From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A
trade route
is a series of
paths
or roads that is used for the
commercial
transport
of
cargo
.
Historically, the period from 1500 BC?1 AD saw the Western Asian,
Mediterranean
,
Chinese
and
Indian
societies develop major networks for trade, such as the
silk road
.
[1]
Europe
's early trading routes included the
amber road
, which served as a network for long distance trade.
[2]
Maritime trade
along the
spice route
became prominent during the
Middle Ages
; nations tried to control this influential route.
[3]
During the Middle Ages organizations such as the
Hanseatic League
, aimed at protecting interests of the merchants and trade, also became increasingly important.
[4]
In modern times, commercial activity shifted from the major trade routes of the
Old World
to newer routes between modern nation states. This activity was sometimes carried out without traditional protection of trade and under international free trade agreements, which allowed commercial goods to cross borders with relaxed restrictions.
[5]
Innovative transportation of the modern times includes
pipeline
transport, and the relatively well known trade using
rail routes
,
automobiles
and cargo
airlines
. In some select cases, pipelines can even transport solids, such as coal and other minerals, over long distances; short-distance transportation of goods such as grain, cement, concrete, solid wastes, pulp etc. is also feasible.
[6]
- ↑
Denemark 2000: 274
- ↑
Burns 2003: 213
- ↑
Donkin 2003: 169
- ↑
Dollinger 1999: 62
- ↑
free trade. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05.
- ↑
pipeline (Encyclopædia Britannica 2002)