How are ports helpful for trade? Give a classification of ports on the basis of their location.
Ports serve as the chief gateways of international trade. They enable cargoes and travellers to pass from one part of the world to another. Ports provide essential facilities such as docking, loading, unloading, and storage facilities for cargo. 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. The quantity of cargo handled by a port is 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 linked with a canal, Memphis on the river Mississippi, Mannheim and Duisburg on the Rhine, and Kolkata on the river Hoogli.
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.
Explanation
This answer addresses both parts of the question. The first part explains how ports facilitate trade by acting as gateways and providing docking, loading, unloading, and storage facilities. The second part classifies ports based on location into Inland Ports and Out Ports, with relevant examples from the textbook. The word count is approximately 180 words, suitable for a 5-mark long answer question.