Ships and boats are most important transportation tools of human kinds. Our ancestors built the first boats when they discovered that bundled reeds and logs, inflated skins and large watertight baskets would keep them afloat.

We now find that the Egyptians were first engaged in the crafts of building ships and boats, which could be demonstrated by the carvings and paintings of Egypt in about 3400 B.C.. As the technique of shipbuilding developed, giant barges steered by oars could be made by 2900 B.C..

By the fifth century B.C., the Greeks transformed the oared war galley into deadly naval weapons of that age - The Greek Trireme. But soon the trieme fleets were replaced by heavier gaalleys.

Later the Romans built warships and the Vikings made longships. They utilized such ships and boats to conquer at the sea and ocean.

During the middle ages, the european castles and arab lateens were common ships for worldwide trade. In asia, the Chinese Junks recorded by Marco Polo in 13th century were most advanced ships in the world. The biggest chinese junk had five masts, 60 passenger cabins, and watertight compartments to decrease the danger of flooding.

Christopher Columbus, the famous navigator, changed the history of the world when he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 and discovered the island of west indias. With magnetic compass and astrolabe, people could make long out-and-return voyages at late fifteenth century.

Invention of warships, the navy was brought to history by the Spanish and English. Thus cast the most important influence on modern armada and the world trade status as well.

However, the modern ships benefit from invention of steamboats. The first steamboats was built between 1800 and 1815 and driven by paddlewheels. As the research of modern energy and ship build skills, now huge battleships driven by nuclear power and large cruises and steamships place an important role in both commercial and military realms.