Question 4 of 5intermediate💡 UnderstandLong Answer5 marks

How are ports helpful for trade? Give a classification of ports on the basis of their location.

Correct Answer

Ports act as the chief gateways of international trade, serving as the points through which cargoes and travellers pass from one part of the world to another. Ports are helpful for trade as they provide essential facilities of docking, loading, unloading, and storage for cargo. The port authorities make arrangements for maintaining navigable channels, arranging tugs and barges, and providing labour and managerial services. The importance of a port is judged by the size of cargo and the number of ships handled, which also serves as an indicator of the level of development of its hinterland.

On the basis of location, ports are classified into two main types:

Inland Ports: These ports are located away from the sea coast and are linked to the sea through a river or a canal. Such ports are accessible to flat bottom ships or barges. Examples include Manchester which is linked with a canal; Memphis located on the river Mississippi; ports like Mannheim and Duisburg on the river Rhine; and Kolkata located on the river Hoogli, a branch of the river Ganga.

Out Ports: These are deep water ports built away from the actual ports. They serve the parent ports by receiving those ships which are unable to approach them due to their large size. A classic example is Athens and its out port Piraeus in Greece.

Exercise: EXERCISES | Q: 3(i)
For More Understanding

Explanation

This answer addresses both parts of the question as required. The first part explains how ports facilitate trade by describing their role as gateways and listing the facilities they provide (docking, loading, unloading, storage, navigable channels, tugs, barges, labour, and managerial services). The second part provides the classification based on location as mentioned in the textbook - Inland Ports and Out Ports, with relevant examples for each type. The answer stays within the 150-200 word limit appropriate for a 5-mark question and uses bold formatting for key terms as specified.

Solution Steps

  1. Step 1: Explain the role of ports as gateways of international trade

  2. Step 2: List the facilities provided by ports that help in trade

  3. Step 3: Define and explain Inland Ports with examples from the text

  4. Step 4: Define and explain Out Ports with examples from the text

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