where did the silk road trade routes run
Silk Road The Silk Road or Silk Route was an ancient network of trade routes that were for centuries central to cultural interaction originally through regions of Eurasia connecting the East and West and stretching from the Korean peninsula[1] and Japan[2] to the Mediterranean Sea.[3] The Silk Road concept refers to both the terrestrial and the maritime routes connecting Asia with Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe. The overland Steppe route stretching through the Eurasian steppe is considered the ancestor to the Silk Road(s).
Trade route Modern maritime trade routes - sometimes in the form of artificial canals like the Suez Canal - had visible impact on the economic and political standing of nations.[82] The opening of the Suez Canal altered British interactions with the colonies of the British Empire as the dynamics of transportation, trade and communication had now changed drastically.[82] Other waterways, like the Panama Canal played an important role in the histories of many nations.[83] Inland water transportation remained significantly important even as the advent of railroads and automobiles resulted in a steady decline of canals.[84] Inland water transport is still used for the transportation of bulk commodities e.g. grains, coal, and ore.[85]