Port of Colombo

Port of Colombo
Map
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Location
CountrySri Lanka
LocationColombo
Coordinates06°57′10″N 79°50′41″E / 6.95278°N 79.84472°E / 6.95278; 79.84472
UN/LOCODELKCMB[1]
Details
OpenedAncient
Owned byGovernment of Sri Lanka
Type of harbourSeaport
Size of harbourterminal 8
Land area4.8 km2 (1,200 acres)
SizeLarge
No. of berths51
No. of piers27
VisionLogistic Excellence in the Silk Route
Statistics
Annual cargo tonnage72.9 million (2019)[citation needed]
Annual container volume7.25 million (2021) [2] TEUs
Website
http://www.slpa.lk/

The Port of Colombo Sinhala: කොළඹ වරාය, Tamil: கொழும்பு துறைமுகம் (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early 14th Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as an important terminal in Asia due to its strategic location in the Indian Ocean. During the 1980s, the port underwent rapid modernization with the installation of cranes, gantries and other modern-day terminal requirements.

Currently with a capacity of 7 million TEUs and a depth of over 18 m (59 ft),[3] the Colombo Harbour is one of the busiest ports in the world, and ranks among the top 25 ports. It is also one of the biggest artificial harbours in the world handling most of the country's foreign trade.[4] It has an annual cargo tonnage of 30.9 million tons.[5] The port is also the naval base for Sri Lanka Navy Western Fleet under the Commander Western Naval Area (COMWEST).[citation needed] The Port of Colombo is home to the second tallest building in South Asia and is the center for many commercial interests.

  1. ^ "UNLOCODE (LK) - SRI LANKA". service.unece.org. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Colombo Port ranked world's 22nd after 6 PCT growth in 2021-Xinhua".
  3. ^ Port of Colombo Archived 28 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Port of Colombo". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  5. ^ Colombo Port records highest cargo throughput in 2008 Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine