Ship is one of the oldest and most important means of transportation. Every day, thousands of ships cross the oceans, sail along seacoasts, and travel on inland waterways. Trade among countries depends heavily on ships. For example, ships carry wheat from Canada to Germany and machinery from Germany to Chile. They haul copper from Chile to Japan and Japanese automobiles to the United States. Ships transport American corn to Ethiopia, coffee from Ethiopia to France, and French plastics to Canada.
Many kinds of ships are used to carry the world's trade. Giant tankers haul petroleum, soybean oil, wines, and other liquids. Refrigerator ships carry fresh fruits, meats, and vegetables. Vessels called dry bulk carriers haul such cargoes as grain, ore, and sand. General cargo ships transport everything from airplane engines to zippers. Passenger liners carry travelers across the oceans and vacationers on cruises to the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas and other scenic areas.
For several thousand years, people have gone down to the sea in ships. They have been drawn by the mysteries of the sea and by its promise of adventure. More important, people have sailed the seas to explore, to settle, to trade, and to conquer. In 1492, Christopher Columbus braved the unknown waters of the Atlantic Ocean in three small sailing ships and reached the New World. During the 1500's, Spanish ships carried conquistadors (conquerors) to Latin America. The conquistadors soon won control of much of the region for Spain. An old trading ship called the Mayflower brought the first Pilgrim settlers to North America in 1620. From the 1600's to the 1800's, big sailing ships called East Indiamen carried silks, spices, and other riches from the Far East to Europe. During the mid-1800's, steam-powered ships began to replace sailing vessels. The world quickly became smaller as steamships crossed the seas in a fraction of the time that sailing ships needed. Thus, ships have brought countries and peoples closer and made them dependent economically on one another.
Throughout history, nations have become rich and powerful by controlling the seas in war and peace. When countries have lost that control, they have declined. Today, ships are as important as ever to a country's prosperity and strength. The United States, the world's leading trading nation, depends largely on ships for its imports and exports. The economies of Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and many other countries would soon be badly crippled if there were no ships to bring in food and raw materials and to carry out manufactured goods. All the great trading nations try to have a large merchant marine. A merchant marine consists of the commercial, or merchant, ships of a country.
The difference between a ship and a boat is chiefly a matter of size. Large oceangoing vessels are called ships. All other craft are called boats.
