Transportation - note In 30 editions of 36.

• as of September 2009, incidents of piracy around the world have more than doubled over the comparable time period in 2008;
• half of all attacks occur in the waters off Somalia, primarily in the Gulf of Aden;
• other high risk areas include the waters off Nigeria, the South China Sea, and waters off Malaysia

• the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy;
• numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha; an international airport for Saint Helena is in development for 2010

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean are high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom;
• the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators have reduced the piracy incidents;
• in response local pirates shifted operations farther south along the east coast of Somalia and eastward along the coast of Oman

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Indian Ocean are high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

• US coastal stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E) and Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03 W);
• government use only except by permit (see Permit Office under "Legal System");
• all ships at port are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty;
• relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude south have to be complied with (see "Legal System");
• The Hydrographic Commission on Antarctica (HCA), a commission of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area;
• it coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of navigation in region;
• membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area

aids to navigation - lighthouses:

• Europa Island 18m;
• Juan de Nova Island (W side) 37m;
• Tromelin Island (NW point) 11m (all in the Iles Eparses district)

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of Bangladesh as high risk for armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

large parts of transportation network are in poor condition because of lack of maintenance and repair

nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten

nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten

• the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy;
• numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom

there are no commercial or civilian flights to and from Wake Island, except in direct support of island missions; emergency landing is available

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Atlantic Ocean as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Caribbean Sea as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia;
• crews have been murdered or cast adrift

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia;
• crews have been murdered or cast adrift;
• increased naval patrols in 2009 resulted in significantly reduced numbers of incidents

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia;
• crews have been murdered or cast adrift

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia;
• crews have been murdered or cast adrift

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia;
• crews have been murdered or cast adrift

sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are important seasonal waterways

• Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways;
• significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of US;
• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore Atlantic waters as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, the east coast of Brazil, and the Caribbean Sea;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen;
• crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore waters as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, particularly in the Gulf of Aden, along the east coast of Africa, the Bay of Bengal, and the Strait of Malacca;
• numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen;
• crew and passengers are often held for ransom, murdered, or cast adrift;
• the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators have reduced the piracy incidents;
• in response local pirates shifted operations farther south along the east coast of Somalia and eastward along the coast of Oman

• the Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state);
• the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
• numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen;
• crew and passengers are often held for ransom, murdered, or cast adrift

Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal