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Chokepoints of world shipping
Age 18 · Geography
Most world trade travels by sea, and much of it squeezes through a few narrow passages such as the Strait of Malacca, the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal. Because so many ships pass through these chokepoints, a blockage there can disrupt trade around the globe.
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In the picture
- A narrow strait: many container ships pass through in single file
- A canal lock: lifts ships over land to link two oceans
- Open ocean: wide, with relatively few ships spread out
- A seabed cable: carries the data that coordinates global trade
Examples
- A phone made in Asia reaches a European shop on a ship that probably passed through Suez or Malacca.
- When a ship got stuck in the Suez Canal in 2021, deliveries were delayed worldwide.
Key takeaways
- Shipping carries about 80% of world goods by volume.
- A few chokepoints, like Malacca, Suez and Panama, handle a huge share of that traffic.
Quiz: Chokepoints of world shipping (Age 18)
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Roughly what share of world goods, by volume, travels by sea?
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Why can a blockage in a canal or strait disrupt trade around the whole world?
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Which of these groups names three major chokepoints of world shipping?
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