World transport and international economic relations

Transport carries goods and passengers for production and the population and links trade between countries, which is why it is called the “blood vessels” of the world economy. Land transport is rail, road and pipeline; water transport is sea and river; there is also air transport. Road transport is the most popular because it can deliver “from door to door”; by road length the USA, India and China lead. Railways suit large loads over long distances; the largest networks are in the USA, China, Russia and India, and China has the world’s biggest high-speed rail network. Pipelines carry oil and gas cheaply and cleanly. Sea transport carries about 80 % of international cargo by volume; the largest ports include Shanghai, Singapore and Rotterdam, and many ships sail under the flags of Panama, Liberia and the Marshall Islands. The Suez and Panama canals shorten routes between continents; many ships pass through straits such as Gibraltar, Hormuz, Malacca, the Bosphorus and the English Channel. Air transport is the fastest and most expensive, and is growing for passengers; Atlanta, Dubai and London are among the busiest airports. Because Uzbekistan is landlocked, its trade depends on rail, road and air transport and on its neighbours’ routes.