The Boomerang Box quickly crossed the Adriatic Sea to Italy and traveled to the Port of Genoa. Can you find Genoa, Italy on a map?

Genoa is Italy's most important seaport and one of the largest in Europe. Simply by looking at Genoa on a map, you can probably see why it is a successful port.

We know a port must have access to good transportation on land or sea or both to succeed. Does Genoa? The answer to this first question is 'yes.' Genoa is located on the northwest coast of Italy, on the Ligurian Sea, which is at the north of the Mediterranean Sea. Because of its location on the Mediterranean, Genoa has been an important trade center for thousands of years.

(In fact, if the name Genoa sounds familiar to you, it might be because Christopher Columbus was born there in 1451. Perhaps growing up in such a major port city gave him a taste for exploration!)

Like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Genoa was part of the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Genoa was invaded by different countries, but then became a free republic. During the 1300s, in fact, Genoa was one of the wealthiest cities in Europe and one of the key ports for trade with Asia and the East. Over the centuries, Genoa was conquered and ruled by other countries, including France, Spain, and Austria. These other countries all wanted to control Genoa's port and the wealth of goods that passed through it. In the 1860s, Genoa became part of Italy, and it is part of Italy to this day.

We also know that a port must have access to goods to trade. Does Genoa? The answer to this question is also 'yes.' Genoa's port handles most of the agricultural and industrial products of northern Italy and much of central Europe. Many different types of goods pass through the Port of Genoa. Genoa's port was badly damaged during World War II, but was rebuilt after the war ended. Today, it is a bustling and busy place, handling cargo from all over the world.

In fact, the Boomerang Box is carrying a very interesting load of cargo from Genoa this month: furniture!

The Natuzzi Group started as a small furniture workshop in Taranto, Italy, in 1959. The company, owned by a man named Pasquale Natuzzi, produced armchairs and sofas for people who lived in the area.

Over the years, more and more people began buying Natuzzi's furniture, and the company kept growing. Today, the Natuzzi Group is the global leader in leather sofas and Italy's largest furniture manufacturer. The company today distributes its furniture to 123 different markets on five continents. Not a bad growth pattern for a little furniture workshop! It is fitting that m of the furniture from Natuzzi, Italy's largest furniture manufacturer, leaves Italy through its largest port, Genoa.

This month, the Boomerang Box will be retracing the voyages to the East carried out over thousands of years. It will be carrying its load of Natuzzi furniture from Genoa, Italy to Shanghai, China.

Genoa has been an important part of trade in Europe and Asia for thousands of years. This month, the Boomerang Box becomes part of that history.

See if you can track the Boomerang Box from Genoa to Shanghai! How do you think the Boomerang Box will travel?

Check out past Trade Topics entries!