Pirate

:This article is about sea pirates. For other uses see Pirate (disambiguation)

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A pirate is one who robs or plunders at sea, or sometimes the shore, without a commission from a recognised sovereign nation. Pirates usually target other ships, but have also attacked targets on shore. These acts are known as piracy. Unlike the stereotypical pirate with cutlass and masted sailing ship, today most pirates get about in speedboats wearing balaclavas instead of bandannas, using AK-47s rather than cutlasses.

Related Topics:
Robs - Sovereign - Ship - Stereotypical - Cutlass - Sailing ship - Speedboat - Balaclava - Bandanna - AK-47

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While boats off the coasts of South America and the Mediterranean Sea are still molested by pirates, the advent of the United States Coast Guard has nearly eradicated piracy in American waters, and it is also much reduced in the Caribbean Sea from days of yore. Seaborne piracy against transport vessels remains a significant problem (with estimated worldwide losses of $13 to $16 billion USD per year), particularly in the waters between the Pacific and Indian oceans, and specifically in the straits of Malacca and Singapore, used by over 50,000 commercial ships a year.

Related Topics:
South America - Mediterranean - United States Coast Guard - Caribbean Sea - USD - Pacific - Indian - Malacca - Singapore

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