The 5 Best and the 5 Worst Ports for Merchant Marine

The 5 Best and the 5 Worst Ports for Merchant Marine

A port not only caters to the commercial needs of a ship but it also ensures that the mariners get a breather from the tiring and monotonous sea voyages. Port cities are often full of sources of entertainment and recreation so that the mariners feel rejuvenated again before embarking on another journey. From economical point of view, ports serve as a medium connecting land to the sea, fulfilling the commercial interests of armies, governments and merchants. In the modern world, the ports are equipped with advanced technology and better ways to accommodate larger and more ships. This article will provide an insight into the best and worst ports of the world.

Best Ports of the World

A crowded place is not always the best for living, but when it comes to the ports of the world, the busiest ports have been found to be the best in terms of facilities and operations.

The Port of Singapore

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The busiest port of the world in terms of shipping tonnage, the Port of Singapore serves as the export hub of goods coming from Asian countries into the US and developed European nations. The port has 67 berths out of which 44 are container berths, and it is spread in an area of 436 hectares with a design capacity of 24,700 kTEU. Sea boating, yachting, windsurfing, canoeing, and wake-boarding are some of the recreational facilities offered by the port authorities to keep the mariners fresh and excited about visiting the port, other than the business interests. It tops our list of the best ports of the world.

Shanghai Port, China

Until 2010, it was ranked second after the Singapore Port in terms of container cargo. Today, it is the busiest container port in the world and it is located in Shanghai, the economic capital of the country, which speaks for its commercial, strategic and national importance. It is located on the Yangtze River, and it takes care of a major percentage of the exports and imports of the country. The port has been divided into three strategic divisions namely Yangtze River Strategy, Northeast Asia Strategy, and the Internationalization Strategy, making it easy and simple for the operators working in the port area.

Port of Nagoya, Japan

Nagoya Port

The largest and busiest trade port of Japan is located in Isle bay. The port touched annual cargo throughput of 185 million tons in 2010, which speaks for its commercial importance in the Japanese economy. It has 21 piers, 290 berths, and is spread over 42,133,000 square meters of area.

Port of South Louisiana, USA

The largest bulk cargo port of the world, ranked 9th largest port in the world by AAPA World Port Rankings, the port of South Louisiana is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. It handles 60% of the grain exports and imports of the country. The port is connected to the mainland through railways, airways, and roads, making it easily accessible. It stretches over 54 miles, with a main channel depth of 45 foot.

Port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Rotterdam Port

The busiest and the largest port of Europe, Rotterdam port is the fifth best port in our list. It is one of the oldest ports of the world and its history takes us back into the 14th century. The petrochemical industry of the region relies heavily on the operations of this port. It has a huge 24 meter long main channel draft, equipped with robotic machines to take care of the container and cargo operations.

Worst Ports of the World

The location of a beach plays an important role in making a good or bad port. Here is a list of worst ports of the world based upon their location, operations, and accessibility.

Karachi Port, Pakistan

One of the most important ports of Pakistan, Karachi Port has got a lot of catching up to do with its peers in terms of cleanliness, organization of operations and technology. The area around the harbor is surrounded by mangrove forests, and the port activities have raised strong environmental concerns in the region.

Port of Chittagong, Bangladesh

It is the most important port of the country, exports goods, rice, jute and other agricultural goods to the other parts of the world. However, it suffers from the disease of corruption and bribery is a major characteristic of this port. Transparency International reported in one of its reports that the Chittagong Port has annual turnover in bribes as much as 500 million dollars.

Port of Nouadhibou, Mauritania

The port is a famous trading point of the meteorites found in the great Sahara Desert. However, this port is more famous as the “Cemetery Port of Ships.” More than 300 ships have sunk while approaching near the port in the last few decades. The major reason behind these accidents is discarded ships floating near the port area, just like stray ships. Corruption and bribery have lead to a disorganized operational structure.

Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea

It is the fourth worst port in our list because of the economic conditions of the region. Poor maintenance and governmental ignorance is also one major cause behind the port being one of the worst ports in our list.

Port Al Faw, Iraq

Post American invasion of Iraq, most of the Iraqi ports have been downgraded by many credit agencies. This particular airport is an oil port and oil conditions in Iraq are not a secret anymore. The war’s aftermaths have put this port at the fifth position in the worst ports of the world list.

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