| Short Definition |
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The total number of ports used primarily for national sea transport or for merchant ships providing transport service between two ports of the national territory.
Port - a place having facilities for merchant ships to moor and to load or unload cargo or to disembark or embark passengers to or from vessels, usually directly to a pier.
Merchant ship – ship designed for the carriage of goods, transport of passengers or specially fitted out for a specific commercial duty; includes cargo- and passenger-carrying ships and ships of miscellaneous activities, specially fitted out for a specific duty, e.g., fish catching and processing ships, tugs, dredgers, research/survey ships, and ships used in offshore production and support.. Naval ships and ships used by public administration and public services as well as barges are excluded. |