Final answer:
The Trans-Canada Highway is Canada's main cross-country road, covering about 4,860 miles from St. John's to Victoria, and an architect of Canada's national structure and development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Trans-Canada Highway, Canada's primary roadway, stretches out about 4,860 miles from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia. This cross-country road is a crucial transportation corridor that links the nation from east to west. It passes through all ten provinces and is an essential component of Canada's national identity and infrastructure.
The highway travels through a multitude of physical environments, including the Appalachian Mountains, the vast prairies, and across the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains. It also intersects with the Canadian Pacific Railroad, an earlier engineering marvel that similarly spans the nation and played a significant role in its development and settlement, especially in the prairie provinces.
In terms of population, the Trans-Canada Highway connects some of the most densely populated regions of the country, including Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, while also providing access to more remote areas like Newfoundland and parts of the Canadian Shield.