International Maritime Organization -

Language:

Home: USES: Transportation and Telecommunication: Maritime Transportation

an expanded view of Topics and Knowledge in the Atlas

Login for Members

Username

Password

	Forgotten your Password?
	Not a Member? Join Now
	Getting started

Navigate the Atlas:

6 SUB-TOPICS:

Topic Overview

Editors

KO Overview

Owner

International Maritime Organization

Maritime Transportation

Text-only Printer-friendly version

The importance of shipping

The first water transport was probably nothing more than a log used to cross a stream. That journey may have taken place during the Ice Age or much earlier when our ancestral hominids spread from Africa. During the historic period dating back to 5,000 BC, sails were already in use, the first illustrations of sailing ships are from Egypt, and seafarers began to venture into the sea. Some of them went in search of new lands and different peoples with whom they could trade. At first they must have kept to the coastline, moving along it slowly and fearfully, for by then they would have learnt that the sea was dangerous and capricious and can turn from calm to storm within a few hours. According to one story, in 609 BC a Phoenician ship left Suez, intending to keep the coast to starboard, and four years later arrived back in Egypt, having sailed right round Africa. But eventually curiosity triumphed over timidity and at some point seafarers set out for the horizon and kept going until, the familiar coast had disappeared. See More...

Shipping in the 21st century

It is generally accepted that more than 90 per cent of global trade is carried by sea. Throughout the last century the shipping industry has seen a general trend of increases in total trade volume. Increasing industrialization and the liberalization of national economies have fuelled free trade and a growing demand for consumer products. Advances in technology have also made shipping an increasingly efficient and swift method of transport. World seaborne trade figures i.e. the amount of goods actually loaded aboard ships have increased considerably since the 70’s and in 2008, reached 8.2 billion tons of goods loaded. See More...

All (28)

Institutional Contact (1)

Title

International Maritime Organization ( Institutional Contact )

Short Institution Name

IMO

Description

The purposes of the Organization, as summarized by Article 1 (a) of the Convention, are "to provide machinery for co- operation among Governments in the field of governmental regulation and practices relating to technical matters of all kinds affecting shipping engaged in international trade; to encourage and facilitate the general adoption of the highest practicable standards in matters concerning maritime safety, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of marine pollution from ships". The Organization is also empowered to deal with administrative and legal matters related to these purposes. The Organization has over 160 Member States and two Associate Members.

Keywords

MARINE TRANSPORTATION;

PIRACY;

MARITIME LEGISLATION;

NAVIGATION REGULATIONS;

NAVIGATION SYSTEMS;

MERCHANT SHIPS;

MARITIME ACCIDENTS;