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In most seafaring countries, the merchant marine (or Merchant Navy) is a fleet of ships used for commerce that sometimes complements the navy. These fleets may be divided into several categories, according to their purpose or size: In the United States, the term may refer to the U.S. Merchant Marine, which serves as an auxiliary to the U.S Navy in times of war, or merchant shipping of other nations including those having other designations (most usually Merchant Navy). In Canada, it refers (usually under the heading Merchant Navy) to sailors who served aboard freight vessels in WWII and the Korean War. It is not an official organization. Veterans of these wars were denied veterans benefits that other members of Canada's armed services received after demobilization. They received belated compensation from the government in 1990. Even some landlocked countries, such as Switzerland, have a merchant marine. Some countries have large merchant marine fleets disproportionate to their size, such as Liberia and Panama. Panama has by far the largest number of merchant marine ships registered to its country although many of the vessels are owned by nationals of other nations. For instance, Panama has more than 5000 major vessels registered, but its nationals own only 617 of them. Liberia has 1465 registered vessels but its nationals own only 73 of those.
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