Pirates

Pirates are individuals or organized groups who engage in robbery, hijacking, or plundering of ships or coastal targets, typically outside the law and without sovereign authorization. They operate on the high seas and in coastal waters, challenging national jurisdictions. Pirates are distinct from privateers, who historically had government commissions to attack enemy ships during wartime; privateering was legalized, whereas piracy is illegal in all modern jurisdictions.

Pirate operations usually involve a crew, a fast vessel such as a sloop or brig, and a share-based economy. Crews may elect captains and officers, draft codes of conduct, and share loot according to predetermined rules. Common plunder included cargo, ships, and valuables captured through boarding, ramming, or surprise attacks. Discipline could be harsh, including corporal punishment or mutiny to maintain order.

The most famous period is the Golden Age of Piracy, roughly from the 1650s to the 1730s, with activity in the Caribbean, the western Atlantic, the eastern coast of North America, the Indian Ocean, and the West African coast. Notable pirates such as Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read became well known in popular culture. Piracy declined due to improved naval patrols, treaties, and changes in naval warfare, as well as the dispersal of ships and greater government enforcement.

Modern piracy persists in some regions, with incidents off the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of Southeast Asia and the Gulf of Guinea. International law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, provides jurisdiction over piracy on the high seas, and nations maintain naval task forces and private security measures to counter attacks on merchant shipping.