Top 10 Countries With Rich Maritime Heritage
The oceans have promoted cross-cultural interactions, commerce and maritime trade among distant civilisations of the past.
Settlements that flourished near water bodies chartered them with ships to reach lands on the opposite side of the earth. Today, those regions have a rich maritime heritage and a glorious naval past, which not only includes battles but also stories of exploration and seafaring that shaped global history.
Right from the Greeks who sailed the Mediterranean to the Vikings who made special ships, many communities boast a maritime heritage which is worth exploring.
In this article, we delve into the top 10 countries with a rich maritime heritage that has also influenced the shipping industry in those regions.
1. Greece
The ancient civilisations like the Minoans who lived around 3000 to 1450 BCE, were skilled seafarers who built seagoing ships and maritime trade networks in the Mediterranean.
The Mycenaeans followed in their footsteps. Epics of Homer like the Iliad and Odyssey reflect on the Greek seafaring culture and naval warfare, showing the importance of the sea in Greek mythology.
In the 5th to 4th centuries BCE, the Athenian Navy emerged as a major force with its warships and superior maritime skills, not limited to warfare but also trade and exploration which led to the establishment of Greek colonies around the Black and the Mediterranean Seas.
Today, Greece is a seafaring nation and the Greek Merchant Marine is one of the world’s biggest. Greek Companies own a large portion of the global fleet. Greece has several maritime museums like the Hellenic Maritime Museum, ancient harbours, shipwrecks and festivals honouring this heritage.
2. Norway
Norway’s coastline has many islands and fjords which shaped the nation’s maritime culture.
The first settlers reached Norway by boat and used the sea for trade. The Vikings, known for their journeys of exploration and naval conquests were skilled sailors and shipbuilders. They travelled across the North Atlantic in their longships.
Norwegian museums like the Fram Museum are windows to the maritime past of this Scandinavian country. The museum houses the greatest wooden ship from the age of early Norwegian Polar Exploration. On its last voyage, it took Roald Amundsen and his crew to Antarctica on December 14, 1911. The Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo shows adventurer Thor Heyerdahl’s famous expeditions.
In the Middle Ages and early modern period, the Hanseatic League, a medieval trading alliance included Bergen as a major trade centre. By the 19th century, a merchant fleet emerged, and the period also saw the birth of shipping companies.
Norway played a significant role in the World Wars, with Norwegian vessels shipping goods and troops.
The country’s maritime heritage can be seen in the culture and traditions of its coastal communities called sjofolk or sea people.
Today, Norway is the 5th largest shipping nation with a large ship fleet. Its shipyards are quite advanced and known for their cutting-edge technologies.
3. Portugal
Portugal has a history of maritime exploration, trade and colonisation. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portuguese sailors explored and mapped the coasts of Africa, Brazil, Asia and Canada.
They developed equipment which aided in their sea voyages such as precise nautical charts, travel documents, needle compass, and caravel which is a bigger ship with a deeper shallow keel, two masts and triangular sails.
Portuguese explorers like Vasco da Gama, Bartolomeu Dias and Pedro Álvares Cabral reached India, the Cape of Good Hope, and Brazil, finding new lands and trade routes.
Portuguese found a system of transoceanic trade lanes linking Lisbon to Asian Ports. Maps showing the same, an astrolabe and other exciting maritime artefacts can be found at the Maritime Museum in Lisbon.
4. United Kingdom
The U.K has several historic ports, harbours and coastal towns. Organisations like Historic England work to preserve its maritime heritage for future generations through research, marine archaeology etc.
It has old harbours like the Tower Wharf in Chester with its riverside and canal-side buildings, offering a glimpse into the city’s industrial past. Maldon and Heybridge have the famous Hythe Quay, a centre of maritime activity while Brtistol is home to SS Great Britain which was once the biggest ship in the world.
Sandwich shows the region’s history of maritime trade and shipbuilding while Faversham and Oare are known for their port and ship construction yards. The Exeter Ship Canal is one of the oldest artificial waterways in the United Kingdom.
Southampton is another port which dates back to the Stone Age. King’s Lynn is a resort town that takes one back in time with its cobbled lanes, old houses where merchants once lived and delicate and intricate architecture.
The heritage can be explored in museums as well.
London’s National Maritime Museum is quite famous. It is a part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, recognised by UNESCO as having great significance.
It has a collection of two million artefacts which reveal the history of Britain at sea, especially of Tudor and Stuart seafarers, exploration and exploitation of the Pacific and stories of the sea.
5. China
China has remained a maritime power for hundreds of years. The Ming Dynasty of China from 1400 -1433 took many initiatives in this direction, with Chinese shipbuilders constructing massive sea-going junks.
In this period, maritime silk routes developed, seaports and coastal cities prospered and voyages to western oceans commanded by Zheng He became the largest maritime voyages for centuries to come. The Sung Dynasty also used maritime trade to finance its political and military aims.
Chinese museums portray the nation’s maritime heritage quite well, with their interactive and elaborate wings having weapons used by pirates, dioramas and even cannons used in defence by ships at sea. There are also paintings of ships which were chased by pirates.
One such being Zhang Baozai who had 6 fleets in the South China Sea and 70,000 men who followed him.
China is now focussing on the development of advanced maritime technologies and facilities, including underwater archaeology galleries at museums. It has a maritime code for regulating ships and the maritime industry.
6. Netherlands
The Netherlands has been a seafaring country for more than 500 years, thanks to its strategic location at the estuary of rivers, Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt.
The Netherlands boasts many firsts, including the construction of the first yachts. It is also a leader in heavy lift ships, offshore oil and gas and reefer shipping.
In 1600 AD Amsterdam was a hub for baltic trade and the powerful shipping industry propelled its rise as a naval power in the 17th century, called the Golden Age in the Netherlands.
This was because during this time a major share of western European trade was carried out by the Dutch Merchant Fleet, which laid the foundation for today’s maritime industry. Today, maritime equipment from the country powers most complex vessels.
The Netherlands claims ownership of the shipwrecks of the Dutch East India Company and the West India Company.
The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, also called Het Scheepvaartmuseum, is situated in a 17th-century naval store and showcases Dutch contribution to the maritime industry and their connection to the maritime domain.
The government cares for its maritime heritage seriously. Local municipalities take care of marine archaeology and consider it in their zoning plans.
The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands undertakes important projects aimed at the preservation of the heritage, documents the sites and raises public awareness.
7. India
The maritime history of India finds its earliest mention in the Rig Veda. Indian Mythology depicts plenty of stories about the water bodies, which are considered sacred and life-sustaining.
The Indian Subcontinent exercised supremacy over the Indian Ocean till the 13th century, with the period up to the 16th century, being of peaceful maritime trade and commerce between different Indian dynasties and the world empires such as the Roman Empire which traded with the Satvahanas, who controlled the Decan region.
However, India’s maritime heritage began in 3000 BC when the Indus Valley Civilisation traded with Mesopotamia, as evident from the extensive artefacts discovered from sites like Mohenjodaro and Harappa.
A dry dock was also found at Lothal which dates to 2400 BC, which is said to be the first facility equipped to accommodate and service vessels.
By the 8th century AD, Arabs came to India as traders and started to control trade routes, acting as middlemen between the West and the East. Later, came the Portuguese after Vasco De Gamam found an oceanic route to India, after arriving in Calicut in 1498. They were followed by the Dutch, the British and the French.
Today India is a prominent maritime nation with a coastline spanning 7,516.6 km and a bustling shipping industry. Many of its shipyards service the world’s most advanced vessels. India is also the third biggest provider of seafarers and a leading name in ship recycling.
8. Japan
Japanese naval history began with its early interaction with Asian states in the 3rd century BCE in the Yayoi period which reached its peak in the 16th century, when Japan came in contact with European powers and began to extensively trade with Asia.
The Dutch were the main trading partners of Japan from 1639 to the 1850s and left a mark on the maritime heritage of Japan.
The 1854 Perry Expedition forced Japan to give away its maritime restrictions which led to the Meiji Restoration and a period of industrialisation and modernisation which led to Japan becoming the first industrialised country in Asia in the late 1800s.
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the third biggest in the world by 1920 and won victories in the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars.
Today, Japan is a pioneer in the development of advanced maritime technology, with innovations in autonomous shipping, AI in shipping etc.
9. Italy
In the 9th and 10th centuries AD, Italy and other regions on the coasts of Mediterranean Europe faced pirates and raiders, which led to the development of powerful navies. By the 11th century, the fleets of these Italian city-states became strong and took control of several maritime trade routes in the region.
Amalfi, Pisa, Venice and Genoa were strong maritime city-states and Amalfi was the first to get established however it was conquered by Normans in the 11th century. They flourished in trade and also influenced art. These are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Today, Italy is known for building luxury yachts, cruise ships and naval ships. Camogli, also called ‘The City of a Thousand Sails’ is known for its shipbuilding history.
Italy is also striving to develop sustainable maritime technologies, like LNG-powered ships and renewable energy solutions.
10. Turkey
Turkey has been a maritime nation for ages. The Port of Istanbul is over 2500 years old and is the largest city in Turkey. The old city lies on the peninsula between Europe and Asia and covers both continents. It was once the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
It was first used for maritime trade in the Ottoman Period when boats and barges took people and cargo across the Marmara Sea and along the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.
The Grand Shipyard was built along Istanbul Port in 1455 for constructing ships. The vessels built here and in other turkish shipyards of the Ottoman Empire laid the foundations for modern Turkish maritime industry.
Turkey’s coast also has many historic lighthouses, some of which are also protected.
Rahmi M. Koç Museum is the first museum in Turkey to house a large collection including ship models, canoes, steam yachts and sailboats.
You might also like to read-
- 10 Best Maritime Museums in the World
- 11 Books On Shipwreck And Maritime Archaeology You Might Be Interested In
- The Biggest Maritime Museum in the World : The National Maritime Museum, UK
About Author
Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.
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