<p>The answer by @wolfgang_bangerth concentrates on the maritime conditions. What also is required are conditions on land that would make such locations useful as ports for international trade.</p>
<p>The land adjacent to such maritime locations needs to be reasonably flat and cover a large area so that holding yards can be established for goods arriving and leaving via a port and to facilitate land based transport networks, such as rail and road, in moving goods to and from ports. Steep coastlines, as one finds with fjords, are sub optimal for use as ports.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-13T00:22:50.817Z
Since the question is focused on the 17th century, the location should also allow for easy re-supply of provisions, e.g. with sources of fresh water and food near by. In terms of geographic conditions, this disfavors desert regions. For the (later) age of steamships, a fairly local source of fuel would also be beneficial, but that is more a geological than a geographical factor.
njuffa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-11T05:50:12.593Z
2023-02-11T05:50:12.593Z
Fred
<p>Here are some considerations:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>It needs to be deep enough that you can get close to shore with a ship that extends several meters below sea level.</p>
</li>
<li><p>It needs to be protected from large waves, so a spit of land that goes around the harbor is useful.</p>
</li>
<li><p>It shouldn't be in a place where tides are large and ships will be moving up and down over the course of a day by too much to make loading and unloading difficult.</p>
</li>
<li><p>It shouldn't be in a place where winds are frequently too strong to make operations difficult.</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-11T05:35:53.257Z
Added to this, such places would need to have a large area so a large number of ships could congregate comfortably.
Fred
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-11T10:01:52.307Z
Added to this, it should be ice-free, or at least mostly ice-free, all year long.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-13T01:23:15.020Z
Added to this, the ability to defend the place from attack was good.
Phil Sweet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-11T03:44:50.883Z
2023-02-16T00:26:06.603Z
2023-02-16T00:26:06.603Z
Wolfgang Bangerth
<p>I've been trying to find sources detailing the natural geographic features most suitable for shipping harbors along a coast—primarily for international trade. So far, I've read vague reference to bathymetry and natural harbors. What other geographic conditions should affect the viability of shipping (historically) along a country coastline?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-12T15:09:08.873Z
At what era or level of technological development? Up until land transport reached the speed and convenience of a sailing ship, the criteria were quite different from the modern era.
user_1818839
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-12T21:42:49.013Z
@user_1818839 Prior to the industrial revolution—say around the 17th century?
honeymoow
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-14T01:45:34.737Z
I think you mean amenable. Amiable refers only to people.
Phil Sweet
<oceanography><geography><bathymetry>
Most amenable coastal geographic conditions for harbors?
honeymoow
# Most amenable coastal geographic conditions for harbors?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-10)

I've been trying to find sources detailing the natural geographic features most suitable for shipping harbors along a coast—primarily for international trade. So far, I've read vague reference to bathymetry and natural harbors. What other geographic conditions should affect the viability of shipping (historically) along a country coastline?

**Tags:** oceanography, geography, bathymetry

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: At what era or level of technological development? Up until land transport reached the speed and convenience of a sailing ship, the criteria were quite different from the modern era.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Prior to the industrial revolution—say around the 17th century?  
> **username_2**: I think you mean amenable. Amiable refers only to people.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2023-02-11. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

Here are some considerations:

* It needs to be deep enough that you can get close to shore with a ship that extends several meters below sea level.
* It needs to be protected from large waves, so a spit of land that goes around the harbor is useful.
* It shouldn't be in a place where tides are large and ships will be moving up and down over the course of a day by too much to make loading and unloading difficult.
* It shouldn't be in a place where winds are frequently too strong to make operations difficult.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Added to this, such places would need to have a large area so a large number of ships could congregate comfortably.  
> **username_6**: Added to this, it should be ice-free, or at least mostly ice-free, all year long.  
> **username_2**: Added to this, the ability to defend the place from attack was good.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-02-11. Score: 12

The answer by @username_5\_bangerth concentrates on the maritime conditions. What also is required are conditions on land that would make such locations useful as ports for international trade.

The land adjacent to such maritime locations needs to be reasonably flat and cover a large area so that holding yards can be established for goods arriving and leaving via a port and to facilitate land based transport networks, such as rail and road, in moving goods to and from ports. Steep coastlines, as one finds with fjords, are sub optimal for use as ports.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Since the question is focused on the 17th century, the location should also allow for easy re-supply of provisions, e.g. with sources of fresh water and food near by. In terms of geographic conditions, this disfavors desert regions. For the (later) age of steamships, a fairly local source of fuel would also be beneficial, but that is more a geological than a geographical factor.  

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