Because much of Canada’s wealth is based on the extraction and transportation of its raw materials, the transport infrastructure in Canada is especially well developed. The Transport Canada department of the government has jurisdiction over the transport network.
Canada has over 1 million km of roads. Local government managed its roads until the middle of the 20th century when trans-national highways were constructed. Canada’s roads also connect it internationally with the United States and Alaska. Canada has over 1800 airports and a national carrier Air Canada. Its busiest airports are Toronto and Vancouver.
Canada’s railways are mostly used for freight although increasingly tourism by rail is an important part of the country’s economy. There are few intercity Canadian commuter services. Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver have local metro railways. These three cities plus Ottawa, Edmonton and Calgary also have rapid transit systems.
With the world’s longest coastline, port traffic is important to the economy with the biggest port being Vancouver.
