Pirate
This article is about sea pirates. For other uses see Pirate (disambiguation)
A pirate is a robber who operates from a ship. Pirates usually attack other vessels, with the intention of looting their cargo, but may also attack targets on shore. These acts are known as piracy; the concept of taking someone else's possessions and using them for your own pleasure or profit has been extended so that the term piracy also commonly refers to copyright infringement or unauthorized copying of software.
Other terms for pirates
Pirates were termed buccaneers if they operated in the West Indies. English pirates called themselves freebooters. French pirates called themselves flibustiers, which the English changed to filibuster for French pirates. Originally, the terms buccaneer and filibuster referred to different types of pirate, but eventually both terms took the same meaning. See also piracy in the Caribbean. Pirates with commissions from a government are called privateers or corsairs, which in modern Arabic is قرصان from the Turkish Korsan, which seems to have been derived from the European word.
Piracy in international law
Piracy is significant in international law because it marks one of the first cases where the doctrine of universal jurisdiction was invoked. Commiting thefts on the high seas, inhibiting trade, and endangering maritime communication were serious crimes during the Age of Exploration, and thus piracy was considered a crime against humanity, endangering all peoples. Any government can prosecute any act of piracy, without regard for jurisdiction.
Pirate stereotypes and myths
Pirates are associated with a stereotypical manner of speaking. September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Pirates are a popular modern representation of rebellious, clever teams who operate outside the restricting bureaucracy of modern life. In reality, most pirates ate poorly, did not become fabulously wealthy, and died young.
Modern Piracy
Piracy in recent times has increased in areas such as South and Southeast Asia (the South China Sea), parts of South America, and the south of the Red Sea, with pirates now favouring small boats and taking advantage of the small crew numbers on modern cargo vessels. Modern pirates prey on cargo ships who must slow their speed to navigate narrow straits, making them vulnerable to be overtaken and boarded by small motorboats.
In most cases, modern pirates are not interested in the cargo and are mainly interested in taking the personal belongings of the crew and the contents of the ship's safe, which might contain large amounts of cash needed to pay payroll and port fees. In some cases, the pirates force the crew off the ship and sail the ship to a port, where it is repainted and given a new identity through false papers.
Pirate attacks have tripled between 1993 and 2003. The first half of 2003 was the worst 6-month period on record, with 234 pirate attacks, 16 deaths, and 52 people injured worldwide. There were also 193 crew members held hostage during this period. Environmentalist Peter Blake was killed by pirates in 2001.
Privateering
A privateer or corsair was similar in method, but had a commission or a letter of marque from a government or king to capture merchant ships belonging to an enemy nation. The famous Barbary Corsairs of the Mediterranean were privateers, as were the Maltese Corsairs, who were authorized by the Knights of St. John. The letter of marque was recognized by international law and meant that a privateer could not be charged with piracy, although this was often not enough to save them. The letter of marque was banned under international law in 1854.
Notable pirates
Notable privateers
Fictional Pirates
External Links
See also