Book 19, Question 97
What Is a River Port?
A river port is a place where ships and barges load and unload cargo on a river! It is like a bus station, but for boats. Goods arrive and leave every day, in all kinds of weather.
More fun facts
- A port is a place where ships and boats are loaded and unloaded.
- River ports let goods travel inland by water.
- About 500 million tons of goods ship through the Mississippi River port system each year.
- About 60 percent of U.S. grain exports travel on the Mississippi.
- The world's largest port district by tonnage is on the Mississippi delta in Louisiana.
Sources: BBC, National Park Service
Questions kids ask
How much U.S. grain travels on the Mississippi?
About 60 percent of U.S. grain exports.