Every major container port accomodates two fundamental characteristics. One is locally generated and stimulated by the port's centrality with respect to a regional hinterland. The other is distantly generated by the interactions of widely seperated pl...
Every major container port accomodates two fundamental characteristics. One is locally generated and stimulated by the port's centrality with respect to a regional hinterland. The other is distantly generated by the interactions of widely seperated places and stimulated by the port's intermediacy. Centrality generates what can be called true origin and destination container traffic from and to the local hinterland. Intermediacy generates long-distance in-transit and transhipment traffic.
Ports in early days were created as regional or national gateways to serve and promote the economic development of their respective regions and nations. But nowadays with the globalization of the world economy and the development of intermodal transportation, container ports are more frequently assessing their role by the intermediacy concept.
Ports can be strategically located as gateways or transhipment points in a transport network, but essentially they are given functional characteristic by the carrier's choices. Containerization is much more depended on intermediacy of port in global perspectives, so port development plans should be oriented to satisfy these various carrier's needs.