Maritime Transport Geography Research Papers (original) (raw)

- by Jan Hoffmann
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- Maritime Transport Geography, Economic Concentration
- by Ezra Marcus
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- Archaeology, Egyptology, Maritime Archaeology, Egyptian Art and Archaeology

En el Siglo XXI, marcado por la preponderancia del factor económico y tecnológico, la fragmentación de los centros de producción a escala planetaria, el auge de nuevos centros de poder político y económico en el Asia Pacífico y la mayor relevancia de las empresas transnacionales en el sistema internacional, invitan a repasar brevemente la evolución histórica del transporte marítimo, a la vez de preguntarnos por sus principales actores (marinas mercantes y empresas transnacionales), las características y las tendencias del transporte marítimo internacional, las rutas navegables y las redes portuarias, ya que estos factores influenciarán directamente en los entornos competitivos de las naciones y en los escenarios geoeconómicos en diversas regiones. Finalmente, se presentarán las conclusiones del presente trabajo de investigación. Publicado en revista “Política Internacional” N° 124 y N° 125, mayo-agosto, setiembre-diciembre, 2017. Academia Diplomática del Perú. Pp. 89

Nigerian indigenous shipping operators have clamoured for stronger government support to give them an edge in the competition against foreign shipping lines. The latter, mainly carriers from Europe, Asia and the Middle East, have held sway in West African maritime trade since 1849 when Woermann Linie began the first liner service to the region. Many studies in the area have shown the rise and fall of the indigenous shipping lines and the dominance by the foreign lines. Few have attempted to trace the recurrent weaknesses in the indigenous efforts. Although the government tried to encourage local shipping operators with the short-lived National Shipping Policy Decree which stipulated cargo allocation based on the UNCTAD 40-40-20 formula, many folded up due to incapacity to compete and scarcity of investment capital despite a flourishing market. The promulgation of The Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act in 2004 gave some hopes for resuscitating indigenous participation. Studies have shown, however, that against the backdrop of weak corporate management by the local operators and the absence of clear-cut government support for them, cabotage-implementing agencies such as Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and the Federal Ministry of Transport are perceived to have failed by compromise for foreign carriers through abuse of the waiver clause. The paper finds that poor corporate governance, absence of requisite managerial and technical skills and political instability had constituted handicaps against local operators since the advent of the Nigerian National Shipping Line in 1959. This is the biggest issue facing indigenous sea trade in Africa's biggest economy and only a firmer enforcement of the law, as was applied against NLNG in 2013, will even the playing field and transform the capacity of local operators.

This guideline has as its main objective to embrace almost every issue that
matters for understanding the situation regarding maritime infrastructure in the
Asia Pacific area and, more specifically, the region encompassing Southeast and
Northeast Asia. Moreover, aspects of history, politics and economy are considered
vital to better comprehend this area’s maritime connectivity needs. The historical
background of each of these regions helps to explain the existing bottlenecks
regarding not only infrastructure, but also political cooperation. In this regard,
the political realm is extremely important for these countries to cooperate. It is
necessary to build sustainable connectivity infrastructure; furthermore, historical
distrust and conflicts have been in the pace of these regions’ development and
sometimes hamper better dialogue. Moreover, the economic ties are of most
relevance, once they even strongly connect countries with bad political relations, as
China and Taiwan, and also reveal which area is poorly connected or must have its
infrastructure expanded. The maritime infrastructure is crucial for the development
of every region in the world, and it gains significance in the regions here studied,
where water plays a crucial role in trade and transportation. Therefore, bearing all
these issues in mind is imperative for inferring which is the best combination of
infrastructure investment for each country and for the region’s better development

The notorious “global-warming” phenomenon is clearly impacting negatively upon the Arctic environment. On the other hand, it is also creating significant new business opportunities: As Earth’s temperature maintains its rising trend, new maritime routes that were previously covered with ice-pacts are -slowly, but steadily- becoming available for shipping. Additionally, great interest is more openly expressed for the extraction of the estimated natural resources available in all those isolated areas and the seabed, another possible task for maritime transport. The IMO has already taken a very significant step to ensure a safer and cleaner shipping industry in the region under discussion through the adoption of the Polar Code, which strongly promotes maritime safety in these challenging waters. Issues such as uncharted areas, ice that is drifting and harsh environmental conditions are just a few examples of challenges for shipping. Strengthening the necessary technical infrastructure in order to support the expected increase of maritime traffic in the Arctic routes, with emphasis on facilitating timely response to emergencies and search and rescue (SAR) activities should be added to the equation. Even though there is encouraging institutional progress when it comes to ship building standards and the STCW provisions are continuously improved, due to the current occasional-limited use of polar waters for seaborne trade, there is obviously a lack of crews with the necessary experience. New preparatory training courses, some type of “field” activities, improved simulator capabilities and a new more proactive emergency response procedure that involves cooperation of all Arctic countries are needed to mitigate the high risks.

- by Dimitrios Dalaklis and +1
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- Maritime Transport Geography, Shipping/ Transport Logistics, Maritime Training and Education

L’étude d’un petit ensemble de lettres adressées, dans les années 1890, au même destinataire résidant à Tokyo nous permettra, ce mois-ci, de présenter les voies d’acheminement maritime de l’Europe vers le Pays du Soleil Levant. Malgré la monotonie apparente des affranchissements, la grande diversité des routes suivies témoigne de l’efficacité des services postaux de l’époque.

No existe un Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) enfocado en el transporte marítimo, sin embargo, el transporte marítimo está relacionado con varias metas de los ODS; particularmente, el transporte marítimo está íntimamente relacionado con las metas del ODS 3: Salud y Bienestar y del ODS 13: Acción por el Clima. La comunidad internacional ha generado varios instrumentos legales internacionales para coadyuvar con el éxito de las metas de los dos ODS antes mencionados. El logro de las metas generaría beneficios globales. A pesar de lo anterior, algunos países ratificantes no han podido implementar las disposiciones de tales instrumentos legales por cuestiones técnicas o económicas.

Numerous scientific records of climate indicators and their in depth statistical analyses testify that the global warming phenomenon's impact is becoming increasingly evident. Weather patterns have already been severely altered in various regions of the Earth, with the case of the Arctic clearly standing out. As ice-coverage in this region maintains its downward trend, the creation of new and significant business opportunities should, however, be noted. Maritime routes that were previously covered with ice-pacts are now becoming available for shipping; the promise for shorter voyages from Asia towards Europe and/or the Americas (and vice-versa) is enticing the least. Additionally, the status of lesser ice in the wider Arctic region could facilitate the extraction of the numerous natural resources (and especially energy related ones) available in all those frozen areas, which were previously widely considered as rather unsuitable for any type of business. The analysis in hand will briefly highlight the decline of ice-coverage in the Arctic and elaborate in its main consequence in relation to the contemporary global maritime transport system: the creation of the so called " Arctic Passages ". Additionally, it will provide a summary of the current regulatory framework associated with the region under discussion and especially the provisions of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code-PCD). Furthermore, considering that the use of petroleum today is the primary marine fuel source within commercial shipping, this analysis will expand upon previous research efforts about how to preserve the arctic environment by limiting the use of such oil fuels. Therefore, it will explore the use of alternative sources, specifically in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), in order to reduce the environmental impact of petroleum spilled within the pristine Arctic waters in the event of an accidental discharge, as well as under the notion to decrease air pollutants.

- by Dimitrios Dalaklis and +1
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- Maritime Transport Geography, Arctic, Maritime Training and Education, Maritime Safety

The Arctic landscape is being transformed with an unprecedented speed. However, this scientifically recorded decline of ice-coverage in the region under discussion is creating significant new business opportunities: maritime routes that were previously associated with " no-go " areas for navigation are now becoming more and more accessible. Shipping is directly affected by the opening of the so called " Arctic Passages ". A promise for shorter voyages from Asia towards Europe and/or the Americas (and vice-versa) is enticing; the decision however on whether to opt or not for one of these routes is complicated, with many varying aspects involved simultaneously. The definite answer regarding the economic viability of Arctic shipping is not there yet and chances are that for the near future even the most promising crossing, the Northern Sea Route, will remain of limited importance for the global maritime transport system. However, the number of ships operating in the Arctic will certainly increase in the future; the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) under a pre-emptive approach has already ensured a better future for the shipping industry in these challenging waters, through the adoption of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code), which strongly regulates the safety domain.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has paved the way for the shipping industry’s safer future in the challenging waters of the Arctic (and the Antarctic) through the introduction of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code). With that Code
as the epicenter of discussion, the initial findings of the analysis in hand were presented at the International Association of Maritime Economists’ 2016 Conference. Considering that: a) a significant period of time has already elapsed since the Polar Code’s initial adoption; b) the
Code entered into force on January 1, 2017; c) the number of ships operating in the Arctic will certainly increase in the future, especially when factoring in activities related to the Yamal LNG (an integrated project encompassing natural gas production, liquefaction, and shipping) and the upcoming Arctic LNG-2 projects, it is now time to provide a necessary update. It is shared knowledge that the Arctic landscape is being transformed at an unprecedented speed; the
scientifically recorded decline of ice coverage in the region is creating significant new business opportunities. Shipping activities are directly affected by the many ambitious energy resource exploration projects already underway, as well as the opening of the so called “Arctic Passages.” A promise for shorter voyages from Asia to Europe and the Americas (and vice versa) is enticing; the decision, however, on whether to opt or not for one of these routes is complicated, with many varying aspects involved simultaneously. The answer regarding the economic
viability of Arctic shipping is not yet fully understood and predictions for the near future indicate that even the most promising crossing, the Northern Sea Route, will remain of limited importance for the global maritime transport system. The Polar Code has certainly increased the
level of safety for shipping activities performed in Arctic waters up to now; however, certain improvements/updates must be expected in the near future.

Dès la fin des années 1840, Ceylan était devenue beaucoup plus qu’une simple escale sur la « Route des Indes » : l’île sous souveraineté britannique allait alors assumer le rôle de véritable plaque tournante du trafic des paquebots-poste... more

C’est pour obtempérer à une dépêche du 21 juin 1862, émanant du ministre de la marine et des colonies, que le Commandant supérieur de la Côte-d’Or et du Gabon prit, le 7 août suivant, un arrêté portant création du bureau de poste de Port-Gabon. Une décision éminemment politique, dans la mesure où la présence française dans la région restait encore très ponctuelle et limitée…

Numerous studies have highlighted the various adverse consequences related to the already scientifically recorded increase of Earth’s temperature, more widely known as “global warming phenomenon”. To name just a few, there are repeated observations of extreme weather patterns, occurrences of droughts (and the associated increased possibility of “water-related conflicts”), rise of the sea level, reduction on flora and fauna and so forth. Global economy cannot remain unaffected; the cost to deal with any of the aforementioned environmental degradations, all obviously interrelated to the climate change that is taking place in recent years, will be extremely high to bear. On the other hand, shipping, a sector intertwined with both the environment and the economy, lies before significant opportunities because of the opening of the arctic passages. Nevertheless, plans to use these passages should take into account developments within the domain of geopolitics. As this drastic change of the physical environment is progressing, there are also emerging complications expected to affect not only the neighboring coastal states of the Arctic, but potentially the whole international relations system. The ice-pact of the Arctic is continuously losing size and the possibility for shipping crossing through the region is gaining ground. But, the introduction of these new maritime routes is also associated with contradicting geopolitical aims for many actors within the international setting. The purpose of the current analysis is to approach the very intricate region of the Arctic by focusing simultaneously upon the environmental, the economic, as well as the interstate-relations aspect. This inhospitable part of the world is an epicenter of contradictions: a promising field for economic growth, but also a new chess-board for interstate rivalries. Depending on the “grand-strategies” of the actors involved, a possible outcome might be escalating tensions leading even to completely blocking the freedom of navigation. With climate change impacting negatively upon international relations, only a cooperative management approach for the whole Arctic region could pave the way towards the easy integration of these new routes within the contemporary global maritime transport system.

- by Soraia Vidal and +1
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- Maritime Transport Geography, Geografía Económica, Portos e Cidade, Ports and City

We critically examined the usage of Northern Sea Route (NSR) during the 8 year period from 2011 to 2018, using empirical data collected from the NSR Administration (NSRA), Center for High North Logistics (CHNL) and Equasis databases, together with scholarship available in the public domain to determine its commercial usage. We find that NSR transit numbers have generally been low (μ = 34 transits per year), varying between 71 transits per year (in 2013), 18 transits (in 2015, 2016), and 27 transits each in 2017 and 2018. On an aggregate basis, tankers and dry cargo ships have been the largest users of the NSR (123 and 122 transits respectively, accounting for 82% of all transits), followed by ice breakers, OSVs and SAR vessels (12% or 35 transits). Only 15 transits (5%) were by passenger, cruise and research ships followed by coastguard and fishing vessel (1%). Factors preventing its wider adoption include the comparatively lesser, but still existent presence of sea ice thus constituting a hazard to navigation, few cargo ports along the NSR, higher insurance premiums, inadequate coverage of charts, inadequate SAR facilities, the need for ice breaker assistance and resultant higher transit costs. Due to the presence of ice, NSR was open for navigation for < 155 days each year (132 days in 2018). Due to these pertinacious obstacles to safe navigation, the thinning of arctic ice has not resulted in waters sufficiently free of ice to enable safe commercially viable passage of commercial conventional cargo ships.

As his ship returned from Constantinople and ascended the Adriatic Sea on her way back to her home port, the Captain of the Lloyd Austriaco Postal Steamship knew quite well that during the next few hours, as he entered the port of Trieste before disembarking passengers, mail and merchandise, he was expected to enter the neighbouring Muggia marina to drop anchor near the St. Batholomew Lazaret to face a thorough inspection of his ship. The Ottoman capital that he set sail from six days earlier had indeed been plagued by cholera for several week...

- by Laurent VEGLIO
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- Maritime Transport Geography, Postal History, Maritime Routes, Ottoman Empire

Alors que la France s’engage dans cette guerre à la fin de l’année 1859, un accord passé avec le Post Office britannique permet de faciliter l’échange des correspondances entre la mère patrie et ses soldats. Ces derniers pourront alors... more

The growth in liner shipping capacity; the degree of containerisation of general cargo trades; and the average and maximum size of containerships have all been increasing at a remarkable rate during the past 20 years. Futurologists, naval... more

- by Hercules Haralambides
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- Management, History, Geography, Economics

The recent dynamics that are currently shaping the logisticmaritime economy, from reshoring/nearshoring to the growing role of technologies partly owing to the pandemic, are increasing the development of ports in the Mediterranean area and the role of Suez as a strategic hub for the transit of goods and energy flows. These aspects improve the maritime attractiveness of container ports in the Med. Maritime competitiveness is a result of considerable investment due to shipping being a capital-intensive sector, and foreign investment gauges the importance of these interventions alongside the attractiveness of the Mediterranean. In particular, Chinese investment (especially through the Belt and Road Initiative) is very relevant in the Euro-Mediterranean area. Finally, free zones, linked to top Mediterranean ports, are experiencing significant growth while encouraging investment, including in the green sector.

For many centuries, the Limfjord was a strait dividing Jutland in a northerly and a southerly part. As such, it constituted the safest and most frequented sea route between the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions. During the first part of the 12th century, its western inlet silted up, creating today’s Limfjord, thus forcing vessels to take a more northerly route around the dangerous Skaw – a route that had previously been avoided. The present study suggests that this so-called ummeland voyaging had considerable economic and geo-political consequences for the Viken region. In particular, it argues that ummeland voyaging was the main driver to the establishment of the town of Marstrand in the southern part of this region. The hypothesis presented thus contradicts much of the previous research on Marstrand’s urbanisation, which instead states that the town derived from a fishing hamlet.

Alors que son navire remonte la mer Adriatique vers son port d’attache, le capitaine du paquebot-poste du Lloyd Austriaco en provenance de Constantinople sait déjà que, dans quelques heures, au lieu de débarquer passagers, poste et marchandises sur les quais de Trieste comme à l’accoutumée, il devra manœuvrer devant les bassins de la Muggia, face au lazaret San Bartolomeo, pour une sévère inspection. La capitale ottomane qu‘il a quittée 6 jours auparavant est en effet en proie au choléra depuis plusieurs semaines…

- by Laurent VEGLIO
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- Maritime Transport Geography, Postal History, Maritime Routes, Ottoman Empire

Alors que le milieu du XIX° siècle voit le triomphe progressif de la navigation à vapeur dans l’acheminement des correspondances vers l’outre-mer, l’étude d’une lettre pour Melbourne, postée à la fin de l’année 1854, nous permet de rappeler le rôle non négligeable joué par les clippers et la marine à voile dont resplendissaient alors les derniers feux.

- by Laurent VEGLIO
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- Maritime Transport Geography, Postal History, Australia, Maritime Routes

207 U spomen na život i djelo: profesor emeritus dr. sc. Nikola Stražičić (1924.-2018.) Nakon bogatog i uspješnog pedagoškog rada i neumornog pregalaštva, u devedeset petoj godini života napustio nas je u Rijeci 11. kolovoza 2018. go-dine profesor emeritus Nikola Stražičić, vrijedni geograf, sin Marina i Mari-je, utemeljitelj suvremene pomorske geografije u bivšoj Jugoslaviji i Hrvat-skoj. Među malobrojnim hrvatskim geografima koji se bave ili su se bavili tom disciplinom, pripada mu pionirsko mjesto. Ostvarivši vidan doprinos razvoju ekonomske geografije, posebice pomorske, zaljubljen u more, otoke i priobalje, bavio se i drugim temama, posebice regionalnom geografijom Jadrana i hrvatskih otoka. Rođen je na toplom hrvatskom jugu, u Babinom Polju na otoku Mljetu, 12. ožujka 1924. u vrijeme kada je Dubrovnik bio sjedište oblasti. Pučku školu završio je u Babinom Polju 1935., a realnu gimnaziju u Dubrovni-ku 1943. Nakon kapitulacije Kraljevine Italije kao pripadnik 13. južno-dalmatinske brigade NOV-a bio je zarobljen tijekom invazije njemačke vojske na Mljetu potkraj 1943. Odveden je u Njemačku u logor i na rad u tvornici. Početkom srpnja 1945. vratio se u domovinu i proveo dva mjeseca u sabirnom logoru pod sovjetskom upravom. Nakon godinu dana oporavka od posljedica zarobljeništva, 1946. je upisao studij geografije i povijesti na Prirodoslovno-matematičkom i Filozofskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Tijekom studiranja, zbog posljedica života u logoru, godinu dana je proveo na bolničkom liječenju i u sanatoriju Brestovac te je diplomirao početkom 1952. Dekretom Ministarstva prosvjete te godine zaposlen je na Učiteljskoj školi u Rijeci kao profesor pripravnik, 1954. je položio struč-ni ispit u Zagrebu, a 1960. je u zvanju profesora više škole započeo predavati i na Višoj pomorskoj školi u Rijeci, predmet Pomorsko-ekonomska geografija. Jednu je godinu predavao Ekonomsku geografiju i na izvanrednom studiju koji je u Rijeci otvorio Ekonomski fakultet u Zagrebu. Zavolio je Rijeku i u njoj je proveo najveći dio života kao naturalizirani Riječanin. Na Višoj pomorskoj školi ostao je vanjski suradnik (na Nautičkom i lučko-transportnom odjelu) nakon što je 1962. prešao na novoosnovanu Pedagošku akademiju u Rijeci, gdje je utemeljio novu Katedru za geografiju i obnašao dužnost predstojnika (1962.-1978.). Vodio je stručne kolegije: Socijalna geografija, Geografija Jugoslavije, Osnove kartografije i Metodika nastave geografije. U dva mandata bio je prodekan Pedagoške akademije. Magistrirao je 1968. na Geografskom odsjeku PMF-a Sveučilišta u Zagrebu na poslijediplomskom stu-diju Elementi regionalizacije na temu Mljet-prilog poznavanju problematike izoliranog otoka (mentor: J. Roglić). Osnivanjem Fakulteta za pomorstvo i saobraćaj (danas Pomorski fakultet) u Rijeci 1978., prešao je na tu ustanovu u zvanju višeg predavača i u njoj ostao do umirovljenja 1995. Godine 1979. doktorirao je na Geografskom odsjeku PMF-a u Zagrebu na temu Otok Cres-prilog poznavanju geografije naših otoka (men-tor: J. Roglić), te je na Pomorskom fakultetu izabran najprije u zvanje docenta, zatim 1980. u izvanrednog i 1984. u redovitog profesora. Na Fakultetu je u jednom mandatu bio prodekan za nastavu te u dva mandata predstojnik Katedre za društvene znanosti i predstojnik Vijeća obrazovnog programa tehnologije prometa. Na poslijediplomskom studiju Multimodalni transport Pomorskog fakulteta vodio je predmet Pravci i dinamika robnih tokova na međunarodnom tržištu. Bio je mentor brojnim diplomantima i jednom ma-gistrandu, član povjerenstava za obranu desetak magisterija i četiri doktorata znanosti (dva na Pomorskom fakultetu u Rijeci i dva na PMF-u u Zagrebu), član brojnih povjerenstava za izbor u znanstveno-nastavna zvanja na sveučilištima u Rijeci, Zagrebu i Splitu, član Matičnog povjerenstva za znanstveno područje geologije i geografije pri Ministarstvu znanosti u Zagrebu (u dva mandata), član Znanstvenog savjeta za pomorstvo pri HAZU, član Društva za proučavanje i unaprjeđenje pomorstva Republike Hrvatske. Bio je (foto: www.rijeka.hr)

- by Damir Magaš
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- Maritime Transport Geography

The disparity of the trading activities in Indonesia has triggered Indonesia Port Corporation to come up with the plan of Nusantara Pendulum, the future network of container shipping in Indonesia. The Sea Tollway plan is the modification of Nusantara Pendulum that is also envisioned by Indonesia President for Indonesia future backbone container plan. Both networks were designed to increase Indonesia container shipping flow from west to east and vice versa like a pendulum, thus results the reduced transport cost. This paper depicts the comparison of network efficiency analysis between these networks: Nusantara Pendulum, Sea Tollway, and the existing network. Two main methods that are used are Nagurney-Qiang and Jenelius-Peterson-Mattson. Mainly, these two methods use the efficiency calculation by considering parameters of demand (goods flow) between each region and maritime transportation cost. It is concluded afterward that: 1) Sea Tollway is 8% more efficient than Nusantara Pendulum; 2) Sea Tollway and Nusantara Pendulum are ten times more efficient than current network; 3) Eastern ports in Indonesia (Bitung and Sorong) urgently requisite a development.

- by Hafida Fahmiasari and +1
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- Maritime Transport Geography, Logistics, Transportation, Maritime trade network

Si l’essentiel du courrier qui traverse l’Atlantique-nord au milieu du XIX° siècle, à l’image des flux d’émigrants européens, est dirigé vers les Etats-Unis, le Canada constitue une destination qu’il ne faut pas pour autant négliger. La décision de desservir directement ce territoire encore sous tutelle britannique lance, en 1851, une ambitieuse entreprise qui allait devoir s’affranchir de la contrainte des distances à parcourir mais aussi, et surtout, des conditions climatiques et météorologiques.

The Arctic landscape is being transformed with an unprecedented speed. However, this scientifically recorded decline of ice-coverage in the region under discussion is creating significant new business opportunities: maritime routes that were previously associated with “no-go” areas for navigation are now becoming more and more accessible. Shipping is directly affected by the opening of the so called “Arctic Passages”. A promise for shorter voyages from Asia towards Europe and/or the Americas (and vice-versa) is enticing; the decision however on whether to opt or not for one of these routes is complicated, with many varying aspects involved simultaneously. The definite answer regarding the economic viability of Arctic shipping is not there yet and chances are that for the near future even the most promising crossing, the Northern Sea Route, will remain of limited importance for the global maritime transport system. However, the number of ships operating in the Arctic will certainly increase in the future; the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) under a preemptive approach has already ensured a better future for the shipping industry in these challenging waters, through the adoption of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code), which strongly regulates the safety domain.

The natural configuration of our planet can offer significant comparative advantages to regions, providing them with the potential to become hubs of economic exchange and political interest or on the contrary, it may push them to the margins. Geography has played a crucial role in every aspect of History and has been a catalyst for the political and cultural evolution of mankind. At the same time, the effort to find means and goods that a region may be lacking, has constituted a motive for the communication of peoples dispersed across the globe. Technological advancements offered the possibility to interfere to geography to the benefit of the most globalized sector of the modern economy: shipping.
Maritime transport takes up the majority of the transport sector, thanks to the advantages it offers (reduced cost per transferred unit, access to every region) vis-à-vis the other principal means of transport (road, rail). As revealed by the tracing of the vessels’ movement worldwide, there is a convergence of the main routes in certain geographical areas. The countries which find themselves near them or that have under their control passages, they possess critical means of (geo)political influence, since these ways of “obligatory” crossing have increased strategic interest.
In the paper in hand, there is going to be an overview of the most fundamental passages, regarding maritime traffic, namely the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal. Each of them has radically transformed the transportation landscape and consequently global economy, by cutting thousands of nautical miles off routes, reducing cost as a result. Nevertheless, in order for them to stay in use, it is necessary to constantly undertake projects for their improvement so as to be able to follow the ship building trend of ever bigger vessels (widening and deepening of the crossings).
At the last section, the planned Istanbul Canal is presented, which can potentially -if actually realized- transform the geopolitical map of our neighborhood, upset-ting the existing balances. Despite the ardent support of its construction during the past elections, the recent electoral result may overthrow the plans in place. Moreover, as revealed by the study of the Suez and Panama Canals, critical factors for the realization of such “mega projects” is to ensure a flow of funds, the necessity of the construction itself and the ability to have solid economic and political support as much domestically as abroad.

- by Dimitrios Dalaklis and +1
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- Maritime Transport Geography, International Security, Maritime, Maritime Transportation

Le courrier destiné à la Californie qui n’emprunte pas la voie des bâtiments du commerce et du Cap Horn est dirigé, à partir de 1851, vers l’Angleterre puis l’isthme de Panama : une route bien plus rapide et régulière mais qui se paie... more

Since the rise of India, Indonesia and China as world economic powers the Straits of Malacca have gained in economic importance. Location at the Straits provides the Malaysian states with a substantial maritime potential. Using an index of the development of the maritime economy between 2000 and 2010 the paper will analyse the competitive position of the Malaysian states along the Straits of Malacca. The question will be asked, how far these states have realized their maritime potential and have moved ahead of their competitors along the Straits of Malacca. The development of other maritime states will provide a benchmark, through which the maritime performance can be measured. It will be argued that Penang’s maritime potential as a gateway to the Indian Ocean could be more fully realized , whereas Johor has invested heavily in its harbour facilities and capitalized on its strategic position between the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.

- by Theo Notteboom
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- Geography, Human Geography, African Studies, Graph Theory

Née à la fin du XVIII e siècle et symbole de la « révolution industrielle », la technologie du moteur à vapeur fut progressivement appliquée aux transports dans le premier tiers du XIX° siècle. Avant même que ne soit inaugurée la première ligne ferroviaire de voyageurs en septembre 1825, les transports maritimes s'emparaient de cette innovation et l'acheminement du courrier allait bientôt en bénéficier.

Unicorns stalk Silicon Valley (promising huge returns to investors), big pharma ramps up drug prices on the back of knowledge monopolies (buying back their shares with the profits), multinational corporations hide ‘their’ intellectual property in offshore shell companies (avoiding much-needed taxes), and governments turn the air we breathe into a financial asset (giving it away to polluters). Contemporary capitalism is different; it is increasingly dominated by forms of rentiership rather than entrepreneurship, by the extraction of economic rents rather than the creation of new products and services (Birch 2017a; Felli 2014; Sayer 2015; Swyngedouw, 2010; Ward & Aalbers, 2016). Economic rents can be defined as the value extracted from economic activity – broadly conceived – as the result of the ownership and control of a particular resource, primarily because of that resource’s inherent or constructed degree of productivity, scarcity, or quality. As geographers, it is necessary to unpack how we analyse and understand – theoretically, politically, and ethically – the diversity of modes of ownership and control of resources in contemporary capitalism, including sociotechnical platforms (e.g. Uber), business model sorcery (e.g. Google), prosumer productivity (e.g. Facebook), Big Data mining (e.g. consumption patterns), and financial warlockery (e.g. interchange fees). This unpacking opens up opportunities to return to some of the geographical classics (e.g. David Harvey, Neil Smith) on economic rent, as well as engage with more recent literatures pushing forward debate in this area (e.g. Andreucci et al. 2017; Birch 2017b, 2017c; Haila 2016; Langley & Leyshon 2016; Maurer 2017; Schwartz 2017; Slater 2017; Storper 2013; Tretter 2016; Ward & Aalbers, 2016; Zeller 2008).

- by Kean Birch and +1
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- Sociology, Environmental Sociology, Economic Sociology, Media Sociology

Draft version on the long-term evolution of transport networks in Northwest Africa. Historical and Geographical approaches.

In recent years, a continuous decline of ice-coverage in the Arctic has been recorded, but these high latitudes are still dominated by earth’s polar ice cap. Therefore, safe and sustainable shipping operations in this still frozen region have as a precondition the availability of ice-breaking
support. The analysis in hand provides an assessment of the United States’ and Canada’s polar ice-breaking program with the purpose of examining to what extent these countries’ relevant resources are able to meet the facilitated growth of industrial interests in the High North. This assessment will specifically focus on the maritime transportation sector along the Northwest Passage and consists of four main sections. The first provides a very brief description of the main Arctic passages. The
second section specifically explores the current situation of the Northwest Passage, including the relevant navigational challenges, lack of infrastructure, available routes that may be used for transit, potential choke points, and current state of vessel activity along these routes. The third one examines the economic viability of the Northwest Passage compared to that of the Panama Canal; the fourth and final section is investigating the current and future capabilities of the United States’ and Canada’s ice-breaking fleet. Unfortunately, both countries were found to be lacking the necessary assets with ice-breaking capabilities and will need to accelerate their efforts in order to effectively respond to the
growing needs of the Arctic. The total number of available ice-breaking assets is impacting negatively the level of support by the marine transportation system of both the United States and Canada; these
two countries are facing the possibility to be unable to effectively meet the expected future needs because of the lengthy acquisition and production process required for new ice-breaking fleets.

Along with climate change in the Arctic region sprang out discussions on the 'Arctic Route', which would be the shortest sea route connecting China with Europe. This is in line with the current trend, which has been manifested in, inter alia, the announcement of the Chinese government regarding the so-called Arctic Silk Road. Other countries are also their developing policy in this scope. There are several variants, including one running close to the territories of the Russian Federation and Norway, and another one running close to Alaska and Canada. The attractiveness of the route is further increased by the lack of piracy threat. Nevertheless, the time perspective of the accessibility of the route for merchant ships is unknown. Furthermore, there are legal and political concerns related to the possibility of establishing such a route. The discussion may also constitute a starting point for considering the adaptation of ships to routes that are partially ice-covered. Additionally, it will be an opportunity to address the issue of existing maritime routes and prospects for their development, including, for instance, the 'Belt and Road' initiative and TRACECA.

Navigating along the Northern Sea Route: Organization of SAR Services SAR services can easily handle the current limited level of traffic; BUT, as more vessels are expected in the future to operate in the Arctic, more capabilities will be... more