MARITIME historian Lincoln Paine, author of "The Sea and Civilization," maintains that the world's maritime history began when the sail was invented, when people could go farther and faster than their own bodies could take them. People with a sense of adventure had the means to explore unknown territories.
Shipping continues to be the lifeblood of the global economy. It is responsible for around 90 percent of world trade. It is the dominant mode of international transport for traded goods and constitutes the backbone of global supply chains.
