Man-made Harbours

Not every city was built around a natural harbour. Some areas built their own harbours. These harbours are known as artificial harbours or man-made. The success of a city usually depended on having a good seaport to import and export goods. Man-made harbours were usually built where the coast was already indented. Breakwaters were then built. A breakwater is a structure built to break the force of the waves. Usually the structure is made from large boulders.

The man-made harbour is then almost completely enclosed by the breakwater. There is a space in the breakwater made big enough for boats to pass through.

Halifax Harbour

In Halifax, Nova Scotia, there is one of the very best natural harbours. Halifax harbour is the second largest harbour in the world. Halifax harbour is famous for its depth and lack of ice. It stays open all year round unlike some seaports in eastern Canada which close because the ocean waters freeze during the winter. Halifax is one of the busiest eastern seaports. Around 11 million tonnes of cargo is handled there per year. The famous Halifax harbour attracts cruise ships, making it great for tourism and the economy.