• A little intro to water transpo history •

In terms of technology, water transportation dates from ancient times.
From the beginning of human history, we have been shaped by the availability of water and our ability to use it to enrich our lives.

The ancient remnants of human existence are found along ancient watercourses. Using rafts and dugout canoes, primitive people learned to use rivers for personal travel. The use of water for irrigation marked a major turning point for human social development.

With a stable food source, people could choose to stay in one place. They changed
from hunters and gatherers to farmers and village dwellers. Villages then became financial and cultural centers.

By water, transportation was quicker and more importantly, used less energy, compared to overland travel. Ships, boats, and barges carry far greater loads than wagons or animals. With the development of cloth sails, boats could use the energy of the wind to move.

Civilizations that learned to build and sail ships prospered as centers of trade, culture, and power.
Ancient mariners used the seas to explore the world, trade goods, and conquer their neighbors.
In doing so they spread cultural ideas from one part of the world to another.

Today, almost all countries rely on their system of inland waterways and coastal ports. Imports and exports of raw materials and finished products fuel the world economy. Water transportation developments provided larger ships that can accomodate more diverse services than simply moving cargoes.

The Wheel is being displaced as the symbol of Transport Progress.