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Shipping lanes came to be by analysing the prevailing winds. The trade winds allowed ships to sail towards the west quickly, and the westerlies allowed ships to travel to the east quickly. As such, the sea lanes are mostly chosen to take full advantage of these winds. Currents are also similarly
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Shipping lanes may pose threats to some ocean-going craft. Small boats risk conflicts with bigger ships if they follow the shipping lanes. Sections of lanes exist which can be shallow or have some kind of obstruction (such as
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Left: This map of shipping routes illustrates the present-day density of commercial shipping in the world's oceans. Right: 16th century and current day trade routes prey to pirating and privateering.
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Shipping lanes are the busiest parts of the sea, thus being a useful place for stranded boaters whose boats are sinking or people on a liferaft to boat to, and be rescued by a passing ship.
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Although most ships no longer use sails (having switched them for engines), the wind still creates waves, and this can cause
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controlled most of the key maritime trade routes, and also suppressed piracy and the slave trade. During
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trade vessels began to move out of the usual sea lanes to be escorted by
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