The hardships increased or intensified for other reasons as well. As an agricultural region, the South had more difficulty than the North in manufacturing needed goods--for both its soldiers and its civilians. One result was that Southern civilians probably had to make more real sacrifices during the war than Northern civilians did. In addition, part of Union war strategy was to use the Navy to blockade Southern ports. The Union hoped to stop the flow of goods between the South and other countries and strangle its foe economically.