Vladimir Pashkevich

Shipping is also regulated by local governments that often own and control ports that form the terminals for shipping operations.

National governments control movements within territorial waters, register vessels, and regulate the nature of the services that can be used for their trading activities.

bulk carriers

In the early XXI century the international shipping industry carries about 90 % of global trade by weight. Shipping also provides important ferry and passenger services. In 2005 globally there were approximately 42,200 registered ships with a combined tonnage of nearly 600 million gross tons.

By the middle of the 19th century it became possible to build much larger ships as iron and steel began to replace timber.

One of the earliest steamboats was tested at the end of the 18th century. The first steamship to cross the Atlantic was the Savannah, 98-foot ship built in New York, which made the crossing in 1819. Like all the early steamships, it had sails as well as paddles.

The introduction of the magnetic compass allowed long voyages to be made with much greater safety. At the end of the 15th century, sailing vessels carried men from Europe to America and round Africa to India.

The ancient Romans used vessels to carry their armies and supplies to colonies.

The small effort is needed to move floating craft. A heavy boat or a barge weighing several tons can be moved through the water, slowly but steadily, by one man.

Transportation concerns the movement of products from a source such as a plant, factory, or work-shop to a destination such as a ware-house, customer, or retail store.