Merchant marine: total: 3,716
by type: bulk carrier 1,325, container ship 858, general cargo 141, oil tanker 820, other 572 (2020)
Definition: This entry provides the total and the number of each type of privately or publicly owned commercial ship for each country; military ships are not included; the five ships by type include: bulk carrier - for cargo such as coal, grain, cement, ores, and gravel; container ship - for loads in truck-size containers, a transportation system called containerization; general cargo - also referred to as break-bulk containers - for a wide variety of packaged merchandise, such as textiles, furniture and machinery; oil tanker - for crude oil and petroleum products; other - includes chemical carriers, dredgers, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, refrigerated cargo ships called reefers, tugboats, passenger vessels (cruise and ferry), and offshore supply ships
Source: CIA World Factbook - This page was last updated on Saturday, September 18, 2021
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