The shipping platform

Location: Situated on the Caribbean coast in the Bay of Cartagena. General overview: Cartagena is the largest and most secure harbour on the N coast of Colombia. Sheltered from all directions, the bay is 9nm in length and up to 4nm wide, SE of Isla Tierra Bomba. An inner harbour, around the city, lies N of Punta Manzanillo and Castillo Grande, 10°24'N 075°32'W, a low spit covered with buildings. The port comprises of the commercial port area in the N and E, with the naval base in the W. To the south is the outer harbour with a container terminal, coal terminal and several oil piers on the E coast side. Exports include coffee, oil products, vehicles, fruit and vegetables, nickel, resins and textiles. Imports include chemicals, food products, machinery, paper and other raw materials. For Covenas Offshore SBM's (Ecopetrol), see separate entry. Traffic figures: Approx 1400 vessels, 7,116,687t of cargo and 795,380TEU handled annually. Load line zone: Tropical.