Seaports are facilities that accommodate ships and have various accessories such as cranes and docks. They are of economic and strategic importance to nations. Inland ports lack facilities for maritime vessels. Seaports have equipment for cargo handling, shipbuilding, and ship repair. Some seaports focus on commercial and cargo trade while others serve passenger ships. The strategic importance of a seaport can change over time. The most valuable ports tend to be warm water ports.
A seaport is a facility that can accommodate ships going out to sea. Seaports can be found in natural and man-made harbors along many of the world’s coastlines, and have a variety of accessories including cranes to help ships handle cargo, and docks to which they can be attached. Seaports are of economic and strategic importance to the nations that own them, because they can be used for everything from shipping a nation’s consumer products to loading troop ships to sail to war.
Ports can also be found on inland waters such as lakes and rivers, but they are not known as seaports because they do not have facilities for maritime vessels. In some cases, inland ports are landlocked, and in other cases, the waterway may not be navigable by ocean-going ships. Nor can all oceangoing vessels fit into a seaport: large oil tankers, for example, dock offshore, while small vessels load and unload their cargo.
A typical seaport includes equipment and facilities for cargo handling and storage, such as warehouses and cranes, along with services designed to attract people arriving at the port, such as restaurants and hotels. Shipbuilding and ship repair companies are often located near ports for the convenience of their customers, and seaports may also have facilities for quarantine and other special needs; A well-designed port can allow people to get everything they need without straying more than a few blocks from their ship.
Some seaports focus primarily on commercial and cargo trade, while others serve passenger ships such as cruise ships, and many offer facilities for a mix of uses. People can also dock personal watercraft, such as sailboats, at a seaport for immediate access to the ocean. The offices of shipping companies, harbor masters, pilots, and tugboat businesses are also classically located next to the port for convenience.
The strategic importance of a seaport can change over time. Some ports have been lost due to erosion or other problems that have caused the port to disappear or become unnavigable. Others have become less important because they are no longer on major trade routes, or because a nation’s cargo production has declined, making the port less profitable for shippers. The most valuable ports tend to be warm water ports, in which the water in and around the port does not freeze in the winter, allowing the port to be used year-round.
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