamburg,ManchesterandDuluth;these access the sea viariversorcanals.Because of their roles asports of entryfor immigrants as well as soldiers in wartime, many port cities have experienced dramatic multi-ethnic and multicultural changes throughout their histories.[1][2]

ThePort of New York and New Jersey,U.S., grew from the originalharborat the convergence of theHudson Riverand theEast Riverat theUpper New York Bay.

Ports are extremely important to the global economy; 70% of global merchandise trade by value passes through a port.[3]For this reason, ports are also often densely populated settlements that provide the labor for processing and handling goods and related services for the ports. Today by far the greatest growth in port development is in Asia, the continent with some of theworld's largest and busiest ports,such asSingaporeand theChineseports ofShanghaiandNingbo-Zhoushan.As of 2020, thebusiest passenger port in Europeis thePort of HelsinkiinFinland.[4]Nevertheless, countless smaller ports do exist that may only serve their local tourism or fishing industries.

Ports can have a wide environmental impact on local ecologies and waterways, most importantly water quality, which can be caused by dredging, spills and otherpollution.Ports are heavily affected by changing environmental factors caused byclimate changeas most port infrastructure is extremely vulnerable tosea level riseandcoastal flooding.[3]Internationally, global ports are beginning to identify ways to improvecoastal managementpractices and integrateclimate change adaptationpractices into their construction.[3]

Historical ports

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Main article:Historical ports

Wherever ancient civilisations engaged in maritime trade, they tended to develop sea ports. One of the world's oldest known artificial harbors is atWadi al-Jarfon theRed Sea.[5]Along with the finding of harbor structures, ancient anchors have also been found.

Other ancient ports includeGuangzhouduringQin dynastyChina andCanopus,the principal Egyptian port for Greek trade before the foundation ofAlexandria.In ancient Greece, Athens' port ofPiraeuswas the base for the Athenian fleet which played a crucial role in theBattle of Salamisagainst the Persians in 480 BCE. In ancient India from 3700 BCE,Lothalwas a prominent city of the Indus valley civilisation, located in theBhal regionof the modern state ofGujarāt.[6]Ostia Anticawas the port of ancient Rome withPortusestablished byClaudiusand enlarged byTrajanto supplement the nearby port of Ostia. In Japan, during theEdo period,the island ofDejimawas the only port open for trade with Europe and received only a single Dutch ship per year, whereasOsakawas the largest domestic port and the main trade hub for rice.

Post-classicalSwahili kingdomsare known to have had trade port islands and trade routes[7]with the Islamic world and Asia. They were described by Greek historians as "metropolises".[8]Famous African trade ports such asMombasa,Zanzibar,MogadishuandKilwa[9]were known to Chinese sailors such asZheng Heand medieval Islamic historians such as the Berber Islamic voyagerAbu Abdullah ibn Battuta.[10]

Many of these ancient sites no longer exist or function as modern ports. Even in more recent times, ports sometimes fall out of use.Rye, East Sussex,was an important English port in the Middle Ages, but the coastline changed and it is now 2 miles (3.2 km) from the sea, while the ports ofRavenspurnandDunwichhave been lost tocoastal erosion.

Modern ports

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AnEvergreenship loading atContainer Terminal Altenwerder,port ofHamburg, Germany

Whereas early ports tended to be just simple harbours, modern ports tend to bemultimodaldistributionhubs,with transport links using sea, river, canal, road, rail and air routes. Successful ports are located to optimize access to an activehinterland,such as theLondon Gateway.Ideally, a port will granteasy navigationto ships, and will give shelter from wind and waves. Ports are often on estuaries, where the water may be shallow and may need regulardredging.Deep water ports such asMilford Havenare less common, but can handle larger ships with a greater draft, such assuper tankers,Post-Panamax vesselsand largecontainer ships.Other businesses such asregional distribution centres,warehouses and freight-forwarders,canneriesand other processing facilities find it advantageous to be located within a port or nearby. Modern ports will have specialisedcargo-handling equipment, such asgantry cranes,reach stackersandforklift trucks.

Ports usually have specialised functions: some tend to cater mainly forpassenger ferriesandcruise ships;some specialise incontainertraffic or general cargo; and some ports play an important military role for their nation's navy. Some third world countries and small islands such asAscensionandSt Helenastill have limited port facilities, so that ships must anchor off while their cargo and passengers are taken ashore bybargeorlaunch(respectively).

In modern times, ports survive or decline, depending on current economic trends. In the UK, both the ports ofLiverpoolandSouthamptonwere once significant in the transatlantic passenger liner business. Once airliner traffic decimated that trade, both ports diversified to container cargo and cruise ships. Up until the 1950s thePort of Londonwas a major international port on theRiver Thames,but changes in shipping and the use of containers and larger ships have led to its decline.Thamesport,[11]a small semi-automated container port (with links to thePort of Felixstowe,the UK's largest container port) thrived for some years, but has been hit hard by competition from the emergent London Gateway port and logistics hub.

In mainland Europe, it is normal for ports to be publicly owned, so that, for instance, the ports ofRotterdamandAmsterdamare owned partly by the state and partly by the cities themselves.[12]

Even though modern ships tend to have bow-thrusters and stern-thrusters,[citation needed]many port authorities still require vessels to usepilotsandtugboatsfor manoeuvering large ships in tight quarters. For instance, ships approaching the Belgianport of Antwerp,an inland port on theRiver Scheldt,are obliged to use Dutch pilots when navigating on that part of the estuary that belongs to the Netherlands.

Ports with international traffic havecustomsfacilities.

Types

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The terms "port" and "seaport" are used for different types of facilities handling ocean-going vessels, andriver portis used for river traffic, such asbargesand other shallow-draft vessels.

Inland port

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Main article:Inland port

Aninland portis a port on a navigable lake, river (fluvialport), or canal with access to a sea or ocean, which therefore allows a ship to sail from the ocean inland to the port to load or unload its cargo. An example of this is theSt. Lawrence Seawaywhich allows ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean several thousand kilometers inland to Great Lakes ports likeToronto,Duluth-Superior,andChicago.[13]The terminland portis also used fordry ports.

Seaport

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Aseaportis a port located on the shore of a sea or ocean. It is further categorized as commercial and non-commercial:[14]

  • Commercial ones includes "cruise ports"and"cargo ports".Additionally," cruise ports "are also known as a" home port "or a" port of call "; and" cargo port "is also further categorized into a" bulk "or" break bulk port "or as a" container port ".

Cargo port

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Cargo portsare quite different from cruise ports, because each handles very different cargo, which has to be loaded and unloaded by a variety of mechanical means.

Bulk cargo portsmay handle one particular type of cargo or numerous cargoes, such as grains, liquid fuels, liquid chemicals, wood, automobiles, etc. Such ports are known as the "bulk" or "break bulk ports".

Ports that handlecontainerizedcargo are known ascontainer ports.

Most cargo ports handle all sorts of cargo, but some ports are very specific as to what cargo they handle. Additionally, individual cargo ports may be divided into different operating terminals which handle the different types of cargoes, and may be operated by different companies, also known as terminal operators, orstevedores.[15]

Cruise port

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Acruise home portis the port where cruise ship passengers board (orembark) to start their cruise anddisembarkthe cruise ship at the end of their cruise. It is also where the cruise ship's supplies are loaded for the cruise, which includes everything from fresh water and fuel to fruits, vegetables, champagne, and any other supplies needed for the cruise. "Cruise home ports" are very busy places during the day the cruise ship is in port, because off-going passengers debark their baggage and on-coming passengers board the ship in addition to all the supplies being loaded. Cruise home ports tend to have largepassenger terminalsto handle the large number of passengers passing through the port. The busiest cruise home port in the world is thePort of Miami,Florida.

Port of call

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Aport of callis an intermediate stop for a ship on its sailing itinerary. At these ports, cargo ships may take on supplies or fuel, as well as unloading and loading cargo while cruise liners have passengers get on or off ship.

Fishing port

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Afishing portis a port orharborfor landing and distributing fish. It may be a recreational facility, but it is usually commercial. A fishing port is the only port that depends on an ocean product, and depletion of fish may cause a fishing port to be uneconomical.

Marina

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IzolaMarina, Slovenia

Amarinais a port for recreational boating.

Warm-water port

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Awarm-water port(also known as an ice-free port) is one where the water does not freeze in winter. This is mainly used in the context of countries with mostly cold winters where parts of the coastline freezes over every winter. Because they are available year-round, warm-water ports can be of great geopolitical or economic interest. Such settlements asNarvikin Norway,Dalianin China,Murmansk,Novorossiysk,Petropavlovsk-KamchatskyandVostochny Port[16]in Russia,Odesain Ukraine,Kushiroin Japan andValdezat the terminus of theAlaska Pipelineowe their very existence to being ice-free ports. TheBaltic Seaand similar areas have ports available year-round beginning in the 20th century thanks toicebreakers,but earlier access problems prompted Russia to expand its territory to theBlack Sea.[citation needed]

Dry port

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Main article:Dry port

Adry portis an inlandintermodalterminal directly connected byroadorrailto a seaport and operating as a centre for thetransshipmentof sea cargo to inland destinations.[17]

Smart port

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Main article:Smart port

A smart port uses technologies, including theInternet of Things(IoT) andartificial intelligence(AI) to be more efficient at handling goods.[18]Smart ports usually deploy cloud-based software as part of the process of greater automation to help generate the operating flow that helps the port work smoothly.[19]At present, most of the world's ports have somewhat embedded technology, if not for full leadership. However, thanks to global government initiatives and exponential growth in maritime trade, the number of intelligent ports has gradually increased. A report by business intelligence provider Visiongain assessed that Smart Ports Market spending would reach $1.5 bn in 2019.[20]

Environmental issues

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Further information:Environmental impact of shipping

Ports and their operation are often a cause of environmental issues, such as sediment contamination and spills from ships and are susceptible to larger environmental issues, such as human caused climate change and its effects.[21]

Dredging

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Main article:Dredging

Every year 100 million cubic metres ofmarine sedimentare dredged to improve waterways around ports. Dredging, in its practice, disturbs local ecosystems, brings sediments into the water column, and can stir up pollutants captured in the sediments.[21]

Invasive species

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Invasive speciesare often spread by thebilge waterand species attached to the hulls of ships.[21]It is estimated that there are over 7000 invasive species transported in bilge water around the world on a daily basis[22]Invasive species can have direct or indirect interactions with native sea life. Direct interaction such as predation, is when a native species with no natural predator is all of a sudden prey of an invasive specie. Indirect interaction can be diseases or other health conditions brought by invasive species.[23]

A ship pumping bilge water into a harbor

Air pollution

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Ports are also a source of increasedair pollutionas a result of ships and land transportation at the port. Transportation corridors around ports have higher exhaust emissions and this can have related health effects on local communities.[21]

Water quality

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Water quality around ports is often lower because of both direct and indirect pollution from the shipping, and other challenges caused by the port's community, such as trash washing into the ocean.[21]

Spills, pollution and contamination

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Sewage from ships, and leaks of oil and chemicals from shipping vessels can contaminate local water, and cause other effects like nutrient pollution in the water.[21]

Climate change and sea level rise

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Ports and their infrastructure are veryvulnerable to climate changeand sea level rise, because many of them are in low-lying areas designed for status quo water levels.[3]Variable weather, coastal erosion, and sea level rise all put pressure on existing infrastructure, resulting insubsidence,coastal floodingand other direct pressures on the port.[3]

Reducing impact

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There are several initiatives to decrease negative environmental impacts of ports.[24][25][26]TheWorld Port Sustainability Programpoints to all of theSustainable Development Goalsas potential ways of addressing port sustainability.[27]These includeSIMPYC,theWorld Ports Climate Initiative,theAfrican Green Port Initiative,EcoPortsandGreen Marine.[26][28]

World's major ports

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Main article:Lists of ports

Africa

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  • The port ofTangier Medis the largest port on the Mediterranean and in Africa by capacity and went into service in July 2007.
  • The busiest port in Africa isPort Saidin Egypt.

Asia

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See also:List of East Asian portsandList of ports and harbours of the Indian Ocean
The port ofVisakhapatnaminAndhra Pradesh,India

Theport of Shanghaiis the largest port in the world in bothcargo tonnageand activity. It regained its position as theworld's busiest port by cargo tonnageand theworld's busiest container portin 2009 and 2010, respectively. It is followed by the ports ofSingapore,Hong KongandKaohsiung,Taiwan,all of which are inEastandSoutheast Asia.

The port of Singapore is the world's second-busiest port in terms of total shipping tonnage, it alsotransshipsa third of the world'sshipping containers,half of the world's annual supply ofcrude oil,and is the world's busiesttransshipment port.

Europe

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See also:List of busiest ports in Europe
ThePort of Trieste,Italy.

Europe's busiest container port and biggest port by cargo tonnage by far is thePort of Rotterdam,in the Netherlands. It is followed by the BelgianPort of Antwerpor the GermanPort of Hamburg,depending on which metric is used.[29]In turn, the SpanishPort of Valenciais the busiest port in the Mediterranean basin, while the PortuguesePort of Sinesis the busiest atlantic port. ThePort of Trieste,Italy,is the main port of the northern Adriatic and starting point of theTransalpine Pipeline.

North America

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See also:List of North American portsandPorts of the United States

The largest ports include the Port ofSouth Louisiana,a vast sprawling port centered in the New Orleans area,Houston,Port of New York/New Jersey,Los Angelesin the U.S.,Manzanilloin Mexico andVancouverin Canada.[citation needed]Panamaalso has thePanama Canalthat connects the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, and is a key conduit for international trade.

Oceania

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The largest port in Oceania is thePort of Melbourne.

South America

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According toECLAC's "Maritime and Logistics Profile of Latin America and the Caribbean", the largest ports in South America are thePort of Santosin Brazil,Cartagenain Colombia,Callaoin Peru,Guayaquilin Ecuador, and thePort of Buenos Airesin Argentina.[30]

See also

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Other logistics hubs

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Lists

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References

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  1. ^Caves, R. W. (2004).Encyclopedia of the City.Routledge. pp.528.ISBN9780415252256.
  2. ^John Gerring; Brendan Apfeld; Tore Wig; Andreas Forø Tollefsen (2022).The Deep Roots of Modern Democracy: Geography and the Diffusion of Political Institutions.Cambridge University Press. p. 45.
  3. ^abcdeAsariotis, Regina; Benamara, Hassiba; Mohos-Naray, Viktoria (December 2017).Port Industry Survey on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation(PDF)(Report). UN Conference on Trade and Development.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2020-11-25.
  4. ^"Maritime ports freight and passenger statistics"(PDF).Eurostat.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2017-07-22.Retrieved18 June2020.
  5. ^Rossella Lorenzi (12 April 2013)."Most Ancient Port, Hieroglyphic Papyri Found".Discovery News.Retrieved21 April2013.
  6. ^Rao, S. R. Rao (1985).Lothal.Archeological Survey of India.
  7. ^"Eastern and Southern Africa 500–1000 AD".Metmuseum.org.Retrieved21 April2009.
  8. ^"Tanzanian dig unearths ancient secret by Tira Shubart".BBC News.17 April 2002.Retrieved21 April2009.
  9. ^Newitt, M.D.D. (1995).A History of Mozambique.Indiana University Press.ISBN9780253340061.
  10. ^"Ibn Battuta: Travels in Asia and Africa 1325–1354".Fordham.edu. 21 February 2001. Archived fromthe originalon 13 May 2011.Retrieved21 April2009.
  11. ^"Welcome".London Thamesport.Retrieved6 September2018.
  12. ^"Organisation".Port of Rotterdam.2015-06-15.Retrieved2020-10-07.
  13. ^"Seaway System".greatlakes-seaway.com.
  14. ^"Different types of Ports".Fulcrum.Archivedfrom the original on Dec 17, 2023.
  15. ^Khan, Khalil U. (15 September 2014)."Stevedoring & The Role of Stevedores in Shipping".International Institute of Marine Surveying.Retrieved7 April2021.
  16. ^"Vostochny Port JSC, Geography, Location".Vostochny Port website.2007. Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2012.Retrieved13 December2012.Vostochny Port is located in the south of Primorsky Region, in the southeast of Nakhodka bay, in Vrangel bay. This is unique natural harbor is no ice restrictions even in severe winters.
  17. ^"Feasibility Study on the network operation of Hinterland Hubs (Dry Port Concept) to improve and modernise ports' connections to the hinterland and to improve networking"(PDF).InLoc. January 2007. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2008-04-13.Retrieved2008-03-10.
  18. ^"Smart Ports of the Future: A Digital Tomorrow".Port Technology International.2019-09-17. Archived fromthe originalon 2019-10-11.Retrieved2019-10-11.
  19. ^"Ports in the Cloud: The Next Step in Automation?".Port Technology International.2018-11-09.Retrieved2019-10-11.
  20. ^"'Smart Ports Market spending will reach $1.5bn in 2019', says Visiongain ".Visiongain(Press release). 2019-09-05.Retrieved2019-09-09.
  21. ^abcdefOECD (2011-02-17). Braathen, Nils Axel (ed.).Environmental Impacts of International Shipping: The Role of Ports.OECD.doi:10.1787/9789264097339-en.ISBN978-92-64-09682-0.
  22. ^"What are California Marine Invasive Species?".wildlife.ca.gov.Retrieved2021-05-13.
  23. ^Fisheries, NOAA (2021-05-07)."Invasive and Exotic Marine Species | NOAA Fisheries".NOAA.Retrieved2021-05-13.
  24. ^Hossain, Tahazzud; Adams, Michelle; Walker, Tony R. (2020)."Role of sustainability in global seaports".Ocean & Coastal Management.202:105435.doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105435.
  25. ^Hossain, Tahazzud; Adams, Michelle; Walker, Tony R. (2019). "Sustainability initiatives in Canadian ports".Marine Policy.106:103519.doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103519.S2CID164819617.
  26. ^abWalker, Tony R. (2016). "Green Marine: An environmental program to establish sustainability in marine transportation".Marine Pollution Bulletin.105(1): 199–207.Bibcode:2016MarPB.105..199W.doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.029.PMID26899158.
  27. ^"Areas of Interest – World Port Sustainability Program".sustainableworldports.org.Retrieved2020-12-19.
  28. ^EOS magazine, 6, 2012
  29. ^"World Port Rankings 2011"(PDF).Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários.Antaq, Brazil. 2011.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2012-12-02.Retrieved6 September2018.
  30. ^"Los 10 mayores puertos de América Latina y Caribe en tráfico de contenedores".Revista de Ingeniería Naval(in Spanish).Madrid,Spain: Asociación de Ingenieros Navales y Oceánicos de España. September 28, 2016.RetrievedMay 3,2017.
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