As engine-powered ships improved and became bigger with the use of steel in their construction, large ocean liners were born, famous examples of which include the Titanic and the Queen Mary. With the mass emigration of Europeans to North America and Australia from late 19th century to mid 20th century, business for ocean liners boomed, especially on the heavily competed trans-Atlantic route. It was the golden age for ocean liners, as they served all five continents. However, since the middle of the 20th century, the development of passenger airlines means that flying became the preferred method of long distance travel, and ocean liners rapidly went into decline.
Freighters are ships that carry goods from port to port, mainly in international trade, and are distinguished by the “freight” into bulk carriers, cargo ships, container ships and oil tankers.
The 1866 Battle of Lissa between Italy and Austria saw the first major conflict between two fleets of steam-powered iron-armored battleships, thus began the age of engine-powered warships. Nowadays, warships are equipped with nuclear power, electronic navigation instruments, satellite communication systems and guided missiles of various types, and partner aircrafts and submarines in combat, making warfare at sea a multidimensional and dynamic affair. Modern warships are divided by function into battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and aircraft carriers.
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