THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF BALTIC SEA FERRY SERVICES

Abstract

Ferry services are transport systems whose regular routes link areas separated by water bodies. Sometimes ferries are the only connection between an island and the mainland. In the Baltic Sea, such transport situations are not rare. A typical example is the island of Saaremaa. Ferries are the backbone of cargo and passenger traffic in the Baltic Sea region. This article aims to describe the spatial structure of ferry services in the Baltic Sea. To this end, a statistical database on 101 ferry routes is created and passenger and car traffic on each is calculated using an original methodology, which can be applied in analysing the spatial structure and traffic of ferry services in other regions. Baltic ferries account for over half of all European ferry-borne car and passenger traffic. The Baltic stands out for its unusually long ferry routes, which sustain timber exports. Most cargoes in the region originate from Sweden.