Sea lane

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Definition

A sea lane is an established sea route. The first mention of sea lane in this sense was in 1869.[1]

Description

A sea lane is a regionally agreed safe passage on the sea from one determined place to another. The routes can be charted on a map, or they can exist in the collective minds of the sailors. The sea routes have also importance to the rulers, the navy or administrators for reasons of economy, safety or control. The safe passage of people across the sea has always been the precondition for trade, politics, administration and the development of societies. Sea routes can be divided into various levels, depending on their location. Shipping lines are determined to sea areas that are narrow or otherwise perilous, where it is mandatory to have rules for the safe conduct of sailing. Today, shipping lanes, for example in the middle of the Gulf of Finland are regulated by the neighbouring countries and specified in the 1982 U.N. Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Historically, such division of open sea did not exist until the emergence of national states from the 16th century onwards. Sea lanes and maritime routes began to be plotted into charts in the Middle Ages, but for a long time, they were not reliable. Popular routes were passed on from sailor to another. People living in the archipelagos provided piloting services and maintained sea marks, when it was demanded by a central power or it profited them to do so.

The first global maritime trade network were established by the 16th century European monarchies, who competed for the riches of the Americas and Asia

  1. “Sea-lane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea-lane. Accessed 3 Aug. 2020.