There is no country in the world more diverse in population and culture than the United States of America. The country was developed over a two hundred year time period that is fairly quick by historical standards for a land as large as the U.S., but it has absorbed and imported more of the influences of other nations than any country in history. New York and Los Angeles are examples of two cities in a single country that have both achieved enormous financial successes though overseas shipping from their harbors but couldn't be more different in their structure and psychology.



New York sits on the East Coast of the gray waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Since the late 18th Century, New York has been an overseas shipping power and has now grown into an urban metropolis of over eight million people. At one point in time, New York City was actually the Capitol of the fledgling colonies of the United States and has maintained a position of prominence and leadership in the country ever since. The people of the city come from dozens of different countries and have established overseas shipping routes through their travels both to and from America. Overseas shipping companies in Europe and Africa ship to the seaport every day and cargoes leave going to destinations all around the world.

Los Angeles is actually larger in area and population but its make-up is entirely different from New York City. Also a seaport and overseas shipping metropolis, Los Angeles is a sprawling expanse of planned communities and superhighways. Its population is diverse but there is much more of a Latino and Asian influence in Los Angeles as opposed to the mainly European and Middle Eastern flavor of its sister city across the continent. Overseas shipping companies in Los Angeles send most of their cargoes west across the Pacific to Southeast Asia, Australia and the nations surrounding the Indian Ocean.

Overseas shipping from New York to Los Angeles is accomplished by going down the East Coast, through the Caribbean and the Panama Canal and up past Mexico and Baja into Long Beach or any of the other shipping docks located in and around the city. Most of the overseas shipping companies that still make this trek also supply the countries of Central and South America en route. With options available for overland and air freight shipping the number of cargo ships that sail around has decreased dramatically in recent years.

Before the construction of the Panama Canal, overseas shipping from coast to coast was accomplished by sailing around Cape Horn, the tip of South America. This route is only used today by ships that deliver to the far southern reaches of the Western Hemisphere. The trip is extremely long and presents a number of hazards to the captains and crews that attempt it. Even with the massive ships and modern technology that are available today the forces of nature can still take charge and disrupt overseas shipping.