This map illustrates the primary sea lines of communication (SLOCs) that underpin the global economy, tracing the dense arteries of commercial shipping that connect major production centres, energy exporters, and consumer markets. From East Asian manufacturing hubs to European and North American ports, these routes reveal the maritime foundations of globalisation.

The concentration of traffic through key corridors such as the Strait of Malacca, Suez Canal, and across the North Atlantic highlights both efficiency and fragility. Global trade is not evenly distributed across the oceans; it is channelled through predictable paths shaped by geography, infrastructure, and security guarantees. Disruption along these routes, whether through conflict, blockade, or instability, carries immediate strategic and economic consequences far beyond the waters shown on the map.