Transportation

I

Introduction

Transportation, movement of people and goods from one location to another. Throughout history, the economic wealth and military power of a people or a nation have been closely tied to efficient methods of transportation. Transportation provides access to natural resources and promotes trade, allowing a nation to accumulate wealth and power. Transportation also allows the movement of soldiers, equipment, and supplies so that a nation can wage war.

Transportation systems and the routes they use have greatly influenced both how and where people live. Reliable transportation allows a population to expand throughout a country’s territory and to live comfortably in remote areas far from factories and farms. The growth and expansion of the United States were directly related to the means of transportation available at the time. The more compact cities of the U.S. eastern seaboard are the result of early human- and animal-based transportation systems that allowed only short trips. The more sprawling cities of the western United States are the result of an automobile-based transportation system that permits much longer travel distances.

Transportation is vital to a nation’s economy. Reducing the costs of transporting natural resources to production sites and moving finished goods to markets is one of the key factors in economic competition. The transportation industry is the largest industry in the world. It includes the manufacture and distribution of vehicles, the production and distribution of fuel, and the provision of transportation services. In 2000, approximately 3.2 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and an estimated 7.4 percent of all jobs in the United States were related to the transportation industry.

The same transportation systems that link a nation can also be used in the nation’s war efforts. The rapid movement of troops, equipment, and supplies can be a deciding factor in winning a battle or a war. Just as mobilizing a nation’s military strength is critical to success, disabling an enemy’s transportation system is usually an early strategic objective of any armed conflict.

---

---

In the later 20th century, people became more aware of how transportation systems affect the environment. For example, the burning of petroleum-based fuels for motor vehicles creates pollution that can be harmful to human health. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that three-quarters of all carbon monoxide and one-half of all oxides of nitrogen come from motor vehicles. In addition, petroleum-based transportation is responsible for approximately one-third of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, an important contributor to global warming. Transportation accounts for 66 percent of total U.S. oil consumption. Other environmental effects of transportation systems include impacts on noise levels, water quality, hazardous materials, natural habitats, and wetlands. Many governments now require that before a new transportation project is begun a detailed study called an environmental impact statement must be prepared to anticipate how the project will affect the environment.

II

Methods of Transportation

Transportation is usually classified by the medium in which the movement occurs, such as by land, air, water, or pipeline. Within each of the first three media, many different methods are used to move people and goods from place to place. Pipelines are used mainly to transport liquids or gases over long distances.

A

Land Transportation

Land transportation is the dominant form of transportation in the world. People can move about land under their own power, either by walking or by other forms of human-powered transportation such as the bicycle. People also use domestic animals as a means of transportation, both for riding and for pulling wheeled wagons or carts. The most common forms of land transportation combine the wheel with electric or fuel-powered engines to move people and freight quickly and efficiently.

A

1

Human Power

Human-powered transportation, such as walking or bicycling, relies entirely on human muscle power for movement. The earliest footpaths were likely based on animal migration routes, and ancient cultures developed extensive paths and roads for both transportation and communication. The ancient Greeks and the Inca Empire of South America were just two of the cultures that employed runners to carry messages in relays over many kilometers. The Incas constructed over 16,000 km (10,000 mi) of roads in South America in the 15th century and were able to relay a message 400 km (250 mi) in one day. Today, in many countries of the world, human-powered transportation remains the main form of transportation. In African cities, two-thirds of daily trips are made by walking. Even in automobile-dominated North American and European cities, walking is an important mode of transportation.

Special equipment, such as skis and snowshoes, has long been used to help people move over difficult terrain, such as snow-covered ground. Other inventions, such as the bicycle, make travel over flat terrain faster and more efficient. The Rover safety bicycle, one of the first practical bicycle designs, was invented around 1885 in Great Britain. Today, in Beijing, China, residents own over 8 million bicycles. In cities in Denmark, between 20 and 30 percent of daily trips are made on bicycles. In many Asian cities, bicycle-like vehicles called rickshaws carry between 10 and 20 percent of the freight moved daily. In Africa, the bicycle is the most common means of traveling intermediate distances.

	More from Encarta
	•  Presidential Myths Quiz •  Coffee break: Recharge your brain