Explore strategic straits, major shipping canals, seas and oceans that define global maritime trade routes
Critical chokepoints for global maritime trade
World's busiest shipping lane connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans. 25% of global trade passes through this 500-mile strait.
Gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Critical route for Europe-Asia trade.
World's most important oil chokepoint. 21 million barrels per day pass through this Persian Gulf gateway.
Connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Istanbul's historic waterway handles 48,000+ vessel transits annually.
Three straits (Great Belt, Little Belt, Øresund) connecting the Baltic Sea to North Sea. Gateway to Scandinavia.
Busiest shipping lane in the world by traffic density. 500+ vessels daily between England and France.
Man-made waterways connecting oceans and seas
Egypt's 120-mile waterway connecting Mediterranean to Red Sea. Saves 7,000 km vs. Cape of Good Hope route. 12% of global trade.
Connects Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Central America. 82 km waterway with locks system. 6% of world maritime trade.
Germany's Nord-Ostsee-Kanal connecting North Sea to Baltic. World's busiest artificial waterway. 98 km shortcut saves 450 km.
Greece's 6.4 km canal through the Isthmus of Corinth. Connects Gulf of Corinth to Saronic Gulf. Saves 700 km around Peloponnese.
Important maritime regions for shipping and trade
2.5 million km² sea connecting Europe, Africa, and Asia. 15% of global shipping traffic. 21 countries coastline.
2.75 million km² tropical sea. Major cruise and container shipping routes. Gateway to Panama Canal.
438,000 km² inlet between Africa and Asia. Critical route to Suez Canal. 10% of global seaborne trade.
377,000 km² brackish sea in Northern Europe. 9 countries coastline. Major trade route for Russia, Poland, Germany, Sweden.
3.5 million km² marginal sea. $3.4 trillion annual trade. Critical shipping lanes for East Asia.
Five major ocean basins of the world
World's largest ocean covering 165 million km². 46% of Earth's water surface. Trans-Pacific shipping routes dominate global trade.
106 million km² separating Americas from Europe and Africa. Busiest ocean for international shipping. Historic trade routes.
70 million km² bounded by Asia, Africa, and Australia. Critical for Middle East oil transport and Asia-Europe trade.
14 million km² smallest and shallowest ocean. Northern Sea Route emerging as alternative shipping corridor.
20 million km² encircling Antarctica. Youngest designated ocean (2000). Growing scientific and research shipping.
Maritime regions form the backbone of global shipping and international trade. Straits, canals, seas, and oceans create natural and man-made pathways that connect continents and enable the movement of 90% of world trade by volume.
Chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca, Suez Canal, and Panama Canal are critical bottlenecks in global supply chains. These narrow passages handle millions of vessels annually, transporting everything from crude oil and containers to bulk commodities. Understanding these maritime regions is essential for logistics planning, route optimization, and risk assessment in international shipping.