I have listed 478 Pax & Car ferries!
Shipping within the Greek coastal system has been an important activity throughout the course of history. Evidence exists that boats sailed the Aegean as early as the Stone Ages (about 13,000 BC). The Minoan civilization of Crete (1,600 BC) was the first European civilization that seriously practiced trade with the islands and the mainland. Ships were crucial in the Athenians' defeat of the Persian Empire (480 BC) and in the establishment of their own empire. Coastal shipping also played important roles in the Macedonian, Roman and Byzantine civilizations.
In more recent times, the Greek commercial fleet has established itself as a world leader, being involved in "deep sea" cargo trades all over the world. Even though based on completely different principles, coastal domestic shipping has developed along a parallel track. It has been critical in promoting the development of the Greek islands and in sustaining the economic and social cohesion of modern Greece as a whole.
Yet, for all its long history and steady evolution across the centuries, Greek coastal shipping is about to experience unprecedented changes within the next decade or so. This website spotlights these changes and gives a sample of their impact.
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This page was last updated on 08/22/00.