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A culture whose [[PlanetOfHats hat]] is their skill at sail, whether through literal seafaring and shipbuilding in oceanic or riverine environments, being a spacefaring species known primarily for spacefaring when SpaceIsAnOcean, or traversing the skies when TheSkyIsAnOcean. In some cases, they may be born and spend their entire lives at sea without ever touching dry land. By necessity, they often tend to double as a ProudWarriorRace and/or ProudMerchantRace. They often have a powerful navy, and may also engage in piracy, but aren't limited to those roles.

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A culture whose [[PlanetOfHats hat]] is their skill at sail, whether through literal seafaring and shipbuilding in oceanic or riverine environments, being a spacefaring species known primarily for spacefaring when SpaceIsAnOcean, or traversing the skies when TheSkyIsAnOcean.TheSkyIsAnOcean.

Typically, these sorts of cultures live on islands or along coastal areas, often with a wide scattering of outposts, colonies, and secondary territories scattered around the shores and islands of the world.
In some cases, they may be born and spend their entire lives at sea without ever touching dry land. By necessity, they They are often tend to double a ProudMerchantRace, as a ProudWarriorRace and/or ProudMerchantRace. all that sailing promotes both transportation of goods and contact with distant markets. They often have a powerful navy, navy and may also engage in piracy, in which case they may be a ProudWarriorRace, but aren't limited to those roles.
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** The Scandinavians, including Finns and Estonians. They were basically the same in the Atlantic what the Polynesians were in the Pacific. The Icelanders in particular were the first Europeans to confirmably reach the New World during the 10th Century, centuries before [[UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus Columbus]].

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** The Scandinavians, including Finns and Estonians. They were basically the same in the Atlantic what the Polynesians were in the Pacific. The ancient Norse extensively sailed the North Sea and North Atlantic, becoming the first people to reach Iceland; Icelanders in particular were would then be the first Europeans to confirmably reach the New World Greenland and North America during the 10th Century, centuries before [[UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus Columbus]]. The Norse were also the first Europeans to develop strictly wind-driven ships in the form of the knarr, their primary merchant vessel.

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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* In ''Comicbook/Superman: The Man of Steel'' Annual #8, part of ''Comicbook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'', the planet Hydros is a [[SingleBiomePlanet water world]] occupied by tribes of fishermen, including the main character Kaleb. Unfortunately, this proves less significant than the fact it has a similar composition to Krypton, prompting the BigBad to wipe them all out, with Kaleb the only survivor. While Kaleb is rescued into space, he maintains his BusmansVocabulary, comparing his Superman-level powers to a minnow that can fight sharks. At the end, with the BigBad defeated, he finds another water world to retire to with his family, and [[CallToAgriculture goes back to fishing]].
[[/folder]]



* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons:'' The Hadozee, a race of {{Killer Space Monkey}}s who debuted in ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'' and were reinvented from the Yazirians of ''TabletopGame/StarFrontiers'', are culturally defined by their skill at handling sailing vessels (and the spelljammers derived from them) and their wanderlust. They are so fascinated by spelljamming that they collectively abandoned their homeworld, and can now be found serving on spelljammers throughout Wildspace. Unusually for this trope, they aren't skilled at ''making'' vessls, and their limited magical potential in 2nd edition makes them poor "helmsmen" for spelljammers, so instead they serve as crew on the ships of other races.

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* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons:'' ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons:''
**
The Hadozee, a race of {{Killer Space Monkey}}s who debuted in ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'' and were reinvented from the Yazirians of ''TabletopGame/StarFrontiers'', are culturally defined by their skill at handling sailing vessels (and the spelljammers derived from them) and their wanderlust. They are so fascinated by spelljamming that they collectively abandoned their homeworld, and can now be found serving on spelljammers throughout Wildspace. Unusually for this trope, they aren't skilled at ''making'' vessls, and their limited magical potential in 2nd edition makes them poor "helmsmen" for spelljammers, so instead they serve as crew on the ships of other races.
** In ''TabletopGame/TheDelversGuideToBeastWorld'', the Feline Islands of Al'Ar are based on the Carribean, and the native cats avoid hurricane season by regularly moving from one island to another in the Storm Voyage.
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** The High Elf kingdom of Cothique is continually battered by fierce northern storms and by Norscan and Druchii raids. Unlike the elves of Chrace who fortify their cities and fight them on land, the elves of Cothique meet them in the water. They are the finest sailors among the elves (a race noted for being as good at sailing [[SuperiorSpecies as they are everything else]]) and their kingdom has never been lost or even occupied.
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* In ''Literature/EarthsChildren'', Ramudoi culture (which makes up one half of the Sharamudoi tribe) is heavily centred around building boats and fishing; they are known to be highly skilled sailors and boat-builders, and are capable of hunting huge sturgeon with harpoons. They also live on floating platforms on the edge of the Danube River (which they call the Great Mother River) most of the year, though they spend winters in the Shamudoi's mountain caves. A Ramudoi boy becomes a man when he successfully catches a fish from a boat and a couple wishing to marry have to first help construct a new boat (the same applies to their Shamudoi neighbours if they intermarry).
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* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': On the plane of Ixalan, the ancestors of the Brazen Coalition pirates made their living from the sea, inhabiting a series of coastal city-states and gaining wealth from maritime trade. By the setting's present, after having been forced into the ocean by the Legion of Dusk conquering their homes, the pirates have led an almost entirely maritime existence for more than most of them have been alive: while a few crews have claimed permanent island forts, most live exclusively on their ships as they sail Ixalan's seas. They don't have any leadership beyond their captains and admirals, their ships and fleets serve as the basis of their society's organization, and their only permanent settlement, High and Dry, is a CityOnTheWater made of hundreds of ships lashed to one another.

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* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': On the plane of Ixalan, the ancestors of the Brazen Coalition pirates {{pirate}}s made their living from the sea, inhabiting a series of coastal city-states and gaining wealth from maritime trade. By the setting's present, after having been forced into the ocean by the Legion of Dusk conquering their homes, the pirates have led an almost entirely maritime existence for more than most of them have been alive: while a few crews have claimed permanent island forts, most live exclusively on their ships as they sail Ixalan's seas. They don't have any leadership beyond their captains and admirals, their ships and fleets serve as the basis of their society's organization, and their only permanent settlement, High and Dry, is a CityOnTheWater made of hundreds of ships lashed to one another.



* ''Literature/TheCrocodileGod'': As in real life the ancient Tagalog tribe in the Philippines are seafarers due to their Austronesian heritage, and [[BilingualBonus their own name means "people of the rivers"]]. The sea-god Haik is [[CharacterTitle the title's Crocodile God]], and the story's {{Mythopoeia}} deems him a folk memory of Paikea the Whale-Rider from New Zealand, bringing this a bit higher since the Maori are Polynesian. (As the RealLife folder and the page-quote from ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' notes, Polynesians were ''especially'' good navigators even among Austronesians.) It's revealed later on that Haik's sister is Hina.

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* ''Literature/TheCrocodileGod'': As in real life the ancient Tagalog tribe in the Philippines are seafarers due to their Austronesian heritage, and [[BilingualBonus their own name means "people of the rivers"]]. The sea-god Haik is [[CharacterTitle the title's Crocodile God]], and the story's {{Mythopoeia}} deems him a folk memory of Paikea the Whale-Rider from New Zealand, bringing this a bit higher since the Maori are Polynesian. (As the RealLife folder and the page-quote from ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' notes, Polynesians were ''especially'' good navigators even among Austronesians.) It's revealed later on that Haik's sister is Hina.



** The Austronesians, an umbrella group that includes the Polynesians, who could be an extreme variant of this trope. Despite having no metalworking, writing, or organized states, Austronesians expanded over half the world's oceans, from Madagascar in the west to Easter Island in the east.
** The Scandinavians, including Finns and Estonians. They were basically the same in the Atlantic what the Polynesians were in the Pacific. The Icelanders in particular were the first Europeans to confirmably reach the New World during the 10th Century, centuries before Columbus.

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** The Austronesians, an umbrella group that includes the Polynesians, who could be an extreme variant of this trope. Despite having no metalworking, writing, or organized states, Austronesians expanded over half the world's oceans, from Madagascar in the west to Easter Island UsefulNotes/RapaNui in the east.
** The Scandinavians, including Finns and Estonians. They were basically the same in the Atlantic what the Polynesians were in the Pacific. The Icelanders in particular were the first Europeans to confirmably reach the New World during the 10th Century, centuries before Columbus.[[UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus Columbus]].
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* The Gyptians in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'' are river nomads who live their lives on canal boats across the Fens, and an adoptive family to Lyra. They are key to her escape from Oxford, and hire seagoing ships to take her to Norway. They've been treated as [[ThisIndexIsExpendable expendable experimental subjects]] by the General Oblation Board, so they're motivated to help her by the desire to save their kidnapped children.
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* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** The Ironborn are a seafaring culture based around piracy.

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* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
''[[Franchise/ASongOfIceAndFire Game of Thrones]]'' universe:
** The In ''Series/GameOfThrones'', the Ironborn are a seafaring culture based around piracy.

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* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': The Ironborn, being pirates and all.

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* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
**
The Ironborn, being pirates and all.Ironborn are a seafaring culture based around piracy.
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* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': The Ironborn, being pirates and all.
** ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': House Velaryon made its wealth and glory through seafaring and explorations and owns the biggest war fleet in Westeros.
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* ''Literature/TheFarthestShore'' in the Earthsea Trilogy has the Raft People, who live at sea and only come to shore to collect logs to build new rafts.

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* ''Literature/TheFarthestShore'' in the Earthsea Trilogy The ''Literature/{{Earthsea}}'' book ''The Farthest Shore'' has the Raft People, who live at sea and only come to shore to collect logs to build new rafts.
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* ''Literature/TheToughGuideToFantasyland'': Some clans of Travelling Folk live on the rivers, which they ply on brightly painted boats each home to a family. They may give the Tourists passage, albeit grudgingly, in exchange for menial work, but will not hesitate to dump them on shore if this brings the minions of the Dark on their trail.
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Moving to new namespace.


* ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'': [[https://sites.google.com/site/worldofserina/the-ultimocene-250-million-years/thalassic-gravedigger The thalassic gravediggers]] are descendants of the social gravediggers that became a nomadic seafaring people after being forced into the equatorial seaway by the glaciation of the continents, and which adapted to living on boats and rafts crafted from ocean plants. Due to their having lived on the open ocean for three million years, they're a wholly distinct species from their terrestrial forebears and developed physical adaptations to better live on the sea like a narrower beak for catching fish and an organ in their nose that filters salt from their blood so they can safely drink seawater. It's also stated that they typically don't destroy the island ecosystems they come across like ancient humans due to them not settling on the islands and actually living on the ocean itself.

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* ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'': ''Website/{{Serina}}'': [[https://sites.google.com/site/worldofserina/the-ultimocene-250-million-years/thalassic-gravedigger The thalassic gravediggers]] are descendants of the social gravediggers that became a nomadic seafaring people after being forced into the equatorial seaway by the glaciation of the continents, and which adapted to living on boats and rafts crafted from ocean plants. Due to their having lived on the open ocean for three million years, they're a wholly distinct species from their terrestrial forebears and developed physical adaptations to better live on the sea like a narrower beak for catching fish and an organ in their nose that filters salt from their blood so they can safely drink seawater. It's also stated that they typically don't destroy the island ecosystems they come across like ancient humans due to them not settling on the islands and actually living on the ocean itself.
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** ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'' has the North Sea Alliance faction, a coalition formed from the British isles, the Dutch, and Scandinavia. They are one of two factions able to settle their first city on the water, and their unique ability increases the combat strength of oceanic cities as well as reducing the cost of moving them to acquire territory.

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** ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'' has the North Sea Alliance faction, a coalition formed from the British isles, Isles, the Dutch, and Scandinavia. They are one of two factions able to settle their first city on the water, and their unique ability increases the combat strength of oceanic cities as well as reducing the cost of moving them to acquire territory.

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Crosswicking.


[[folder:Films — Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'': Moana's people were once skilled seafarers, roaming the ocean to discover new islands as the gods created them, but after Maui took the Heart of Creation the seas became hostile and forbidding and they mothballed their seafaring canoes. [[spoiler:After Moana returns the Heart to Te Fiti, they take up their heritage again.]]

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[[folder:Films — Animation]]
[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'': Moana's people ''VideoGame/BeyondSkyrim'': The Hafkyn Clan were once skilled seafarers, roaming the ocean to discover new islands as the gods created them, but after Maui took the Heart of Creation the seas became hostile and forbidding and they mothballed famous for their seafaring canoes. [[spoiler:After Moana returns expertise in shipbuilding, which gave them quite an edge in dominating trade in the Heart Sea of Ghosts, and enabled them to Te Fiti, they take up their heritage again.]]become the most powerful and richest clan in Southern Atmora.
* ''VideoGame/EquestriaAtWar'': The Bakaran Republic has a very strong shipbuilding tradition and is the Coalition's primary supplier of naval power, with an extensive naval focus tree.



[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'': Moana's people were once skilled seafarers, roaming the ocean to discover new islands as the gods created them, but after Maui took the Heart of Creation the seas became hostile and forbidding and they mothballed their seafaring canoes. [[spoiler:After Moana returns the Heart to Te Fiti, they take up their heritage again.]]
[[/folder]]



* ''Literature/TheDemonBreed'': The sled-men of Nandy-Cline live on enormous rafts that sail the planet's oceans, and rarely if ever go to shore. It's mentioned that their ancestors were SpaceNomads before they settled on the planet.



* ''Literature/TheHandsOfTheEmperor'' The Wide Sea Islanders in Vangaye-Ve, who used to be famous explorers, chartering unknown seas and discovering new islands. By now, they have mostly settled on the islands, but retain a strong connection towards the sea and their ancient history.

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* ''Literature/TheHandsOfTheEmperor'' ''Literature/TheHandsOfTheEmperor'': The Wide Sea Islanders in Vangaye-Ve, who used to be famous explorers, chartering unknown seas and discovering new islands. By now, they have mostly settled on the islands, but retain a strong connection towards the sea and their ancient history.history.
* ''Literature/HiveMind2016'': While the Sea Farm is about much more than fishing -- it's intended to be entirely self-sufficient, with mining, farming, and herding -- its culture is centered around the sea, with the leader bearing the title Admiral.



* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'':

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* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'':''TabletopGame/RuneQuest'': The Waertagi have never willingly lived anyplace else except on their immense city ships, and are infamous for their ability to tame sea monsters for war.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Among the [[Literature/SpaceWolf Space Wolves]] (space Vikings), Engir Krakendoom's tribe are known for being the best sailors, hunting sea monsters with nothing but oars, harpoons, and axes. Their skills translate well when SpaceIsAnOcean, and so his Company excels at boarding and ship-to-ship combat.
* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'':



** The Gilleau River in Bretonnia is home to the Gillites, a culture of river nomads who live in decorated houseboats and make it a point of personal pride to never set foot on dry land. They're proficient sailors and hole a near-monopoly on riverine trade along the Gilleau.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Among the [[Literature/SpaceWolf Space Wolves]] (space Vikings), Engir Krakendoom's tribe are known for being the best sailors, hunting sea monsters with nothing but oars, harpoons, and axes. Their skills translate well when SpaceIsAnOcean, and so his Company excels at boarding and ship-to-ship combat.

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** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'': The Gilleau River in Bretonnia is home to the Gillites, a culture of river nomads who live in decorated houseboats and make it a point of personal pride to never set foot on dry land. They're proficient sailors and hole a near-monopoly on riverine trade along the Gilleau.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Among the [[Literature/SpaceWolf Space Wolves]] (space Vikings), Engir Krakendoom's tribe are known for being the best sailors, hunting sea monsters with nothing but oars, harpoons, and axes. Their skills translate well when SpaceIsAnOcean, and so his Company excels at boarding and ship-to-ship combat.
Gilleau.


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* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefaultII'': In a Party Chat conversation with Gloria, Seth reveals he was born on an unnamed chain of islands where becoming a sailor is an expected profession for most adults.
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* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic'': In the Enroth subsetting, the Regnan Isles are ''by far'' the dominant power on the seas in the first few games -- their "Empire of the Endless Ocean" moniker is mostly a boast, but it isn't a completely empty one (which is unfortunate for everyone else, Regna being proudly piratical). While Regna does suffer significant defeats at times, it's mostly when they get off the boats for coastal raiding -- ''Might & Magic VIII'' sank a good chunk of their navy[[note]]they gathered much of it in a bay by Regna proper as part of a blockade, and when the player characters get sent to find a way to break the blockade they end up smashing a super-cannon project, stealing the project notes, killing the lead researcher and hijacking the super-cannon prototype to sink every single ship in the bay[[/note]], but the next game in the franchise [[EarthShatteringKaboom blew up the planet]], so the consequences of that never really mattered.

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* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic'': In the Enroth subsetting, the Regnan Isles are ''by far'' the dominant power on the seas in the first few games -- their "Empire of the Endless Ocean" moniker is mostly a boast, but it isn't a completely empty one (which is unfortunate for everyone else, Regna being proudly piratical). While Regna does suffer significant defeats at times, it's mostly when they get off the boats for coastal raiding -- ''Might & Magic VIII'' sank a good chunk of their navy[[note]]they navy,[[note]]they gathered much of it in a bay by Regna proper as part of a blockade, and when the player characters get sent to find a way to break the blockade they end up smashing a super-cannon project, stealing the project notes, killing the lead researcher and hijacking the super-cannon prototype to sink every single ship in the bay[[/note]], bay[[/note]] but the next game in the franchise [[EarthShatteringKaboom blew up the planet]], so the consequences of that never really mattered.



** The [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] have long been this by necessity, due to maritime trade being a traditional cornerstone of their economy. This was only encouraged by the growth of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Empire their colonial empire]], especially due to the nature of most of their overseas holdings; while there were notable exceptions, the majority of the Dutch colonial possessions were underdeveloped, isolated trading centers that were very dependent on the host nation. During their [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Golden_Age Golden Age]], they were the foremost maritime power in the world, whose ships held control over the world's seas.

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** The [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] have long been this by necessity, due to maritime trade being a traditional cornerstone of their economy. This was only encouraged by the growth of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Empire their colonial empire]], especially due to the nature of most of their overseas holdings; while there were notable exceptions, the majority of the Dutch colonial possessions were underdeveloped, isolated trading centers that were very dependent on the host nation. During their [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Golden_Age Golden Age]], Age,]] they were the foremost maritime power in the world, whose ships held control over the world's seas.
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* ''Literature/TheHandsOfTheEmperor'' The Wide Sea Islanders in Vangaye-Ve, who used to be famous explorers, chartering unknown seas and discovering new islands. By now, they have mostly settled on the islands, but retain a strong connection towards the sea and their ancient history.
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** The Phoenicians, well-known for being traders and explorers in the ancient Mediterranean Sea, established colonies all over the north African coast (one of which became Carthage) and were according to Herodotus some of the first people to circumnavigate Africa.
** The Greeks, ancient and modern, as a result of most of their civilization and cities being built on the coasts of the Aegean Sea and on its many islands, with numerous colonies dotting the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Even today, Greeks own about 20% of the global merchant marine despite Greece being a fairly small country.

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** The Phoenicians, well-known for being traders and explorers in the ancient Mediterranean Sea, established colonies all over the north African coast (one of which became Carthage) and were according to Herodotus some of the first people to circumnavigate Africa.
UsefulNotes/{{Africa}}.
** The Greeks, ancient UsefulNotes/{{ancient|Greece}} and modern, [[UsefulNotes/{{Greece}} modern]], as a result of most of their civilization and cities being built on the coasts of the Aegean Sea and on its many islands, with numerous colonies dotting the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Even today, Greeks own about 20% of the global merchant marine despite Greece being a fairly small country.



** Japan subverts this in that, despite being an island nation, it actually was ''not'' very good at shipbuilding and naval warfare for most of its national history; it was simply too far away from everyone else in the world to make it worthwhile, most of the seafood was close to shore, and the islands weren't far enough away from one another to demand significant navigational skills to reach. The one conspicuous time that the Japanese ''did'' invade mainland Asia, in the 1590s, they were crushed at sea by the Koreans... who ironically did fit this trope at the time. Double subverted in that after their industrialization and modernization, the Japanese did rapidly become one of the top and most feared naval powers on Earth.
** The Four Maritime Republics of Renaissance Italy -- Venice, Genoa, Pisa, and Amalfi -- were four city-states that built their wealth and power on the backs of their powerful fleets and their maritime trading networks, existing as major powers in trade and politics throughout the Mediterranean for much of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Even today, the official flag of the Italian Merchant Navy consists of the Italian flag with the symbols of the four republics emblazoned on a shield in its center.
** The Dutch have long been this by necessity, due to maritime trade being a traditional cornerstone of their economy. This was only encouraged by the growth of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Empire their colonial empire]], especially due to the nature of most of their overseas holdings; while there were notable exceptions, the majority of the Dutch colonial possessions were underdeveloped, isolated trading centers that were very dependent on the host nation. During their [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Golden_Age Golden Age]], they were the foremost maritime power in the world, whose ships held control over the world's seas.
** Portugal has the oldest continuously-serving navy in the world. During the Age of Discovery, the Portuguese played a key role, both in their development of more advanced ships and their famed explorations of the globe aboard those ships.
** The Spanish are known for their proud naval tradition. Their navy was responsible for many historical achievements in navigation, such as Columbus' discovery of the Americas and the first circumnavigation of the world by Magellan and Elcano. For several centuries, it was one of the most powerful maritime forces in the world, playing a crucial role in the expansion and consolidation of the Spanish Empire and defending a vast trade network. Even after Spain lost most of its empire and had to downsize its navy, it was still a major innovator when it came to maritime technology. Spain built and operated one of the first military submarines, made important contributions to the development of destroyers, and was the first country to circumnavigate the Earth in an ironclad vessel. Today, the Spanish Navy is one of the only nine naval forces on the planet capable of projecting an important level of force in their own hemisphere.

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** Japan UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} subverts this in that, despite being an island nation, it actually was ''not'' very good at shipbuilding and naval warfare for most of its national history; it was simply too far away from everyone else in the world to make it worthwhile, most of the seafood was close to shore, and the islands weren't far enough away from one another to demand significant navigational skills to reach. The one conspicuous time that the Japanese ''did'' invade mainland Asia, in the 1590s, they were crushed at sea by the Koreans... who ironically did fit this trope at the time. Double subverted in that after their industrialization and modernization, the Japanese did rapidly become one of the top and most feared naval powers on Earth.
Earth, at least until that power was [[WorldWarII/WarInAsiaAndThePacific destroyed in the Pacific]] by the USA during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.
** The Four Maritime Republics [[UsefulNotes/TheCityStateEra Republics]] of Renaissance Italy [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance Renaissance]] UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} -- Venice, UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, Genoa, Pisa, and Amalfi -- were four city-states that built their wealth and power on the backs of their powerful fleets and their maritime trading networks, existing as major powers in trade and politics throughout the Mediterranean for much of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Even today, the official flag of the Italian Merchant Navy consists of the Italian flag with the symbols of the four republics emblazoned on a shield in its center.
** The Dutch [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] have long been this by necessity, due to maritime trade being a traditional cornerstone of their economy. This was only encouraged by the growth of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Empire their colonial empire]], especially due to the nature of most of their overseas holdings; while there were notable exceptions, the majority of the Dutch colonial possessions were underdeveloped, isolated trading centers that were very dependent on the host nation. During their [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Golden_Age Golden Age]], they were the foremost maritime power in the world, whose ships held control over the world's seas.
** Portugal UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} has the oldest continuously-serving navy in the world. During the Age of Discovery, the Portuguese played a key role, both in their development of more advanced ships and their famed explorations of the globe aboard those ships.
** The Spanish UsefulNotes/{{Spa|in}}nish are known for their proud naval tradition. Their navy was responsible for many historical achievements in navigation, such as Columbus' discovery of the Americas and the first circumnavigation of the world by Magellan UsefulNotes/FerdinandMagellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano. For several centuries, it was one of the most powerful maritime forces in the world, playing a crucial role in the expansion and consolidation of the Spanish Empire and defending a vast trade network. Even after Spain lost most of its empire and had to downsize its navy, it was still a major innovator when it came to maritime technology. Spain built and operated one of the first military submarines, made important contributions to the development of destroyers, and was the first country to circumnavigate the Earth in an ironclad vessel. Today, the Spanish Navy is one of the only nine naval forces on the planet capable of projecting an important level of force in their own hemisphere.



* The United States, following in the example of the British Empire, would grow to be a major merchant and naval power throughout the 19th century. A major driving factor for most examples of the US getting involved in major overseas conflicts throughout its history at least until the outset of the Cold War were disruptions to its overseas trade and merchant marine, examples including the Barbary Wars, Quasi-War with France (extension of the Wars of French Revolution), the War of 1812 (extension of the Napoleonic Wars), World War I, and World War II. In the modern day, the US Navy is indisputably the most powerful naval force on the globe, replacing the British Royal Navy with its role of keeping international shipping safe (however, regions around East Africa and the South Pacific islands had to deal with RuthlessModernPirates despite this, at least for some time).

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* The United States, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates, following in the example of the British Empire, would grow to be a major merchant and naval power throughout the 19th century. A major driving factor for most examples of the US getting involved in major overseas conflicts throughout its history at least until the outset of the Cold War were disruptions to its overseas trade and merchant marine, examples including the Barbary Wars, Quasi-War with France (extension of the Wars of French Revolution), the War of 1812 (extension of the Napoleonic Wars), World War I, and World War II. In the modern day, the US Navy is indisputably the most powerful naval force on the globe, replacing the British Royal Navy with its role of keeping international shipping safe (however, regions around East Africa and the South Pacific islands had to deal with RuthlessModernPirates despite this, at least for some time).
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* ''VideoGame/WarCraft'': The island nation of Kul Tiras, whose contribution to the original Alliance was its powerful navy that they had built up to protect their fleet of merchant vessels. Their national emblem is also an anchor.

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* ''VideoGame/WarCraft'': ''VideoGame/WarCraft'' and ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': The island nation of Kul Tiras, whose contribution to the original Alliance was its powerful navy that they had built up to protect their fleet of merchant vessels. Their national emblem is also an anchor.
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* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons:'' The Hadozee, a race of {{Killer Space Monkey}}s who debuted in ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'' and were reinvented from the Yazirians of ''TabletopGame/StarFrontiers'', are culturally defined by their skill at handling sailing vessels (and the spelljammers derived from them) and their wanderlust. They are so fascinated by spelljamming that they collectively abandoned their homeworld, and can now be found serving on spelljammers throughout Wildspace. Unusually for this trope, they aren't skilled at ''making'' vessls, and their limited magical potential in 2nd edition makes them poor "helmsmen" for spelljammers, so instead they serve as crew on the ships of other races.
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[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': Major focus is given to Númenor's status as a maritime culture, and Isildur in particular seems very troubled by Númenor's (relatively recent) isolationism.
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* ''Literature/TheCrocodileGod'': As in real life the ancient Tagalog tribe in the Philippines are seafarers due to their Austronesian heritage, and [[BilingualBonus their own name means "people of the rivers"]]. The sea-god Haik is [[CharacterTitle the title's Crocodile God]], and the story's {{Mythopoeia}} deems him a folk memory of Paikea the Whale-Rider from New Zealand, bringing this UpToEleven since the Maori are Polynesian. (As the RealLife folder and the page-quote from ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' notes, Polynesians were ''especially'' good navigators even among Austronesians.) It's revealed later on that Haik's sister is Hina.

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* ''Literature/TheCrocodileGod'': As in real life the ancient Tagalog tribe in the Philippines are seafarers due to their Austronesian heritage, and [[BilingualBonus their own name means "people of the rivers"]]. The sea-god Haik is [[CharacterTitle the title's Crocodile God]], and the story's {{Mythopoeia}} deems him a folk memory of Paikea the Whale-Rider from New Zealand, bringing this UpToEleven a bit higher since the Maori are Polynesian. (As the RealLife folder and the page-quote from ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' notes, Polynesians were ''especially'' good navigators even among Austronesians.) It's revealed later on that Haik's sister is Hina.



** The Austronesians, an umbrella group that includes the Polynesians, who could be an UpToEleven variant of this trope. Despite having no metalworking, writing, or organized states, Austronesians expanded over half the world's oceans, from Madagascar in the west to Easter Island in the east.

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** The Austronesians, an umbrella group that includes the Polynesians, who could be an UpToEleven extreme variant of this trope. Despite having no metalworking, writing, or organized states, Austronesians expanded over half the world's oceans, from Madagascar in the west to Easter Island in the east.
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Misuse. Fails the requirements for Expy


* ''Literature/TheCrocodileGod'': As in real life the ancient Tagalog tribe in the Philippines are seafarers due to their Austronesian heritage, and [[BilingualBonus their own name means "people of the rivers"]]. The sea-god Haik is [[CharacterTitle the title's Crocodile God]], and the story's {{Mythopoeia}} deems him a folk memory of Paikea the Whale-Rider from New Zealand, bringing this UpToEleven since the Maori are Polynesian. (As the RealLife folder and the page-quote from ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' notes, Polynesians were ''especially'' good navigators even among Austronesians.) It's revealed later on that Haik's sister is Hina, which also makes him an {{Expy}} of Maui.

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* ''Literature/TheCrocodileGod'': As in real life the ancient Tagalog tribe in the Philippines are seafarers due to their Austronesian heritage, and [[BilingualBonus their own name means "people of the rivers"]]. The sea-god Haik is [[CharacterTitle the title's Crocodile God]], and the story's {{Mythopoeia}} deems him a folk memory of Paikea the Whale-Rider from New Zealand, bringing this UpToEleven since the Maori are Polynesian. (As the RealLife folder and the page-quote from ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' notes, Polynesians were ''especially'' good navigators even among Austronesians.) It's revealed later on that Haik's sister is Hina, which also makes him an {{Expy}} of Maui.Hina.

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