Flag stateThe flag state of a merchant vessel is the jurisdiction under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed, and is deemed the nationality of the vessel. A merchant vessel must be registered and can only be registered in one jurisdiction, but may change the jurisdiction in which it is registered.
PurserA purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. Frequently, the cooks and stewards answer to the purser as well. They were also called a pusser in British naval slang.
United States NavyMaritime service branch of the U.S. militaryMilitary unitThe United States Navy (USN) is the maritimeservice branch of the United States Armed Forces and is designated as the navy of the United States in the Constitution. With 290 combat vessels, it is the world's second largest navy, behind the People's Liberation Army Navy, and by far the largest by displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021.
International Maritime OrganizationThe International Maritime Organization (IMO; French: Organisation maritime internationale, Spanish: Organización Marítima Internacional, OMI) is a specialized agency of the United Nations regulating maritime transport. It was established following agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948, but it did not come into force for ten years until the new body, then called the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, first assembled on 6 January 1959.
United KingdomCountry in northwestern EuropeThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a population of over 69 million in 2024.
Licensed marinerA licensed mariner is a sailor who holds a license from a maritime authority to hold senior officer-level positions aboard ships, boats, and similar vessels.
AccountingAccounting, also known as accountancy, is the process of recording and processing information about economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activities and conveys this information to a variety of stakeholders, including investors, , management, and regulators. Practitioners of accounting are known as accountants. The terms "accounting" and "financial reporting" are often used interchangeably.
International Ship and Port Facility Security CodeThe International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention (1974/1988) on Maritime security including minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies.
CustomsGovernment agency which regulates the flow of goods and collects duties A customs officer in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol checks the luggage of an incoming traveler. Vienna Convention road sign for customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country.
ImmigrationMovement of people into another country or region to which they are not native Net migration rates per 1,000 people in 2023. On net people travel from redder countries to bluer countries.Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents.
Asylum seekerAn asylum seeker or asylum-seeker is a person who leaves their country of residence, enters another country, and makes in that other country a formal application for the right of asylum according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 14. A person keeps the status of asylum seeker until the right of asylum application has concluded.
RefugeeDisplaced personEthnic groupRefugee population by country or territory of asylumNumber of refugees per 100,000 by country of originA refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country.
DockworkerA dockworker (also called a docker, longshoreman, lumper, stevedore, wharfman or wharfie) is a waterfront manual laborer who loads and unloads ships. As a result of the intermodal shipping container revolution, the required number of dockworkers has declined by over 90% since the 1960s. EtymologyThe word stevedore () originated in Portugal or Spain, and entered the English language through its use by sailors.
navisRelated word or term.sea captainRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.