Today, the port of New York and New Jersey is the largest port area in the United States. It occupies territories within a radius of about 40 kilometers around the most famous American monument - the Statue of Liberty, installed in Manhattan. A little more detailed story about the geographical location, main activities, records and achievements.
general information
The New York Port VTS consists of a complex of navigable waterways - in fact, New York, as well as Harbor and New Jersey. The total coastline is 650 miles, or 1,050 kilometers. The system includes airports, rail and road networks.
Among the natural harbors of the world in size, the port of New York is one of the first places. Of all the ports on the East Coast, this is the busiest, takes 3rd place in terms of reloading tonnage in the United States.
Geographic characteristics
Being a large natural harbor, the port of New York fully or partially occupies the territories of all 17 districts of the region. It includes such areas as Bergen, Hudson, Essex, as well as several areas of the city, including the territory of the Bronx, Richmond, etc.
The harbor is part of the Atlantic Ocean, at the entrance to the port is the marine section of New York Beach. It occupies the territory between the Rockaway Peninsulas and Sandy Hook. Sea vessels may call at the mouth of the Hudson River, New Arc Bay, canals. Access to the Atlantic through the wide East River Strait and the Infernal Gate, lovingly called captains.
The port in the Big Apple has an extensive network of canals, moorings and other port facilities. Most pilots use the services of pilots for piloting; large sea vessels use tugboats to pass through canals with sharp turns. The natural depth is 5 meters, in 1880 a depression was carried out up to 7 meters, during the Second World War - up to 14 meters. Currently, work is ongoing to deepen the harbors to accommodate large-capacity vessels.
Port history
The port of New York has a long history. Initially, these territories were used by aborigines for fishing, that is, they were actually the main source of livelihood for local inhabitants. The first "white man" - the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano - appeared here in 1524. In the next 100 years, European ships occasionally entered the natural harbors, their goal was fishing or the capture of territories and slaves.
Since the 1600s in this region the heyday of the colonial era, the Dutch first appear, then the British. The harbor is under their control during the famous Brooklyn battle. Industrialization, which began in the 19th century, contributed to the rapid development of the port, the emergence of a network of terminals for the placement of goods.
In the twentieth century, berths for ocean liners began to appear in connection with the development of the tourist area. During the First and Second World Wars, the port worked for the military industry. At the end of the last century, a major reorganization of the port system began: on the one hand, new terminals are being built, and on the other, landscaping is underway: park areas and beautiful sections of the embankment appear, walking paths, and access to water is organized.
Infrastructure
At present, the port of New York has a rather complex and extensive infrastructure. It includes airports, container terminals, sea terminals, railway networks, trucking.
Several airports are combined into a network, which ranks second on the planet in terms of passenger traffic and the first in terms of volume of flights. The services are used by the largest aviation companies in the world.
There are 4 container terminals on the territory of the port, in terms of volume on the East Coast they are in first place. Many well-known industrial and trading companies rent them out.
On the port territory there are marine terminals - Howland Hook, Port Jersey, Port Newark Elizabeth, Red Hook. More than 1.5 million containers and 700 thousand vehicles pass through New York’s sea terminals annually. The expansion of the Panama Canal requires the further development of marine terminals, an increase in the volume and speed of movement of goods.
The seaport also includes ExpressRail - the largest railway network, with its help cargo is transported at the largest terminals. Currently, there are three systems operating within ExpressRail; the fourth is being built in the port of New Jersey.
Cruise terminals and ferries
From the end of the 19th century until the Second World War, the seaports of New York played a major role in transport and freight traffic with Europe. At the moment, air transportation has become commercially viable, so the question arose about the reorganization of port facilities and moorings. The active development of the tourism business in the form of recreational sea cruises has begun; for this, the port of Cape Liberty and the Brooklyn terminal located in the Upper Gulf are used.
The ferry network on the Hudson River plays a role in the transport system, local residents and guests quite often use a water taxi. There is a free ferry across the Upper Bay, which carries about 75 thousand passengers daily. Fulton historic ferry, which has been following the same route for many decades, enjoys special love among tourists. In high season, the number of ferries in the area of national beaches increases. The port of New York is a large, vibrant and developing complex, it has an interesting history and no less interesting future!