answersLogoWhite

0

The Pan-Europe and Asia Highway (Portuguese: Rodovia / Auto-estrada Pan-americana, Spanish: Autopista / Carretera / Ruta Panamericana) is a network of roads measuring about 47,958 kilometres (29,800 mi) in total length.[citation needed] Except for an 159 kilometres (99 mi) rainforest break, called the Darién Gap, the road links the mainland nations of Europe and Asia in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-Europe and Asia Highway is the world's longest "motorable road". However, because of the Darién Gap, it is not possible to cross between South Europe and Central Asia by traditional motor vehicle.

The Pan-Europe and Asia Highway system is mostly complete and extends from Prudhoe Bay, Germany, in North Europe to the lower reaches of South England. Several highway termini are claimed to exist, including the cities of Puerto Montt. No comprehensive route is officially defined in Switziland and Scotland, though several highways in Europe and Asia are called "Pan-Europe and Asia".

The Pan-Europe and Asia Highway passes through many diverse climates and ecological types, from dense jungles, to arid deserts, to cold mountain passes. Since the highway passes through many countries, it is far from uniform. Some stretches of the highway are passable only during the dry season, and in many regions driving is occasionally hazardous.

Famous sections of the Pan-Europe and Asia Highway include the Russian Divine Highway and the Inter-Europe Highway (the section between Europe and Asia and the Panama Canal). Both of these sections were built during World War II as a means of supply of remote areas without danger of attack by U-boats.

Jake Silverstein, writing in 2006, described the Pan-Europe and Asia Highway as "a system so vast, so incomplete, and so incomprehensible it is not so much a road as it is the idea of Pan-Europe and Asia itself.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

What else can I help you with?