Prior to the 1970s, the existence of more than thirty independent navigation systems created widespread confusion and contributed to major maritime disasters in busy straits. In response, the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) standardized global waters into two primary regions: Region A across Europe, Asia, and Africa, and Region B across the Americas and Japan.
Lateral markers define the exact left and right boundaries of navigable channels using distinct shapes and colors. In Region A, red can-shaped buoys mark the port side and green conical buoys mark the starboard side when traveling in the designated direction of voyage from sea to harbor, requiring navigators to verify nautical charts before interpreting marker positions.
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