Page 184 - MDSL Final

CONCEPTS AND APPLICATION OF MARITIME POWER
Sri Lanka is positioned in the centre of the Indian Ocean at the crossroads
of East to West and West to East international trade, making it ideally
located to become a major logistics hub in the region.

Sri Lanka being an Island nation; it has a great aspiration of becoming a
thriving maritime nation. The geographic location of Sri Lanka in the IOR
has given a significant advantage for maritime trade. The shipping sector
in Sri Lanka is developing rapidly and the Port of Colombo has been
recognised as one of the fastest growing ports in the world at present.
In connectivity ranking in the year 2018, Sri Lanka has become the 13th
best in the world whilst securing the 22nd position in overall container

handling. Currently, 20 Main Line Operators in the world are using the
Port of Colombo for their shipping operations. The Port of Colombo is
the only port in the region except port facilities in the Persian Gulf and
the Malacca Strait to handle Mega Container Ships with a reach of 24
boxes. In year 2018 the Colombo Port has handled over seven millions of
TEUs, which is the highest number of TEUs handled in the history of port
operations in Sri Lanka. This clearly signifies the increase of shipping in
an around Sri Lanka and demands higher level of security of SLOC and
port facilities.

• 90% of the world’s commerce travels by sea.

• The vast majority of the world’s population lives
within a few miles of the oceans.

• Nearly three quarters of the planet is covered
by water.

To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea 165