TRANSPORT COMMUNICATION & TRADE LESSON 8
INTRODUCTION
Transport, communication & trade links producing centres to
consuming centres
Transport provides network of links & carriers through which trade
takes place
TRANSPORT
It is a service for the carriage of persons & goods from one place to
another using humans, animals & vehicles
TYPES:
▪ Land Transport: Roads & Railways
▪ Air Transport: Airways
▪ Water Transport: Shipping & waterways
▪ Pipelines: Carry Petroleum & Natural Gas
Transport network is the pattern formed by joining several places
together by a series of routes
MODES OF TRANSPORT
Includes land, air, water & pipelines
Used for inter & intra regional transport
Waterways carry out international movement of goods
Road transport is cheaper & faster for short distances also provide
door to door service
Railways is suited for large volume of bulky material over long
distances within a country
All modes of transport complement each other
High value, light & perishable goods are carried by airways
Pipelines carry milk , petroleum & other liquid commodities
LAND TRANSPORT
It is the movement of goods & services which take place over land
With the invention of steam engine transport was revolutionized
First public railway line was laid in 1825 between Stockton &
Darlington
Road quality & vehicles improved after invention of steam engine
Pipelines , Ropeways , Cableways are newer development
Great freight carriers: Railways, ocean vessels & boats
Old forms of land transport: human porter, pack animal & wagons
ROADS
Road transport is economical for short distances over Railways
It offers door to door services
Play a vital role in nation’s trade & commerce also promote tourism
Developed countries have better roads that of developing countries
due to high expenditure
Provides long distance links in form of motorways, autobahns (highways in germany ) , inter state highway for speedy movements
Highest road density & highest number of vehicles- North America Congestion occurs when road network cannot cope with traffic demands
Peaks in traffic: traffic occurs in particular time of the day
Troughs in traffic: when there is less or no traffic at a particular time
PACK ANIMALS
- Horses- western countries
- Dogs & Reindeer- North America
- Mules- Mountainuous regions
- Camels- Deserts
URBAN TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS
- Higher parking fee
- Expressways
- Mass Rapid Transit (Metros)
- Improved public bus service
HIGHWAYS
These are metalled roads connecting distant places
Constructed for unobstructed vehicular movement
These are 80 m wide, with separate traffic lanes , bridges etc.
Facilitate uninterrupted traffic flow
In developed countries every city & port town is linked with highway
HIGHWAYS-NORTH AMERICA
Highway density is high 0.65km/sq.km
Connects cities of Atlantic coast to Pacific coast
HIGHWAYS- EUROPE
Europe has a large number of vehicles & developed highway
network
Highways face competition from railways, waterways due to vast
geographical area
Highways are not as important as Railways
Example: Moscow Vladivostok Highway serves east region
HIGHWAYS –AUSTRALIA
Trans Continental Stuart Highway connects Darwin to Melbourne
HIGHWAYS – ASIA
CHINA
▪ Highways criss cross the country connecting Shanghai, Beijing &
other important cities
▪ A new highway links Chengdu (China) with Lhasa (Tibet)
INDIA
▪ Many highways linking major cities
▪ NH 7 , the longest links Varanasi with Kanyakumari
▪ Golden Quadrilateral connects four metropolitan cities
HIGHWAYS- AFRICA
Highway joins Algiers to Conakry
Another highway joins Cairo to Cape town
BORDER ROADS
▪ Laid along international boundaries
▪ Integrate people in remote areas with major cities
▪ Used to transport goods to military camps
RAILWAYS
•Mode of transport for bulky goods & passengers over long distances •Commuter trains are popular in India, Japan, USA
RAILWAYS-EUROPE
Europe has most dense rail network in world
About 4,40,000 km of railways is double/multi tacked
Belgium has highest rail density (1km railway for every 6.5 sq. km
London, Paris , Berlin, Moscow are important rail heads
Underground railway is popular in London & Paris
Tube train is popular in Vienna
Channel tunnel operated by Euro Tunnel Group connects London with Paris
In Russia railway accounts 90% of country’s total transport
RAILWAYS – NORTH AMERICA
North America has most extensive rail network, 40% of the world’s
total rail network
Railways is used more for long distance bulky freight like ores, grains,
machinery
In Canada railways are in public sector , distributed over sparsely
populated areas
RAILWAYS- AUSTRALIA
Australia has 40,000 km of railways
The West-East Australian National Railway line runs from Perth to
Sydney
RAILWAYS- SOUTH AMERICA
▪ Railway network is dense in Pampas of Argentina & Brazil
▪ Chile links coastal centres with the mining sites in Bolivia, Venezuela
▪ Trans-Andean is only trans continental rail route linking Buenos Aires
with Valparaiso
RAILWAYS- ASIA
Rail network is most dense in Japan, China & India
West Asia is least developed in railways due to deserts & sparsely
populated regions
RAILWAYS-AFRICA
Africa has only 40,000 km of railway
South Africa alone accounts 18,000 km of Railway due to
concentration of Gold , Diamond & other mining activities
TRANS-CONTINENTAL RAILWAYS
Runs across continents & link its two ends
Constructed for political & economic reasons
Facilitate long runs in different directions
Examples:
- Trans-Siberian Railway
- Trans-Canadian Railway
- The Union & Pacific Railway
- The Australian Trans-Continental Railway
- The Orient Express
1. TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY
Route of Russia , runs from St. Petersburg (W) to Vladivostok (E)
Most important route in Asia
Longest railway route: 9332 km
Double tracked & electrified
Helped in opening Its Asian regions to European markets
Runs from Ural Mountain, Ob & Yenisei river
Connects Agro centres like Chita & Irkutsk
2. TRANS-CANADIAN RAILWAY
It is 7,050 km long railway route in Canada
It was constructed in 1886
Runs from Halifax (E) to Vancouver (W)
Connects important centres like Ottawa & Montreal
It is economically significant as it links Quebec-Montreal region with the wheat belt of Prairie region
It is economic artery of Canada, wheat & meat are important exports
3. UNION & PACIFIC RAILWAY
Connects New York (Atlantic Coast) to S . Francisco (Pacific Coast)
Passes through Cleveland, Chicago
Valuable exports : Paper, Chemicals & Machinery
4. AUSTRALIAN TRANS-CONTINENTAL RAILWAY
Runs from Perth (W) to Sydney (E) in southern Australia
Passes through Kalgoorlie, Broken Hill & port Augusta
5. ORIENT EXPRESS
Runs from Paris to Istanbul in Europe
Journey time from London to Istanbul has reduced to about 96 hours from 10 days earlier
Main exports: Cheese, Oats, Wine
WATER TRANSPORT
It doesn’t require route construction
Oceans are linked with each other
Port facilities at both ends is required to carry water transport
Cheaper because friction of water is less than that of land
Energy cost is also lower thus eco-friendly
Divided into Sea Routes & Inland waterways
1.SEA ROUTES
Oceans offer a highway travelable in all directions with no
maintenance cost
Cheaper means of haulage of bulky material over long distances
from one continent to other
Modern cargoes are highly sophisticated with radars , navigation,
refrigeration
Use of containers has made cargo handling easier at ports
NORTH ATLANTIC SEA ROUTE
Links North-eastern USA to North-western Europe two industrially developed regions
Foreign trade is greater over this route,1/4th of world’s foreign trade moves across this route
Busiest sea route in the world
Also called Big Trunk route
Coasts have advanced ports & harbor facilities
MEDITERRANEAN –INDIAN OCEAN SEA ROUTE
Connects W-Europe with Africa & Asia
Passes through heart of the old world serves the highest number of countries
Volume of trade between east & west Africa is on increase due to
development of resources like gold , diamond
Important ports: Singapore , Karachi , Colombo
Construction of Suez canal reduced the time & distance than cape
of good hope sea route
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE SEA ROUTE
- Connects industrialised west european region with West africa, & Australia
- Volume of trade and traffic between both East and West Africa is on the increase due to development of rich natural resources like gold & diamond
Southern Atlantic Sea Route
It lies across Atlantic ocean Connects W-European & W-African countries with South America
(Brazil, Argentina) Less traffic due to limited development & population in S-America Little traffic on this route as South America & Africa have similar
product & resources
NORTH PACIFIC SEA ROUTE
Links port on west of N-America with those of Asia Trade across this route converge at Honululu
American ports: Vancouver, San Francisco , Los Angeles
Asian ports: Yokohama, Shanghai, Singapore Direct route on this route which links Vancouver and Yokohama and reduces the travelling distance by half
SOUTH PACIFIC SEA ROUTE
Connects W-Europe & N America with Australia & New Zealand
Used for travelling to Indonesia , Hong Kong , etc.
Honolulu is important port on this route
COASTAL SHIPPING
Movement of goods in cargo from one coast to other
It is convenient mode of transport with long coastlines
Schengen states in Europe are suitably preferred for coastal shipping
It can reduce congestion on land routes
SHIPPING CANALS
▪ Suez & Panama are two man-made navigation canals
▪ Serves as gateways of commerce for both eastern & western worlds
SUEZ CANAL
Constructed in 1869 in Egypt between Port Said (N) to Port Suez (S)
Links Mediterranean sea with red sea
It is sea level canal , 160 km & 11-15 m deep
Gives Europe a new way to Indian ocean
Reduces direct sea route distance between Liverpool & Colombo compared to Cape of Good Hope Sea Route
Heavy tolls are imposed for passing through this route
About 100 ships travel daily from this route
PANAMA CANAL
Connects Atlantic ocean (E) to Pacific Ocean (W)
Constructed across Panama Isthmus by US govt.
72 km long canal , involves 12 m deep cutting
Shortens distance between New York & San Francisco by 13,000 km by sea
Vital for the economies of Latin America
It has six lock system
2. INLAND WATERWAYS
Rivers, canals , lakes & coastal areas are important waterways
Boats & steamers are used for cargo & passengers
Development of inland waterway is dependent on :
▪ Navigability
▪ Width & depth of channel
▪ Continuity in water flow
▪ Transport technology in use
Heavy cargo like coal, cement , timber & ores are transported through
inland waterways
Lost importance earlier because of competition from railways
They are major source of transport where river is wide, deep & silt free
RHINE WATERWAY
Rhine flows through Germany & Switzerland
Navigable for 700 km from Rotterdam in Netherlands to Basel in Switzerland
Flows through rich coal field basin has become prosperous manufacturing area
World’s most heavily used waterway
Every year 2 lakh inland vessels exchange cargoes
Connects industrial areas of Switzerland ,Germany , with North Atlantic sea route
DANUBE WATERWAY
Serves Eastern Europe
Danube rises in Black Forest & flows eastwards
Navigable up to Taurna Severin
Chief exports: Wheat, Maize & Machinery
VOLGA WATERWAY
▪It is Russia’s developed waterway
▪ Navigable waterway up to 11,200 km
GREAT LAKES-ST.LAWRENCE WATERWAY
Lakes of N-America (Superior , Huron, Erie, Ontario & Michigan) are
connected by Soo & Welland Canal
Important ports: Duluth & Buffalo
Goods have to be trans shipped to smaller vessels due to presence of rapids (fast flowing water)
MISSISSIPPI WATERWAY
Connects interior USA with Gulf of Mexico
AIR TRANSPORT
Fastest means of transport ; very costly
Preferred for long distance travel
Valuable cargo can be moved worldwide
Only means to reach inaccessible areas
Frictions created by mountains, snow fields , deserts have been overcome
Used to supply food & other necessities during calamities
Have strategic importance as well
Airports are more developed in industrial countries
UK pioneered in the use of commercial jets
Today more than 250 airlines offer regular services
INTER-CONTINENTAL AIR ROUTES
Distinct east-west belt of inter continental air routes
USA accounts 60% of world’s airways
Dense air network in E-USA & W-Europe
Africa , Asiatic parts of Russia ,S-America lack air services
PIPELINES
Used to transport liquid & gases such as water , petroleum & liquified coal
Milk is supplied in New Zealand from farms to factories
USA has dense network of oil pipelines from producing to consuming area
Big Inch Pipeline carries petroleum from oil wells of Gulf of Mexico to
North-Eastern states
In Europe ,W-Asia & India pipelines connect oil wells to refineries
COMMUNICATION
Earlier Telegraph & Telephone were important for long distance communication
America was urbanized because of telephone
Cell phones by satellites are important for rural connectivity
Use of optic fibre cable (OFC) have been popularized
Telephone companies upgraded copper cables to include OFC
OFC allow large quantity of data to be transmitted rapidly & securely
Telecom emerged with computers to form internet
SATELLITE COMMUNICATION
Internet is largest electronic network on planet connects 1,000
million people in more than 100 countries
Satellite communication emerged as a new era in communication
technology since 1970 after USA & USSR pioneered space research
Satellite communication have rendered unit , cost & time of
communication invariant in terms of distance
India’s developed satellites:
▪ Aryabhatta: 1979
▪ Bhaskara 1 : 1979
▪ Rohini : 1980
CYBER SPACE -INTERNET
Cyberspace is world of electronic computerized space
encompassed by internet
It is the electronic digital world for communicating information over
computer networks without physical movement of sender & receiver
Speed is very high
USA had 66% of world’s internet users but now only had 25%
Majority of internet users are in UK , India , Japan
Internet facilitates e-commerce, e-learning, e-governance etc.
Modern communication system has made concept of global village a reality