Joanna James
Shipping is not a new concept to any country in the world. Even during the ancient times, there have been several shipping lines and trade activities have majorly happened through these. With time everything has changed, the shipping industry too and here are some great facts you never knew about!
We can't give an exact time or a year for the birth of the shipping industry as it has begun thousands of years ago. Shipping industry is believed to have started when seafarers traded simple items to and from various ports, and ever since then shipping industry has played an important role in trade as well as transportation.
Have you ever gone to the Colombo Port and wondered why such a lot of ships are there to this small country? That is because, even to Sri Lanka (no matter how small it is) 90% of the world's commodities are carried on ships. This is why shipping remains to be the leading mode of transportation for all kinds of goods even today!
Globally, around 1.5 million people do their jobs in the shipping industry. In addition to the opportunities you find in the port and the ships, there are many other job opportunities and sometimes even don't know about them. For example, South Asia Gateway Terminals is a significant container terminal in Sri Lanka and around its operations, there are many employment opportunities which are well reputed and well paid as well.
Did you know that a huge cargo ship consumes 150-250 tons of fuel per day? Yes, that's a massive amount and if you still can't imagine the exact quantity, it equals to the amount of fuel needed by 3,770 smart cars per 1 kilometer. Yes, with fuel, there comes the issue of pollution inevitably and if you take the shipping industry as one country, with the pollution it causes to the atmosphere and the environment, it will be placed sixth among the countries which cause the most pollution in the world.
Many of us know that ships are huge. If we take the largest container ships, they are about 400 meters long and they are capable of carrying up to 20,000 containers. Container shipping is what that brings economies of scale to many business men in the world, and this is also why you find very cheap imported clothes and things at shopping malls now a days when you shop.
This world has many ships of diverse sorts. Approximately the total amounts to 55,000 ships, and that includes passenger ships, container ships, bulk carriers, fishing vessels and also the general cargo ships. These ships are in a regular journey to bring profits to global businessmen, to provide entertainment to the richest, to safeguard countries and their borders sometimes and for many other purposes that we sometimes even don't know!
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
