Answer: Transportation links producers and consumers and is the backbone of trade.
- It carries raw materials to industries and finished goods to markets, both within a country and between countries.
- It widens the market: goods produced in one region can be sold in distant regions, which leads to regional specialisation.
- Cheap water transport (ships, canals like Suez and Panama) makes international trade in bulky goods possible.
- Fast air transport supports trade in perishable and high-value goods such as flowers, medicines and electronics.
- Good roads and railways help in quick movement of agricultural produce, reducing wastage and keeping prices stable.
- Containerisation and multimodal transport reduce handling cost and time, increasing the volume of trade.
Thus trade grows wherever transport is efficient and cheap.
