The Enduring Relevance of Port Sites
Ports as locations where maritime and land traffic converges are crucial facilities in the global
economy. There are more than commercial 4,500 ports around the world, but only a small share
handle a significant amount of traffic (NGIA, 2005). The geography of these ports conditions the
global geography of trade and flows since they are locations that cannot be easily by-passed.
Ports remain points of convergence and divergence of traffic and their location is constrained by
the physical characteristics of their sites. The first physical constraint involves land access and the
second concerns maritime access. Both must be jointly satisfied as they are crucial for port
operations and the efficiency of the maritime / land interface. Thus, poor land and maritime
access can impair port operations and port development. However, maritime access is the
attribute that can be mitigated the least. Activities such as dredging and the construction of
facilities such as docks are very expensive, underlining the enduring importance of a good port
site, albeit inland access also endures as a factor of importance for maritime freight distribution.
The Enduring Relevance of Port Sites
Ports as locations where maritime and land traffic converges are crucial facilities in the global
economy. There are more than commercial 4,500 ports around the world, but only a small share
handle a significant amount of traffic (NGIA, 2005). The geography of these ports conditions the
global geography of trade and flows since they are locations that cannot be easily by-passed.
Ports remain points of convergence and divergence of traffic and their location is constrained by
the physical characteristics of their sites. The first physical constraint involves land access and the
second concerns maritime access. Both must be jointly satisfied as they are crucial for port
operations and the efficiency of the maritime / land interface. Thus, poor land and maritime
access can impair port operations and port development. However, maritime access is the
attribute that can be mitigated the least. Activities such as dredging and the construction of
facilities such as docks are very expensive, underlining the enduring importance of a good port
site, albeit inland access also endures as a factor of importance for maritime freight distribution.
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