Block 7 (Global Flows Of Shipping + Sea Cables)

Question 1

Define trade

Answer 1

Movement of goods + services from producers to consumers

Question 2

What percentage of global trade is carried by sea?

Answer 2

90%

Question 3

Since the 1990s how much has the number of ships at sea increased by?

Answer 3

400%

Question 4

By what percentage does global trade grow annually (not including recession years)?

Answer 4

2%

Question 5

What type of nations does trade mostly occur between?

Answer 5

Developed, affluent nations

Increasing between developing nations

Question 6

What is the top exporter of goods?

Answer 6

China

Question 7

What are the 3 main types of trade over oceans we look at?

Answer 7

• Oil
• Container shipping
• Seafloor data cables

Question 8

What are intermodal containers?

Answer 8

Large-capacity storage units of a standardised size that can be transported long distances using multiple types of transport

Question 9

When did containerise happen? By who?

Answer 9

1956
Malcolm McLean (Newark -> Maersk)

Question 10

How much did containerise cut transport costs by?

Answer 10

75%

Question 11

What are the 3 main changes that have happened to container shipping?

Answer 11

1) Containerism (size of containers same since 1956)
2) Increase in size/capacity of ships (90% bigger, can now carry 18,000 containers)
3) Increase in number of ships (400% more)

Question 12

What is the current issue with container shipping? Give an example

Answer 12

Too many ships (growth in capacity + fleet size has exceeded growth rate of trade)
E.g. Hanjan Shipping Company bankrupt in 2016

Question 13

What happens to container ships when they are old? Give an example

Answer 13

Shipbreaking

Often in LICs - e.g. provides 40,000 jobs in Bangladesh

Question 14

What percentage of global maritime trade is oil?

Answer 14

30%

Question 15

How has oil shipping changed (3 ways)?

Answer 15

1) Increased capacity of tanker fleet (up 73% since 2000)
2) Size of tankers changes (based on chokepoint size)
3) Amount of oil traded changes (based on global demand)

Question 16

What is the most used oil chokepoint?

Answer 16

Strait of Hormuz

Question 17

How is shipping managed?

Answer 17

• UNCLOS allows ships ‘innocent passage’ through territorial waters of any state
• International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulates shipping industry, trying to promote safety of life at sea + protection of the marine environment

Question 18

Give 2 examples of environmental protection during shipping that the IMO might promote?

Answer 18

1) Double hulls on oil tankers

2) No washing out empty oil tankers in seawater

Question 19

What 3 illegal flows across oceans are increasing alongside the increase of shipping?

Answer 19

1) Human trafficking
2) People smuggling
3) Illegal goods trading

Question 20

How can globalisation increase illegal flows of goods across oceans?

Answer 20

• Deregulation of shipping (because there is so much) which is exploited
• Global marketing of illegal goods
• Emergence of global criminal organisations working across continents

Question 21

Give some details for human trafficking

Answer 21

• Generates approx $30 bill/yr

- Approx 2.4 mill victims from 127 countries

Question 22

Give some details for people smuggling

Answer 22

• Europe has 70,000km coastline, often poorly monitored

- E.g. 2015, over 700 guns seized in London, smuggled from E.Europe ship

Question 23

How are the growth of illegal flows (people + goods) over oceans being managed?

Answer 23

Currently a lack of international management

E.g. human trafficking - increase in navy patrols
E.g. smuggling - more efforts to strengthen border controls

Question 24

What percentage of internet data travels across the oceans via seafloor cables?

Answer 24

90%

Question 25

Outline an example of a seafloor data cable

Answer 25

SEA-ME-WE-3 - Operational since 2000 - Longest (20,000km) - 39 landing points in 33 countries

Question 26

What is the distribution of seafloor cables?

Answer 26

- Uneven | - Focused on developed countries where demand for ICT is higher

Question 27

Who owns most seafloor data cables? Why?

Answer 27

MNCs (e.g. Google) They are expensive - require joint investment from MNCs

Question 28

Give an example of a seafloor data cable owned by an MNC

Answer 28

Grace Hopper Data Cable - Owned by Google - To connect: US, UK, Spain - Announced in 2020 + due to go live in 2022

Question 29

How have seafloor data cables changed? Give 3 ways

Answer 29

1) Increased demand (increasing by 40% per yr) 2) Cheaper 3) Faster

Question 30

How can seafloor data cables facilitate the 4 types of globalisation?

Answer 30

Economic: MNCs can expand supply chains + sell goods globally Social: Access to foreign friends/family, access to online healthcare + education (E.g. MOOCs) Cultural: Spread of language/music Political: online communication on issues

Question 31

Give an example of social globalisation through seafloor data cables

Answer 31

- Liquid Telecom partnered with charity BRCK Education | - Provides remote education to Kenyan children

Question 32

Give an example of cultural globalisation through seafloor data cables

Answer 32

Despacito (2017) | First vid to get 3 bill views

Question 33

How many seafloor cable faults are there per yr?

Answer 33

Approx 100

Question 34

Where are seafloor cables at greatest risk?

Answer 34

In deep water - they are less thick

Question 35

List 5 risks to seafloor data cables

Answer 35

1) Earthquakes - can trigger undersea landslides + erosion 2) Tsunamis - can trigger undersea landslides + erosion 3) Meteorological causes - storm surges + heavy rainfall can damage 4) Fishing + anchoring - nets + anchors drag along damaging seabed 5) Intentional cable cut - sabotage is rare but can happen

Question 36

What is the most common cause of seafloor data cable faults?

Answer 36

Fishing + anchoring 70% of faults

Question 37

Give an example of a human cause of a seafloor data cable fault

Answer 37

Intentional Cable Cut - 2003 - 3 men arrested near Egypt attempting to cut a cable - Caused 60% slower internet speeds

Question 38

Give an example of a natural cause of a seafloor data cable fault

Answer 38

Earthquake - 2006 - Earthquake destroyed telecom link from Taiwan-Philippines

Question 39

How are seafloor data cables managed?

Answer 39

UNCLOS says… - Members can lay cables on EEZ + continental shelf - Members can establish no fishing/anchoring zones near cables - Members can penalise others for damaging cables in their EEZ