Port of Singapore

The Port of Singapore is a group of harbours and terminals on the southern end of the Strait of Malacca. It is the busiest transshipment port in the world, which means it moves containers from one ship to another on their way to somewhere else.

It handles about a fifth of the world's shipping containers and half of the world's yearly oil supply that goes by sea in transit. Until 2010 it was the busiest port in the world by cargo weight, before Shanghai overtook it. It is also the world's biggest bunkering port, where ships stop to fill their fuel tanks.

Why Singapore?

Singapore sits where ships travel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, so most of those ships pass through the Singapore Strait. The island has few natural resources, so trade is vital for the country: the port imports raw materials and exports finished products such as refined oil. Singapore has been a trading post for hundreds of years, and a kingdom called Singapura already had a port here in the late 1200s.

Today and tomorrow

The containers are handled at terminals such as Pasir Panjang and Tuas, and many ships wait at anchor in the strait. The card on this globe says that the new Tuas Port is planned to handle up to 65 million containers a year when it is complete. Since 2015, Singapore has been ranked as the world's top maritime capital, a city with great ports, shipping companies and services.

On the globe

The model shows container terminals and ships waiting at anchor in the Strait of Malacca. Look for the many ships.