DEFINITION OF A PORT:

A PORT IS A TOWN WITH A HARBOUR THAT

ENABLES GOODS TO BE LOADED OR DISCHARGED
AND/OR ALLOWS PASSENGERS TO
EMBARK/DISEMBARK FROM SHIPS.
IT CAN BE LOCATED ON THE COAST OR ON A
RIVER/LAKE.
A PORT CAN SERVE THE NEEDS OF A COMMUNITY
AND/OR THAT OF A COMMODITY.

TYPES OF PORTS:
BY NATURE OF HARBOUR-
 NATURAL
 ARTIFICIAL
 ANCHORAGE PORT
 RIVER
 TIDAL (OR NON-TIDAL)

 A NEW TERM HAS HAD TO BE COINED DUE TO

THE ADVENT OF THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT
CONCEPT WHICH CAME ABOUT DUE TO
CONTAINERIZATION NAMELY....
 "INLANDPORT"- ACT AS COLLECTION/STORAGE
AREAS WELL INLAND WHERE CERTAIN
PROCEDURES AND FORMALITIES ARE
COMPLETED. THIS SAVES TIME AND COSTS
FOR THE CARGO'S MOVEMENT BY AVOIDING
THE NEED FOR SUCH SERVICES AT COSTLIER
RATES AT THE FINAL SEAPORT ITSELF. FOR
EXAMPLE, STUFFING/DE-STUFFING WEIGHING,
MEASURING AND CUSTOMS INSPECTIONS,
SEALING AND DOCUMENTATION ETC.

 NATURAL PORT OR HARBOUR

 A NATURAL HARBOUR IS A LANDFORM WHERE A PART OF A
BODY OF WATER IS PROTECTED AND DEEP ENOUGH TO
FURNISH ANCHORAGE. NATURAL HARBOUR HAVE LONG BEEN
OF GREAT MILITARY STRATEGY AND ECONOMIC
IMPORTANCE. MANY OF THE GREAT CITIES OF THE WORLD
ARE LOCATED ON A NATURAL HARBOUR. E.G. MUMBAI
 MANMADE PORTS
 A MAN MADE PORT OR HARBOUR WILL HAVE SEA WALLS OR
BREAK WATERS AND MAY REQUIRE DREDGING. E.G. MUNDRA
PORT
 RIVER PORT
 THE TERMS "PORT" AND "SEAPORT" ARE USED FOR PORTS
THAT HANDLE OCEAN-GOING VESSELS, AND "RIVER PORT" IS
USED FOR RIVER TRAFFIC, SUCH AS BARGES AND OTHER
SHALLOW DRAFT VESSELS. E.G. HALDIA
 TIDAL PORT
 THESE ARE THE PORTS WHICH HAVE SHALLOW DEPTHS OF
WATERS. DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF STRONG TIDAL RANGES
IN AND AROUND THE PORT, APPROACH TO THIS PORT IS
POSSIBLE FOR OCEAN GOING VESSELS DURING HIGH TIDE. ALL
THE VESSEL MOVEMENTS ARE GENERALLY CARRIED OUT
DURING HIGH WATER. E.G. DAHEJ
 INLAND PORT
 THE TERM INLAND PORT IS USED IN TWO DIFFERENT BUT
RELATED WAYS TO MEAN EITHER A PORT ON AN INLAND
WATERWAY OR AN INLAND SITE CARRYING OUT SOME
FUNCTIONS OF A SEAPORT.

 A. AS A PORT ON AN INLAND WATERWAY
 AN INLAND PORT IN THE WIDE SENSE, AS USED IN COMMON
SPEECH, IS SIMPLY A PORT ON AN INLAND WATERWAY SUCH
AS A RIVER, LAKE OR CANAL. THE 'INLAND PORTS' ARE PORTS
THAT ARE LOCATED ON LAKES, RIVERS OR CANALS HAVE
ACCESS TO A SEA OR OCEAN AND USUALLY DO NOT HANDLE
DEEP DRAFT SHIP TRAFFIC. EXAMPLES OF PORTS SUCH AS ST.
LOUIS, PITTSBURGH, AND MEMPHIS IN USA.
 B. AS AN INLAND SITE WITH SEAPORT FUNCTION
 AN INLAND PORT IS A PHYSICAL SITE LOCATED AWAY FROM
TRADITIONAL LAND, AIR AND COASTAL BORDERS WITH THE
VISION TO FACILITATE AND PROCESS INTERNATIONAL TRADE
THROUGH STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN MULTI-MODAL
TRANSPORTATION ASSETS AND BY PROMOTING VALUE-
ADDED SERVICES AS GOODS MOVE THROUGH THE SUPPLY
CHAIN.

 OUTER PORTS
 THESE ARE DEEP WATER PORTS BUILT AWAY FROM THE
ACTUAL PORTS. THESE SERVE THE PARENT PORTS BY
RECEIVING THOSE SHIPS WHICH ARE UNABLE TO APPROACH
THEM DUE TO THEIR LARGE SIZE. CLASSIC COMBINATION, FOR
E.G., IS ATHENS AND ITS OUT PORT PIRAEUS IN GREECE.
