Nowadays, Europe is the leader in the total number of ports (from small to huge). Since it is washed by 9 seas and the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Currently there are more than nine hundred seaports.

The big advantage of any port is its cargo turnover. Small ones can process only 1 million tons per year, while large ones, which are worth paying attention to, process more than 40 million tons. They are called the largest ports because they play a huge role in the world economy.

The largest seaport in Europe and the world is the Rotterdam fishing bay.

A small part of the history of the world port

Built on the shores of the northern ocean in the Netherlands. It was a small fishing village where fishing flourished. Ordinary fishermen exchanged their catch for the desired group of goods. Over time, jewelry and overseas fruits began to appear in the village, the existence of which many did not even know. Closer to the 19th century, serious changes occurred; industrial buildings, mines, etc. began to be built on a large scale. The history of this village has always been closely connected with the sea, and now it is the largest port in Europe. It could service up to 40 thousand ships per year.

During World War II, little remained of the city. Houses and monuments were destroyed. People from scratch restored and put their city back on its feet with their own efforts.

Now the port of Rotterdam is recognizable by everyone in the Netherlands and throughout Europe

City information

One of the largest cities in the Netherlands, with a huge number of people, it is known for the best educational institutions, amazing views of the river and, of course, unusual buildings. This is how an ordinary village turned into a huge metropolis. The culture of this city is developed, so festivities with dressing up are regularly held.

Rotterdam has one of the largest airports. There are 7 railway stations, one of them is international. Thanks to this, you can travel to the nearest countries of the world in a few hours. But bicycles are not developed here, due to the modern construction of the city. Buses, metro and, of course, sea taxis are more valued here. The weather here is moderate, not cold in winter, about +5 C, and in summer it does not rise above 20 C. A large amount of precipitation falls in the autumn-winter period.


Rotterdam is the first city to open a metro, and there are already 60 stations in the area

Advantages of the Port of Rotterdam

The city of Rotterdam has a developed shipbuilding industry. There is a huge arsenal of various yachts, tugs, taxi ships (in great demand), and lighthouse ships. They amaze with their appearance and originality. The port is located in the heart of the Netherlands and deals with the import and export of goods and raw materials. Which plays a huge role in the life of this port.

The total area of ​​this port is 105 square kilometers and the length is 40 kilometers. Due to its dimensions, it can serve very large vessels, which is something their many competitors cannot afford.


Rotterdam is called the "German port" as it imports all necessary goods into Germany

Attractions

One of the most famous attractions is the high 185 meter tower. You can climb it using an elevator, and there a magnificent picture of the city opens up. And even higher is the 85-meter “Space Tower”. It has transparent walls and a hatch in the floor; you can go down on it, or you can use climbing equipment. It rotates around its axis, its highest point is 185 meters.


There are 19 mills in the city, one of them is a museum, and the 18 others are still inhabited by the ancestors of the millers

The Erasmus Bridge was built in 1996 and is 800 meters high. This is the thinnest drawbridge in the world. Width more than 2 meters. It is made of nickel and chrome steel. The bridge serves as a passage from Rotterdam to the city and the North Sea. A special view opens up at night when its backlight turns on.

In the 20th century, Blom, one of the famous architects, built 3-story buildings. They are built in the form of cubes that connect into one bridge along the street. They have transparent roofs and passersby can enjoy the view.


Cube houses house schools, restaurants, etc.

Other major European ports

Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe, but not the only one. Other large port cities are listed below:

  • Antwerp (Belgium). Second in Europe, one of the twenty largest ports in the world. The total cargo turnover is about 200 million tons per year.
  • Hamburg, Germany). Stretched for 100 km. It was formed in 1189. Cargo turnover is more than 138 million tons per year.
  • Novorossiysk (Russia). The largest in the Krasnodar region, the record holder in Russia for the length of the berthing line, reaching 8.3 km. The turnover of maritime cargo transportation is more than 117 million tons per year.
  • Amsterdam (Netherlands). Capital of the Netherlands. Connected to the North Sea by the Nords Canal. Cargo turnover is more than 78 million tons per year.
  • Marseille (France). A large port complex including East Marseille and several ports in the Gulf of Foz. The turnover of the main port is 110 million tons per year, the Foz region is more than 73 million tons.
  • Primorsk (Russia). The largest oil loading port in our country on the Baltic Sea. Freight turnover is more than 64 million tons per year.
  • Algeciras (Spain). The largest in the south of Spain, it is one of the ten ports in Europe with a cargo turnover exceeding 50 million tons per year.
  • Le Havre (France). The first in the country for the transportation of passengers, the second for the transportation of goods. Cargo turnover exceeds 50 million tons per year (mainly oil).
  • Bremen (Germany). Second largest after Hamburg. Cargo turnover is about 50 million tons per year.

The port rating is determined by the level of port congestion based on the volume of container loading, in other words, by its container turnover. It is clear that the port rating may change, so it is advisable to carry out such a rating every year. Below is a list of the busiest ports in the world in 2012.

1
The world's largest port maintains its first position since 2010, when it overtook the port of Singapore. In 2012, it showed the best result among giant ports - 32.5 million twenty-foot containers (TEU) per year.

2 Port of Singapore (Singapore) - Singapore

Although the Port of Singapore has lost its lead, it is still considered the busiest port in the world. In 2012, for the third time in a row, it became the second container port in the world - container turnover amounted to 31.7 million TEU per year.

3 Port of Hong Kong - China

The container turnover of this port in 2012 amounted to 23 million TEU. Hong Kong is China's second largest port and has 14 berths.

4

Every year it expands its market share in southern China due to its proximity to steel plants and the Pearl River Delta. In 2012, it accepted about 23 million 20-foot containers.

5

A figure of 22.5 million TEU in 2012 allowed this busy South Korean port to maintain a respectable fifth place in the ranking.

6 Port of Ningbo (Ningbo-Shoushan) - China

The port is located at the intersection of the major northwest route and the inland navigation of the Yangtze River and is the sixth container port in the world (16.8 million TEU per year)

7

The port in the Pearl River Delta - Guangzhou in 2012 received more than 12 million 20-foot standard containers.

8

Another rapidly developing Chinese port, whose terminals handled 14.5 million containers in 2012.

9

Has the world's fourth largest container terminal operator. In 2012, it handled 13.4 million containers, including the world’s largest container ship with a carrying capacity of 16,020 TEU “Marco Polo”.

10

It reached 12.3 million TEU in 2012 and took tenth place in the ranking of the largest ports, thereby displacing the oldest European port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It is easy to notice that Chinese ports have taken leading positions in the ranking (7 out of 10). Due to global changes in the world economy, Asian ports have completely replaced European ports in the ranking of the largest ports on our planet.

Seaports are important transport hubs connecting regions, countries and continents. Today, like many centuries ago, maritime transport remains the largest logistics channel. It accounts for more than 70% of the world's cargo turnover. Cars, computers, spare parts, food, clothing and much more are transported across seas and oceans using containers. It is not surprising that the largest port in the world is located in Shanghai, because China is considered the largest producer of everything that can be found on store shelves.


Port giant

Shanghai seaport is located in the western part of the Pacific coast servicing vessels engaged in sea and river transportation. The area of ​​its cargo terminals is more than 3619.6 square meters. km. From here containers are sent to almost all countries of the world. It accounts for more than 20% of China's total cargo turnover carried out by sea. But it was not always so...


Just some 20 years ago, Shanghai was not even among the 20 largest ports in the world. Rotterdam then occupied the leading position. It is located along the Nieuwe Waterwech and Maas rivers off the coast of the North Sea, and its area is about 100 square meters. km. More than 30 thousand units of marine transport moor here every year. The bulk of the port's cargo turnover consists of oil, ore and coal. Its throughput capacity in 2010 was 430 million tons. From 1962 to 1986, the port of Rotterdam was the largest in the world, but then lost its position. However, it still remains the leader among seaports in Europe.


Crossing six continents

After Rotterdam, global leadership in container shipping passed to Singapore. The population of this small city-state is only 5 million people. If you divide the number of containers passing through the local port by the number of city residents, then there will be 5 of them per person.


The Port of Singapore is located at the intersection of traffic flows of six continents. It is connected to more than 600 ports from at least 100 countries around the world. Until 2009, the transit of containers through the port increased annually, which allowed it to become the largest in the world. However, the global economic crisis affected trade turnover, and in 2010 Singapore was inferior in its performance to the seaport in Shanghai.


Domestic leader

Maritime transport is the most profitable means of economic relations with foreign countries for Russia. It accounts for about 90% of international cargo turnover in the state. The largest port in Russia is located in Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Territory) and is located on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea.


It is the only ice-free deep-water port in the southern basin of Russia. Over the past few years, its cargo turnover has remained in the range of 110-116 million tons per year, which has secured its place in the top five among European seaports.

In fact, if you wanted to compile the TOP 10 largest ports in the world, almost all of them would be in Asia. But today we will not describe the most gigantic ports, but will focus our attention on the most productive “sea gates” of the world, where transshipment, arrival and departure of a simply gigantic number of ships and cargo take place every day. Looking at the number of twenty-foot equivalent units (called TEU) they process. from English twenty-foot equivalent unit), it’s time to truly admire. And this TOP will include precisely such ports - the most significant ones, without which modern trade and logistics would simply be impossible.

Port of Shanghai (China)

According to the most recent available data (2016), the sea and river port of Shanghai handles about 37 million TEU per year, which set a world record, significantly ahead of all other ports.

Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, it has 125 berths, handling more than 2,000 container ships every month. This is about a quarter of all outbound shipments from China.

But when it comes to size, the Port of Singapore will give everyone a head start. With nearly 31 million 20-foot equivalent units processed, it is not far behind Shanghai, but larger in size. Moreover, the area occupied by these “sea gates” is growing more and more every year, which means that it is likely that it will soon be able to retake its status as the busiest port in the world from Shanghai ( until 2015 it was the largest port in the world). However, today it is the largest transshipment point in the world, receiving cargo from 600 other ports from 123 countries.

It has 52 berths for container ships, on which almost 200 harbor cranes operate simultaneously. And, of course, he brings an incredible amount of money to the country.

Port of Rotterdam (Holland)

It is the largest port in Europe in terms of cargo handled. However, with its more than 12 million TEU, it does not even make it into the top ten most powerful in the world - in 2015 it took 11th place.

Stretching over 40 km, it has perhaps one of the deepest port waters to be able to receive huge ships. And it is definitely the most technologically advanced, because almost all unloading and loading operations on it are carried out using modern technology - robots, automation and unique port special equipment.

The only non-Asian port that is also included in the TOP 10 largest seaports in the world. Jebel Ali, located 35 km from Dubai and originally built almost on sand in the desert, handles cargo in the amount of 15 million TEU. Acts as an important port for everything related to oil. It is a relatively new “player” in the global logistics network.

The port can accommodate ships of up to 545 thousand tons of carrying capacity and up to 414 meters in length, and is where the US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers most often stop.

More than 10,000 people work on its territory, it has a metro line, and its needs are provided by its own power plant and a giant desalination plant.

The largest port in South and North America, that is why it is simply called the Port of America. Handles about 8 million TEU per year. Located 32 km from Los Angeles, it covers an area of ​​more than 300 hectares, has 270 deep-water berths, and is serviced by 23 harbor cranes and more than 1,000 people.

The depth at the entrance fairways is 10-16 m, the oil harbor is accessible to tankers with a draft of up to 15 m. It receives a lot of cargo and passengers from Asia - China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. The territory has its own museum, park, many cafes and a very picturesque embankment, along which many tourists enjoy walking.

This port, founded in 1876, is called the fastest growing port in the world, not only in terms of area expansion, but also in terms of its importance in global logistics. Now, with its size of 153 hectares, it ranks 5th in the top ten largest ports in the world. Currently it handles about 20 million TEU per year - that's 130 ships daily. It is considered one of the most important ports through which most of the world's seafood passes.

The port of Busan is the largest in the Republic of Korea and can accommodate ships with a displacement of up to 50 thousand tons, a length of up to 330 meters and a draft of up to 12.5 meters.

Every year the port hosts a festival of lights, which is accompanied by bright performances, light performances with the participation of port cranes and a laser show.

Despite the fact that this Turkish port ranks only 48th in the international size ranking, it already handles just over 3 million TEU per year. It is the largest in the country, located in Istanbul, and already plays a key global role in cargo delivery. One of the oldest ports in the maritime history of mankind, Ambarli has access to the Marmara and Black Seas, which means it can actively work with Europe.

The port is divided into two parts. Part one, called the New Port, consists mainly of bulk and container terminals, the second is mainly oil platforms and berths.

Determining the largest ports in the world allows you to properly organize logistics. The level of congestion at various ports plays an important role in the processing and analysis of available data. Container loading volume is one of the most important characteristics that must be taken into account when determining the optimal direction for transporting goods.

The seaport of Shanghai is the largest in the world, due to its convenient location. The port is located between the southern and northern sides of China and has direct access to the sea. The 2012 figure is one of the best: during the year we managed to service 32 and a half million twenty-foot containers.

Shanghai is the main naval base and the largest port of China, located on the Huangpu River at a distance of 50 kilometers from the coast of the East China Sea. Port facilities occupy 60 kilometers of the river coast, and the length of the berth front exceeds 40 kilometers and includes more than 100 berths. The total turnover of sea freight transport in Shanghai exceeds 100,000,000 tons.

The following cargoes are traditionally imported into the port:

  • corn;
  • coal;
  • industrial equipment;
  • corn.

General cargo is most often transported from the port.

The complex includes:

  • special unit for loading and unloading sea cargo;
  • container terminal, which receives and processes containers;
  • a special pier for coal transportation;
  • berths;
  • warehouses with a total area of ​​260,000 square meters;
  • open cargo areas with an area of ​​100,000 square meters;
  • shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises.

You can guess that the port of Shanghai turned out to be the most important in the world for a reason.

This port complex ranks second in size. Moreover, the turnover of containers per year can exceed 30 million.

The port in Singapore is traditionally called the “gateway of Europe”, because it allows connecting Asian and European countries. In most cases, all equipment sold in Europe passes through this transport facility. Every day, port employees process about 80 thousand containers, and large ships always wait for special permission to sail into the territory.

The high technology of the seaport includes 11 radars for monitoring vessels, more than a thousand innovative and reliable video cameras. Only modern technologies make it possible to successfully service all container ships and cargo ships.

This port complex is located on the southeast coast of China and has 14 berths. The annual turnover is approximately 23,000,000 TEU. Every year, port employees service about 7,500 cargo ships, as well as 15,000 small boats and ships. Such indicators, as in other cases, turn out to be worthy.

This port complex can accommodate up to 23,000,000 twenty-foot containers per year.

Port includes:

  • 141 berths;
  • 27 shipyards;
  • 18 passenger terminals;
  • covered warehouse area – 360 thousand square meters;
  • The area of ​​the container site is 60,000 square meters.

Such figures indicate a high level of functionality of the Shenzhen port, which in most cases imports placer ores, grain crops, chemical and petroleum products, rolled metal, and liquefied gas.

In South Korea, the port of Busan is capable of receiving cargo ships capable of transporting up to 50,000 tons of cargo. The port complex is located on the coast of the Korea Strait in a natural harbor. The length of the berth front exceeds ten kilometers.

The port complex is located at the intersection of northern and western directions. In addition, Ningbo is successfully used for inland navigation along the Yangtze River. The port includes several divisions that successfully interact with each other.

This port complex can handle more than 12,000,000 containers with a loading capacity of up to 20 feet.

The terminals of the port complex can successfully handle up to 14.5 million containers.

This port successfully handles up to 13.4 million containers per year.

It is this port complex that is ready to break into the tenth place of the largest ports with an annual transportation volume of 12.3 million.

All cargo ports in the world, which serve a large number of ships and containers, must meet high requirements for reliability, functionality and modernity. It is not so easy to enter the TOP 10 of the largest ports in the world and reliably maintain its position, but the best enterprises successfully cope with the task.

Video: Top 10 largest ports in the world