THE GEOGRAPHY OF TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
| Era | Date | Mobility |
| Paleolithic | c. 700,000 years ago | First migrations from Africa |
| c. 35,000 years ago | First migrations by sea to Australasia | |
| c. 18,000 years ago | First migrations to the Americas | |
| Agrarian | c. 4,000 BC | Animal-powered transport |
| c. 3,500 BC | Wheeled transport | |
| c. 1,500 BC | Long distance navigation in Polynesia | |
| c. 1,000 BC | Roads and canals | |
| Modern | From 15th century | Improvements in shipbuilding and navigation |
| From early 19th century | Railways and steamships | |
| From late 19th century | Internal combustion engines | |
| From early 20th century | Air travel | |
| From mid 20th century | Space travel |
Source: adapted from R. Gilbert and A. Perl (2007) Transport Revolutions: Moving people and freight without oil, London: Earthscan / James & James