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Soviet Union [USSR] INLAND WATERWAYS
The Soviet Union used an extensive inland navigational network,
both natural (rivers and lakes) and man made (canals and
reservoirs). The waterways enabled a variety of general and
special-purpose river craft to transport the output of mines,
forests, collective farms, and factories to domestic and foreign
destinations. Some Soviet ships took on cargo at river ports
located well inland and delivered it directly to ports on the
Arctic, Atlantic, or Pacific oceans or on the Baltic, North, or
Mediterranean seas. An inland passenger fleet transported millions
of commuters, as well as business and pleasure travelers. Inland
waterways were of prime importance to the economic viability of
remote Arctic, Siberian, and Far Eastern regions, where they
constituted the main, and often the sole, means of surface
transportation.
Data as of May 1989
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