The role of ships  Ship is the oldest vehicle of people. Shipping is the most characteristic feature of modern world economy.  It also plays important role in resting, recreation and sports.  The third role is war purpose.

The first boats were made by nature. They were fallen trees and trunks brought by rivers.

The most important rivers in our country :  River Danube  River Tisza  River Maros

People living next to the rivers had advantages because of the water. At the crossings of the River Danube and land roads crossing points, than villages, towns and trade centres developed. People started trading between the settlements next to the river, too.

After chasing out the Turks the Hungarian agriculture started to develop. Ships able to bring 150, ,000 kgs corps spread over the River Danube and its side rivers. Trading was usually to Austria and the Adriatic Sea. Ships went down using the power of the river, but backwards horses and people pulled them. Because of the changing water level, unregulated water beds, the missing hauler roads, transport was slow, trading was expensive and shipping was dangerous.

The River Maros has been a favourite trading route for centuries. Villagers near the River Maros were employed by the river trade. Trading developed: besides salt, wood, stones and ores were taken down the River Maros and back mainly crops from the Great Plain.

Controlling the Hungarian rivers was important for shipping and trading. Count Széchenyi István’s role was significant in controlling the rivers.

Steam engines determined the future of shipping in the 19th century. In 1822 the first metal ships appeared. Boat building factories were built along the River Danube.

In the first phase of WWII war transport had a great effect on the development of shipping but from spring 1944 Hungarian shipping had a huge loss. More than 200 water vehicles were destroyed and sank into River Danube because of magnetic mines.

From the 1950s modernization started to begin. There has been a famous hydrofoil transport between Budapest and Vienna since 1962.

The opening of the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal meant great possibilities for Hungarian shipping between the North Sea and the Black Sea. With shipping there is a great possibility to transport goods of huge quantity economically and environment friendly.

 The sound of propellers may disturb some water animals.  The wrecks of tankers may cause the death of the flora and fauna.  Bringing in some unfamiliar animals or plants may alter the previous ecosystem.  Waves may wash out eggs from safe places so their survival is not granted.

Marjai, Imre. Nagy hajóskönyv. Móra Ferenc Könykiadó (1981) Giorgetti, Franco. Vitorlás hajók. Alexandra Könykiadó (2007)