English Channel To Panama Canal: 5 Busiest Routes In The World

• Large ships use shipping routes to navigate lanes to connect major ports and carry cargo.
• These shipping routes allow efficient, safe and economical transportation of goods and offer the shortest sailing times.

More than 80 per cent of the world’s trade is carried by sea, making shipping routes an important aspect of trade. Shipping routes help transition trade and connect distant lands by harnessing wind power and sailing across oceans. There are several shipping routes worldwide; some are small, distant, and others are long. Some are less occupied, while others are the busiest routes. News9 looks at the five busiest shipping routes in the world.

English Channel

One of the busiest shipping routes in the world, the English Channel – an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, links the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It establishes a crucial link between the United Kingdom and Europe. The English Channel’s length is 560 km, and its width is 240 km. It is also known as Channel. Around 500 vessel transits happen in a day on the English Channel. Along its coast, there are around 170 ports and harbours.

Malacca Strait

Another busiest shipping route in the world is Malacca Strait. It lies between Sumatra Island in Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula in Thailand and connects to the Andaman Sea with the Strait of Singapore and the South China Sea. It’s narrow, with a length of 500 km and 65 to 250 km broad. The main route is between India and the Pacific Ocean and connects to countries like India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. Around 40 ports and over 90,000 ships pass this route annually. Most global trade, like goods, coffee, and more, crosses this land to reach far and wide markets.

Hormuz Strait

One of the busiest routes between Iran and Oman, the Hormuz Strait is a vital maritime choke point. It is the main shipping lane for oil from the Middle East. In 2020, Hormuz Strait witnessed over 20,000 ship transits, making it the world’s 3rd busiest shipping lane. It is 167 km long and has a width ranging from 96 km to 39 km. The strait is strategically important in world trade and geopolitics. Vessels adhere to the Traffic Separation Scheme in which inbound ships utilise one lane, and outbound ones use another.

Suez Canal

It connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea and divides Africa and Asia. The canal, when it was constructed, was 164 km in length and 8 m in depth. But after many rounds of enlargements, it is 193.3 km long, 205 m wide and 24 m deep. It is the crucial shipping route between Europe and Asia. The northern access channel is 22 km long, and the southern access channel is 9 km long. Almost 56 ships cross the canal every day. With its narrow configuration, it is only one-way traffic; massive delays can happen if there are blockages.

Panama Canal

Panama Canal was constructed from 1904 to 1914 and is 51 miles long. It separates North America and South America and links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The canal locks allow lifting vessels, and approximately 200,000,000 litres of freshwater is used in a single passing of a ship. The locks are 33.5 m wide. Several improvements were made to increase the capacity. Still, one of the busiest routes, the Panama Canal, has witnessed reduced daily crossings due to persistent drought conditions.

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Source: News9

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