Seaports of India

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Friends, this is the 11th Lesson of our SSC CGL geography Study Materials series. In this lesson we shall discuss about important Seaports in India. Happy Reading.

• Port : A gateway to the land from the sea and from the land to the sea
• Harbour : A harbour is an enclosed area which provides shelter to the sailing wessels.
• Difference between Port and Harbour :
• A port has the facilities of loading and unloading cargo. A harbour does not have those facilities.
• Artificial Harbour : It is mand made, it is built by dredging and constructing walls against the stormy sea waves.
• Natural Harbours : Found along a fairly indented  coast line
• Major Ports :  Governed by Central Government
• Major Sea Ports : 13 (6 on West, 6 on East and 1 Corporate Port) 
• Newly Added Major Port : Port Blair (June 2010)
• Minor Ports (139) : Governed by State Governments
• Major Ports of the West Coast :
• Kandla, Mumbai, Mormugao, Mangalore and Cochin
• Major Ports of the East Coast :
• Tuticorn, Visakhapatnam, Paradeep, Haldia and Kolkata
• Farakka Barriage : Constructed across Ganga River.
• Mumbai Port :

• Biggest in India with one-fourth of Sea-borne trade
• Major Exports : Raw Cotton, Yarn, Textiles, Hides and Skins, Vegetable Oils, Manganese ore, Mica, Tobacco and Machinery
• Major Imports : Petroleum and Petroleum Products, Fertilizers, Chemicals, Newsprint and Paper, Long Staple Cotton, Steel Goods, Metals and Medicines.
• Chennai Port : 
• Artificial Port, Man-Made Port (1859)
• Second Largest Port with 15.1% sea borne trade
• Visakhapatnam Port :
• Natural Port, Land Locked Natural HarbourWell Protected by Dolphin Nose Hills, It has a rich hinterland
• Third Largest Port with 12.5 % sea borne trade
  
• Major Exports : Iron Ore, Leather Goods, Oil Seeds and Timber
• Major Imports : Crude Petroleum, Fertilizers, Chemicals and Engineering Goods.
• Kolkata Port :
• Located on the left bank of Hooghly river
• 148 km away from Bay of Bengal
• Major Exports : Coal, Tea, Sugar, Jute Products, Hides and Skins, Manganese Ore, Mica, Lac, Scrap, Bones, Plywood and Oil Seeds.
• Major Imports : Petroleum, Fertilizers, Chemicals, Iron and Steel metals, Cement, Paper and News Print, Railway Equipment, Food Grains.
• Cochin Port :
• Called Arabian Queen port
• It is strategic location on the South-West coast
• Main Exports : Rubber & Rubber Products, Cashew Nuts, Spices, Tea, Coffee, Sea Foods, Coir Goods, Coconuts, Refined Petroleum and Timber.
• Major Imports : Crude Oil, Drugs, Chemicals, Fertilizers, Iron and Steel Machinery

Synopsis :  Major Ports in India :

• Western Coast  
• Kandla (child of partition)    
• Mumbai (busiest and biggest) 
• Jawahar Lal Nehru (fastest growing) 
• Marmugao (naval base also)    
• Mangalore (exports Kudremukh iron-ore)    
• Cochin (natural Harbour)
• Eastern Coast 
• Kolkata-Haldia (riverine port) 
• Paradip (exports raw iron to Japan) 
• Vishakjapatnam (deepest port) 
• Chennai (oldest and artifical) 
• Ennore (most modern-in private hands) 
• Tuticorin (southernmost)

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