East-west Route Research Articles

Trade effects of liner shipping across world regions

Purpose Liner shipping plays a crucial role in facilitating the movement of manufactured goods around the world. While previous literature has shown that liner shipping is an important trade driver, potential differences across trade routes and world regions have not as yet been explored. This paper examines whether the impact of liner shipping on bilateral trade flows differs significantly across world regions, as well as exploring other geographical patterns.Design/methodology/approach Using state-of-the-art gravity modelling, this paper investigates the impact of the UNCTAD's Liner Shipping Bilateral Connectivity Index on bilateral trade in manufactured goods using a comprehensive database of disaggregated trade data for the period from 2006 to 2019.Findings The results show that the trade effect of liner shipping is greater in long-distance and interregional bilateral flows. For some regions, such as North America and Oceania, the effect is greater than the world average, while for others, such as Africa and South America, the effect is significantly smaller. The trade effects of liner shipping connectivity on the main east–west routes are average, but clear asymmetry emerges when analysing China's inward and outward trade flows separately.Originality/value The results of this paper show that the major east–west routes determine the baseline trade effects of liner shipping, demonstrate that some north–south trades such as those involving Oceania generate larger trade effects and confirm that the trade effects of liner shipping can be improved for some world regions such as South America and Africa.

The Strategy of Russia in the Trans-Eurasian Connectivity

It was observed in the recent period that strategic initiatives enhancing connectivity in the Eurasian continent. Since 2014, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been promoted by China, and some CIS countries, including Russia, established the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in 2015. Several East–West routes exist, in contrast to which the INSTC is the only one meridional transcontinental corridor in the EAEU. The rapidly growing economy of India, on the other hand, for which the INSTC could be the land-based corridor of choice for efficient trade with Russia and Central Asia. Ongoing challenges, bureaucratic delays, and inter-regional disputes are the challenges likely to be faced by the project as competition for influence across Eurasia continues to heat up. INSTC may become a major game-changer in global trade as well as in the broader region provided it tackles all the obstacles in its way. The northwestern part of Europe and the Nordic countries, along with Central Asia and the Persian Gulf, are connected through this multimodal INSTC. Passing through the Suez Canal and Gibraltar, multimodal routes are to be facilitated for the shift of freight that flows from these sea routes. The INSTC has not gained as much traction as the existing Eurasian corridors and TRACECA, given sanctions imposed on Iran and bottlenecks in the transport infrastructure. The active interaction of the EAEU member states with India and Iran, over the last several years, as well as a better regulatory environment around the Caspian Sea, drove its development. To form the framework for a strong connectivity network from the Indian Ocean to the Baltic States and Scandinavia, for which the INSTC has much potential. Besides its significance economically and its capacity to improve the bilateral relations of member states, INSTC also has the potential to act as a major counterbalance to Chinese influence in the region of Central Asia where the interests of Russia, Iran, and India, the leading INSTC states, also align. Ongoing challenges, bureaucratic delays, and inter-regional disputes are the challenges likely to be faced by the project as competition for influence across Eurasia continues to heat up. INSTC may become a major game-changer in global trade as well as in the broader region provided it tackles all the obstacles in its way.

A reflection of the Ottoman Empire in the poetry of Ahmad Shawki

Egypt is the most important region of the east-west route, the Mediterranean basin, which opens to the west. Because of its location as a gate, it has drawn the interest of major states in every century and has been the center of attention. Because of Egypt’s strategic importance in the 19th century, France and England pursued colonial interests in the nation. In this country, both European governments’ colonial actions in Egypt, as well as Egypt’s isolation from the Ottoman Empire, have an impact. It also influenced the creation of diverse thinking currents. Among them were Egyptian intellectuals and their views on the caliphate, as well as the formation of distinct understandings of nationality. The influence of Islamism and nationalism was deeply felt on Egypt and the intellectuals living in this country. We picked Ahmad Shawki, one of Egypt’s thinkers, since he is an Arab of Turkish descent who dedicated himself to the Ottoman empire during the time of Abdul-Hamid II. The notion of nationalism was seen in Egypt in a variety of ways throughout this time. “Egyptian Nationalism Related to the Ottoman Caliphate” was Ahmad Shawki’s definition of nationalism. Because he is devoted to the caliphate, he has the notion of Islamic Union; Ahmad Shawki is a nationalist thinker who loves Egypt, and the idea of Islamic unity and nationalist element is the major focus of this research. &nbsp

The Role of Trade in the Conversion to Islam and in the History of the Volga Bulghars

The trade-network of Afro-Eurasia changed radically in the 9th–10th centuries, instead of the former east-west routes the south-north came to the fore. The Volga-Kama region became the most important port of trade between the Islamic world and Eastern Europe in the beginning of the 10th century which set in motion the formation of the Volga Bulghar state and the conversion to Islam. The Volga Bulghars are mentioned in the Muslim sources as the center of trade. Ibn Faḍlān, al-Masʿūdī give a detailed picture of this intensive trade. The Muslim dirhams came from Samanid mints to the Volga region and the Volga Bulghar merchants bought northern merchandise (furs, slaves, wax, honey etc.) in the 10th century. Al-Muqaddasī gives an exhaustive list of trade goods from the Volga Bulgar area at the end of the 10th century. After the disappearance of the silver dirhams in the first decades of the 11th century the state of the Volga Bulghars remained a significant trade center. The Muslim maps of Ibn Ḥawqal, Maḥmūd al-Kāshġarī and al-Idrīsī reflect a river system called Etil which is waterway commercial network. It connects Central Asia via Siberia with the Volga-Kama region, the northern regions can be reached on the way along the Kama and perhaps the Vyatka, the northeastern network includes the Oka, Unzha and upper Volga. The southern routes represent the lower Volga from the territory of Volga Bulghars to the Caspian Sea and the Volga-Don portage plus the lower Don until its estuary to the Azov Sea.

The Role of Liner Shipping Services in Small and Medium Sized

The Liner services provides regular shipments of goods between ports within the set timeframe. A fixed route, the obligation of receiving cargo and to go to sea with established schedule distinguishes line service from the sea transportation of bulk cargo. Containerization, establishment and improvement of routes and infrastructure helped liner shipping to become the driving force of Global economy, which supports the growth of international trade, development of different business forms such as mainly small and medium sized businesses. The shipment volume of containerized cargo was 37.1 M.TEU in 1994, by 2020 the figure reached up to 143.3 M.TEU. This indicator was growing at a high rate on East-West route during 1990-2016; In terms of North-South, South-South and intraregional route same measure was high between 1990-2004 years. Afterwards, Abovementioned growth has become more stable. Containerization changed the structure of Liner fleet. If general cargo vessels deadweight was growing during 1970-2010 (From 40.5M Dwt to 99.7M Dwt), in the latest 10 years, the tonnage has been decreasing and as for 2020 it was 74.6M Dwt. In exchange for this the number of container ships have been growing consistently and in 2020 it consisted of 274.7M Dwt. Maersk became the largest line operator since 2001 (with a market share of 9.4%) and by 2020 it’s share of the business has grown to 17%. The company owns container terminals worldwide, including the Poti container terminal. MSC is on second place (9.4% market share), COSCO is on third place (12.4%) and CMA CGM takes forth place (11.8%). Keywords: Liner Shipping Services, Containerization, East–West routes, North–South routes, Intraregional routes, General cargo ship, Containership, Liner operator, Container port.

Plymouth Railroads by Elizabeth Kelly Karstens and Ellen Elliott

Reviewed by: Plymouth Railroads by Elizabeth Kelly Karstens and Ellen Elliott Bill McKnight Elizabeth Kelly Karstens and Ellen Elliott. Plymouth Railroads. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2020. Pp. 128. Bibliography. Illustrations. Paperback: $21.99. Those who live near Plymouth's railroad diamond (track crossing) know the sounds, sights, and grade crossing interruptions of Plymouth's railroad activity. Plymouth's railroad scene has changed over the years, but it is still lively. Passenger trains have been gone since 1971, automotive traffic is significantly decreased because of Ford and GM assembly and parts plant closures, and run-through SOO Line freights no longer use the CSX east-west route across Michigan. Still, CSX Transportation intermodal double-stack trains seem to abound, delaying motorists especially on Starkweather and Main Streets. Transport of grain, chemicals, steel, and coal is seen and heard in the middle of otherwise quiet nights. Plymouth's railroad presence has been, and still is, strong. Plymouth Railroads is a thorough examination of Plymouth's railroad history from the first track in 1871 to today. As with all Arcadia Publishing books, this volume is mostly photographs, with well-chosen images of all eras depicting both railroad activity and its impact on the Plymouth community. Lengthy captions accurately explain both the railroad aspects of the images and their local significance. Individuals are identified when known. Information provided will inform and please both rail aficionados and local historians. Maps, both local and further afield, help explain geographic relationships. Visitors who arrived at Plymouth by train included US presidents and various entertainers—these interesting travelers are given a chapter. The presentation is chronological with nine chapters. A page of text begins each chapter before the extensive captions take over. The various railroad companies over the years—principally Pere Marquette, Chesapeake & Ohio, and CSX—are enumerated. Facilities, including the roundhouses, stations, and yards, get their due as do customers, passenger trains, and train wrecks. The relationship of the railroad to businesses in [End Page 128] Plymouth is described, particularly hotels and restaurants that catered to early travelers, and firms that shipped manufactured goods and farm products by rail. This reviewer wishes train schedules had been reproduced to show the frequency and destinations of trains in the passenger heyday. At various times and seasons, passengers could board at Plymouth for Columbus, OH, the New River Gorge in West Virginia, Richmond and Newport News, VA, plus Detroit, Petoskey, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. Pullman cars were available on some trains; Plymouth was a decidedly mainline location. Interurban lines (electric intercity services) that connected Plymouth with Northville, Wayne, and beyond from 1899 to 1927 are accorded a chapter. The trolley-type route through downtown Plymouth is a revelation, with especially good local photos. The Plymouth Historical Museum proudly displays a restored CSX caboose on a short track south of its building. Plymouth Railroads concludes with a chapter depicting the process of acquiring, refurbishing, and installing this iconic piece of historic railroad equipment. This Arcadia "Images of Rail" book is well researched and written, providing valuable insight into Plymouth history and a fresh look at a piece of southeastern Michigan railroad history. Bill McKnight Retired Corporate Secretary, Grand Trunk Western Railroad Copyright © 2021 Central Michigan University

Archaeological Evidence, Cultural Imagination and Image of the Mediaeval World: New Perspectives on Treasures from Qiuci (Kucha)

The Kingdom of Qiuci (now Kucha in Xinjiang) was a key city along the central east-west route of the Silk Road, providing many unusual treasures. This paper analyses five of these treasures: the Quzhi pot, Qiuci board, golden glass, the silver bowl known as Polou (patrōδ) and the Youxian (immortals' land) pillow. This study of foreign cultures in the medieval Chinese imagination stands at the intersection of philology, material culture studies and art history, utilising a range of sources, such as historical records, literary anecdotes, excavated documents, archeological finds and Chinese rare books. Treasures from Qiuci constitute one case study of a larger topic that the author has been grappling with, namely what can be considered as Chinese “natural history” and concerning China's mediaeval understanding of the world. The treasures are valuable because they show how foreign treasures, both in material objects unearthed through modern archaeology, and in the lore and symbolism of the objects circulating in the medieval Chinese imagination, are a synthesis of history and myth, of the known and the mysterious.

A Contemporary Appraisal of Logistics Performance in Sri Lanka

Logistics comprises a network of services that supports the physical movement of goods within and across borders. Logistics is understood as a network of services that support the physical movement of goods, trade across borders, and commerce within borders. It is a $4.3 trillion industry (The World Bank, 2018). The global perception about the logistics performance of the country can surely has an impact to the investments in Sri Lanka. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and The World Bank’s Connecting to Compete report analyses countries in six components ascertaining various countries’ performances namely, logistics performance indicator (LPI). This is a unique benchmarking tool, providing the same measure for more than 160 countries. The 2018 Logistics Performance Index scores countries on how efficiently they move goods across and within borders. Sri Lanka is geographically located in a highly strategic position. The main East-West sea route runs proximity to the country. The country is located very close to India - the Emerging Giant. This has been an enormous fortune for Sri Lanka to improve its logistics performances though scale of economies. However, Sri Lanka’s logistics performance is not, in any way, commensurate with these comparative advantages.

Dying for a good night of sleep?: Researchers are investigating how poor sleep can increase the risk of cancer or worsen the course of the disease.

Dying for a good night of sleep?: Researchers are investigating how poor sleep can increase the risk of cancer or worsen the course of the disease.

Phylogeny, biogeography and divergence times of Astragalus section Incani DC. (Fabaceae) inferred from nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32‐trnL(UAG) sequences

Astragalus sect. Incani, one of the most species‐rich sections of Astragalus with ca 140 species, is well known for its taxonomic complexity resulting from overlapping morphological characters and high phenotypic plasticity. Its main centers of diversity are in Iran and Turkey with about 120 species. Using nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32‐trnL(UAG) markers, we reconstructed the phylogeny of members of the section by means of maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian, Beast and S‐DIVA analyses. This is the first comprehensive work on the section Incani covering its full geographic range. All members of the section (including A. subsecundus) except A. platyphyllus formed a well‐supported clade (Incani s.s.). Within the section, two major groups with different geographic distribution were detected. One group includes nine examined species restricted to eastern Iran and Central Asia and the other group comprises a majority of the species from west and northwestern Iran, Turkey and southern Europe. The Divergence time analysis suggests that Incani s.s. originated in the late Pliocene and a majority of the speciation events dates to the last 1–1.5 Myr. This indicates that the recent diversification of Incani s.s. coincided with climatic changes during the Pliocene and Pleistocene and was followed by complex biogeographical processes in which dispersal have been vital for shaping the current distribution pattern . The S‐DIVA suggested a predominantly east–west route of dispersal from an origin in the east, and a major phylogenetic split between eastern and western lineages. However, the geographical distribution of A. monspessulanus/A. incanus and A. ackerbergensis/A. gueldenstaedtiae does not correspond to their phylogenetic positions. The former species are restricted to southern Europe/North Africa, but belong in two distinct subclades. The latter, restricted to northeastern Iran are phylogenetically close to species of western and northwestern Iran and Turkey. Astragalus sykesiae is resurrected as a distinct species separated from a broadly defined A. mercklinii.

Robust aircraft optimal trajectory in the presence of wind

As environmental awareness has increased, airlines are paying attention to fuel consumption during daily flight operations with the hope of reducing consumption. Because the direction and strength of the wind affects the fuel consumption of an aircraft, airlines are seeking to minimize the adverse effects of headwinds or maximize the beneficial effect of tailwinds when planning flight trajectories. According to the jet stream profile of the world, it is easy to notice that the jet streams flow in the eastwest direction instead of the north-south direction. Therefore, the flights on east-west routes are affected more by en route winds than the flights on north-south routes. In order to achieve the best flight performance in terms of flight time and fuel consumption, airlines may adjust the flight trajectories based on en route wind profiles. Consequently, it is necessary to consider en route wind effects when planning flight trajectories. However, it is difficult to identify the most suitable trajectory in a complex wind field because such field is not easy to estimate [17], [25], [8], [9], [26]. The wind directions and strength are varying in different regions, at different altitudes, and different times. Even though the problem is complex, solving it may benefit airlines in terms of fuel cost and on-time performance.

Cold-blooded in the Ice Age: “refugia within refugia”, inter-and intraspecific biogeographic diversification of European whipsnakes (Squamata, Colubridae, Hierophis)

In this work, we performed a biogeographic analysis with Bayesian binary MCMC (BBM) statistical dispersal-vicariance analysis (S-DIVA) and species distribution models (SDM) on three phylogenetically closely related Mediterranean whipsnakes (Hierophis gemonensis, H. carbonarius, H. viridiflavus), to investigate the pathways of their geographical diversification and locate putative refugial areas in the last glacial maximum (LGM). Our analysis suggests that the diversification processes between the studied species overall followed an east-west route, from eastern Greece to the Iberian Peninsula and continental France, highlighting a significant role of dispersal and vicariance processes at both inter- and intraspecific levels. In particular, the main lineage-splitting events between H. gemonensis, H. carbonarius and H. viridiflavus coincide with two events of vicariance, involving respectively eastern Greece and eastern Italy, and eastern Italy and western Italy, Iberian Peninsula and continental France. SDM analyses highlight the occurrence of multiple putative glacial refugia in the Balkans, Italy and southern France, which represent well the occurrence of distinct “refugia within refugia” in the main Mediterranean peninsulas. Furthermore, our results suggest how these refugia may have played an important role during the Quaternary climatic oscillations in shaping the current haplotype distribution of European whipsnakes.

Maritime trade-dependence of Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka: Implications and way forward

ABSTRACTMaritime trade is a key contributor to economy in many countries particularly those that are bordering on oceans. Sri Lanka is geographically located in proximity to the main East-West sea route creating multiple logistics advantages to the adjunct countries. This paper considers the maritime trade dependence between Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka that focuses on potential implications and a futuristic view. The paper primarily provides an appraisal of maritime trade about Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Thereafter, it identifies the historical connections between these countries and discusses the related developments and implications in the maritime industry. It consists of a review and comparison of shipping performance of the countries and an appraisal of Logistics Performance. In addition, it provides an indication of the global perception about other key factors pertaining to logistics and transport. Port project developments, One Belt One Road Initiative, maritime security, risk of Cyber-attacks, a rule based maritime order, trade and investment, transport, energy, and tourism are other factors that are highlighted in this paper.

Everyday life on the medieval Silk Road: VDSRS excavations at Arpa, Armenia

The contemporary term ‘Silk Road’ refers to multiple centuries of movement, exchange and mutual development that tied together the cities, towns and route networks of Eurasia. During the high and late medieval periods (12th -15th centuries AD), the routes of the ‘Silk Road’ linked cities in China to the Mediterranean, passing through Central Asia and the Caucasus. The phenomenon of the medieval Silk Road is important for historical narratives within the Republic of Armenia: longstanding models of the rise of cities and kingdoms in Armenia argue that settlements such as Dvin and Ani, were linked into networks of trade between East and West. Medieval material culture within Armenia in many ways demonstrates the intersection of multiple cultures: in architecture, ceramics, glass, numismatics and other spheres. Within the medieval Silk Road networks of the south Caucasus, the region of Vayots Dzor is centrally located, and in the medieval period served as a junction point in north-south and east-west routes of travel (Figure 1).

Potential air pollutant emission from private vehicles based on vehicle route

Air emissions related to the transportation sector has been identified as the second largest emitter of ambient air quality in Indonesia. This is due to large numbers of private vehicles commuting within the city as well as inter-city. A questionnaire survey was conducted in Semarang city involving 711 private vehicles consisting of cars and motorcycles. The survey was conducted in random parking lots across the Semarang districts and in vehicle workshops. Based on the parking lot survey, the average distance private cars travelled in kilometers (VKT) was 17,737 km/year. The machine start-up number of cars during weekdays; weekends were on average 5.19 and 3.79 respectively. For motorcycles the average of kilometers travelled was 27,092 km/year. The machine start-up number of motorcycles during weekdays and weekends were on average 5.84 and 3.98, respectively. The vehicle workshop survey showed the average kilometers travelled to be 9,510 km/year for motorcycles, while for private cars the average kilometers travelled was 21,347 km/year. Odometer readings for private cars showed a maximum of 3,046,509 km and a minimum of 700 km. Meanwhile, for motorcycles, odometer readings showed a maximum of 973,164 km and a minimum of roughly 54.24 km. Air pollutant emissions on East-West routes were generally higher than those on South-North routes. Motorcycles contribute significantly to urban air pollution, more so than cars. In this study, traffic congestion and traffic volume contributed much more to air pollution than the impact of fluctuating terrain.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Nation's First Superhighway at The State Museum of Pennsylvania

<i>The Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Nation's First Superhighway</i> at The State Museum of Pennsylvania

The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain

The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Cascade Citizens Wildlife Monitoring Project

Wildlife tracking can make an excellent service-learning activity for engaging anthropology, biology and environmental science/studies students in their local communities and ecosystems. This project describes an advanced project for a well-developed field school as well as possible entry-level activities that would be easier to integrate into a wide variety of courses. The Cascade Citizens Wildlife Monitoring Project (CCWMP) is a service-learning activity through which students in the Learn and Serve Environmental Anthropology Field (LEAF) School draw upon traditional ecological knowledge and observation skills to help solve a modern problem. The LEAF School employs service-learning as a form of participant observation through which students can come to better understand their own community, its subcultures and its interconnectedness within an ecosystem. In the winter students assist the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition with documentation of wildlife presence and movements along the primary east-west route across the Cascade Mountains. During the spring, summer and fall students collaborate with Conservation Northwest and Wilderness Awareness School to set up remote cameras to document the presence of rare carnivores in the Cascades. The 2009 LEAF School students are helping to place, set up and check cameras targeted for documentation of reported wolf sounds and sightings in the vicinity of Manastash (south of Cle Elum, WA). The data collected by students is shared with government officials, environmental organizations and land managers to help guide the protection of wildlife corridors and the placement of freeway crossings.

The hierarchical configuration of the container port industry: an application of multiple linkage analysis

This paper aims to provide a hierarchical configuration of the container port industry. It attempts to do so by determining a port hierarchy and then, utilising this, deriving the nature of the spatial interactions between sample ports in East Asia. The former is determined by assessing the relative importance of a port within the given network, and the latter is mainly based on the significance of network flow movements. Rather than focusing purely on the economic or topological meaning or significance of the available shipping capacity, this paper aims to determine port hierarchy by addressing the spatial profile of network flow data as a supplementary indicator. An approach based on graph theory—Multiple Linkage Analysis—is described and applied to examining the profile of capacity flow on each linkage within a sample network consisting of 39 major container ports on the main east–west routes. The value on a linkage is defined in terms of the available shipping capacity between pairs of ports within a given unit time. As the output from this analysis, all significant connections are separated out from the initial flow matrix. The position of a particular port within the network port hierarchy relies upon the number of significant flows connected to the port and the origins/destinations of those flows. The results reveal a strong correlation between the importance of a port as indicated by its position in the hierarchy and the number of significant connections into or out of it. A further clustering analysis, based on the above distinction, is performed for the hierarchical mapping of the container port industry in a selected area and to provide a better understanding of inter-port competition.

Development of Tourism in the Transalpine Area. Premises and Possibilities

The paper highlights the premises of the revitalization process of tourism: the significance of the “Transalpine” area, its intersection with routes of intense mobility of the population, the numerous natural and anthropogenic elements and their outstanding tourist value, the high rate of anthropization and insertions in the mountainous area caused by a diverse economy specific to mountainous areas, the tourist accessibility to the area, etc. The extremely favorable natural premises, the anthropogenic, ethnographic and enthno-folkloric potential, as well as the development of the north-south and east-west routes facilitate development of tourism in the Transalpine mountainous area. We have highlighted some distinct features of certain tourist models. Thus, there are two ethno-folkloric areas, two main tourist axes (a transversal one and a longitudinal one) and secondary tourist axes (along the mountains summits) as well as two urban areas (Sebes in the north and Novaci in the south) which attract and guide the tourist flow. The purpose of this approach is aimed at diminishing the transit tourism, as well as diminishing seasonal tourism through the diversification of tourism. This requires coherent national development strategy integrated in the regional context, inter-county joint projects, the involvement of local authorities and tourist agencies as well as substantial funding.