Geography · Ch 7 — Transport and Communication
Coastal Shipping
Coastal Shipping
Coastal shipping is the movement of goods and passengers by sea along a country’s own coastline, as opposed to oceanic routes that connect different countries. It is a form of water transport, and water transport is generally cheaper than land or air transport.
The textbook highlights that coastal shipping is especially convenient for countries with long coastlines. Examples given are the United States of America, China, and India. These nations can use their extensive shores to move cargo and people between ports without needing to cross international waters.
In Europe, the Shenzhen States (this appears to be a textual error in the raw extraction — the intended reference is likely the Schengen States or, more broadly, the European Union member states) are described as being most suitably placed for coastal shipping. Their geography allows them to connect one member’s coast with another’s, making intra-regional trade efficient.
The key advantage of coastal shipping, if properly developed, is that it can reduce congestion on land routes — roads and railways — by shifting a portion of freight traffic to the sea.
Key points from the section:
- Nature: A mode of water transport operating within a country’s coastal waters.
- Advantage: Cheaper than land-based transport. …