Transportation

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2

Domestic Animals

People have used domestic animals for thousands of years to help transport goods over longer distances. Pack-animal caravans using domesticated donkeys originated as early as 3500 bc. Pack animals are still used today in many parts of the world, particularly in rugged or hilly terrain where motor vehicles cannot travel. Other pack animals include llamas, camels, mules, oxen, water buffalo, dogs, goats, elephants, reindeer, and horses. The horse, with its superior speed and range, has been a favorite animal for transportation use.

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3

The Wheel

The origin of the wheel is unknown, but once it was invented, knowledge of the wheel spread rapidly throughout the Mediterranean and Asian world. Wheeled vehicles made the movement of goods much easier. The earliest known examples of wheels are from Mesopotamia and date from about 3500 to 3000 bc. The cart or wagon, pulled by humans or animals, was the first wheeled vehicle. Today, animal-drawn carts are still used in many countries, primarily to move freight but sometimes to transport people. The horse-drawn chariot, a faster version of the cart, became an important instrument of warfare because it could overpower enemy soldiers quickly. The chariot appeared in Mesopotamia around 2000 bc, and its use later spread to Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome, and other ancient civilizations.

While the invention of the wheel was important to the development of transportation in Europe and Asia, the wheel was unknown to the ancient civilizations of North and South America. People in these areas used pack animals or dragged goods on crude sledges. Europeans brought the wheel to the New World as they began to settle there in the 16th century.

Horse-drawn stagecoaches and covered wagons played a critical role in the development of the United States and Canada in the 1800s. Conestoga wagons, covered wagons that could carry loads weighing up to 7 tons, were used extensively in the settlement of the western United States. See also Coach (vehicle).

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4

Railroads

Railroads are paths of parallel metal rails that allow a wheeled vehicle to move more easily by reducing friction. Iron rails were first used in the early 1800s to guide horse-drawn wagons. After the invention of the steam locomotive in 1804, steam engines replaced horses as the primary means of power. Modern locomotives commonly use electric motors or diesel engines and pull long trains of passenger or freight cars.

The benefits of rail transportation in both speed and carrying capacity made it superior to other methods of transportation in the 1800s. In the United States and Canada, with their vast expanses of territory, the railroad became a major means of cross-country transportation. In many countries, rail continues to be the main mode of passenger travel. In Europe and Japan, major cities are connected by high-speed passenger trains, such as the French TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) and the Japanese Shinkansen trains, popularly known as bullet trains. The Shinkansen train can reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph).

Railroads have had a profound impact on civilization. Most importantly, the efficiency and speed of rail travel allow a nation’s population, industry, and agriculture to be established throughout that nation’s territory, even in previously remote areas. Rail transportation has also played a significant role in urban transportation systems (see Public Transportation).

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5

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicles make up a broad class of self-propelled land-transportation devices that generally use internal-combustion engines and gasoline or diesel fuel for power. Most motor vehicles are designed to travel on roads, but specialized vehicles with sturdier construction are used for off-road travel over irregular terrain. Motor vehicles range from motorcycles and automobiles for personal use to trucks, which can transport large amounts of cargo, and buses, which can carry many passengers.

The first self-propelled vehicle was powered by steam. French engineer Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot built a steam-propelled vehicle in 1769. Between 1860 and 1890, innovations in steam-engine technology led to more steam-powered vehicles, primarily in France. At the beginning of the 20th century, gasoline-powered automobiles began to emerge as the dominant form of motor vehicle. Automobiles and other motor vehicles grew especially popular in the United States. From a relatively modest number in 1900, the number of motor vehicles in the United States reached 458,500 by 1910 and 6.2 million by 1918. At the end of the 20th century, over 130 million automobiles, 69 million light trucks, and 1.2 million heavy trucks were in use in the United States, being driven an estimated 4.5 trillion km (2.8 trillion mi) per year.

The heavy truck, which first came into mass production just prior to World War I (1914-1918), has become a major means of moving freight. It is a major competitor with railroads for freight business. The bus was developed in response to the apparent popularity of riding in motor vehicles. In many nations buses are a major form of urban and intercity passenger transportation.

The motorcycle is one of the most prolific forms of individual urban transportation in the world today. The growth of motorcycle or motorbike use has been especially large in Asian cities, where motorcycles provide a means of bypassing congested automobile traffic.

One of the few motor vehicles that does not use wheels is the snowmobile, which uses a drive track (made of a belt of rubber) and a pair of skis to move through snow. Although used for basic transportation in areas with heavy winter snows, the snowmobile is mostly used as a recreational vehicle. Over 200,000 snowmobiles are sold annually in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

B

Air Transportation

Air travel has revolutionized global transportation by dramatically reducing the time needed to travel great distances. Journeys across nations or oceans that might have taken weeks or months can now be made in a matter of hours. With large numbers of people traveling in airplanes, air transportation has become a major part of the world’s transportation system. See also Aviation.

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