Means of Transport

2. Means of Water Transport

Long ago, people discovered that wood can float on water. This led to the creation of rafts and boats. These boats were used for trade between faraway places. When the steam engine was invented, it was also used on boats, which made water transport faster and easier.

A large variety of ships and boats are used for different purposes at present. Very big boats and ships are used for sea travel and cargo. They carry a huge amount of goods (cargo) from one country to another. Passenger traffic is also sizeable in ships, it being the cheapest mode of transport. Many types of ships are used today. Refrigerated ships carry perishable products like meat, milk, fruits and flowers. Tankers are used for carrying oil. Cruise ships are used by people for sightseeing and picnic on the sea and coastal areas. Ports and harbours are built where ships can load, unload and store goods. Ships are built in shipyards.

The means of water transport can be divided into two types : inland waterways and sea routes.

Inland Waterways: Sea Routes: Inland waterways mainly operate in rivers, lakes or lagoons. In India, they are not developed well, but effort is being made to develop inland waterways on an extensive scale. The Ganga, Brahmaputra and Godavari-Krishna and their tributaries are navigable rivers. Backwaters or lagoons in Kerala too are widely used for water transport.

Waterways are highly developed in Europe and America. They are very helpful when it is not possible to build roadways or railways. The rivers passing through dense forests are often used for it. Large rivers like the Amazon, Chang Jiang and Mississippi are extensively used as inland waterways.
   

Sea Routes:
Sea routes connect different coastal countries of the world. Ships normally ply on fixed routes. The major sea routes in the world are across the Atlantic Ocean. The two canals, namely Suez Canal and Panama Canal have played a vital role in expanding sea routes. The 190-km-long Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. Similarly, the 82-km-long Panama Canal joins the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. Both these canals have greatly shortened the sea routes. The other important sea routes are the Cape of Good Hope Route and North Atlantic Route. These sea routes have helped to boost trade relations among different countries of Europe, Asia, North, America and Africa.

India has a long coastline measuring 7516.6 kilometres. There are 11 major and 139 minor seaports. Mumbai is the busiest seaport of India.

India has several major seaports, such as Kandla, Kochi, Nhava Sheva, Marmagao, Tuticorin, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Paradip, Kolkata, and Haldia. They are crucial for the country’s overseas trade.