The Surprising Truth About the Canada-US Border!

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Did you know that most of the Canada and United States border [music] is just a cleared strip of forest?

[00:00:05]Yes, they decided to mark the longest land boundary in the world that way.

[00:00:10]5,500 miles from Maine to Alaska by simply cutting a 20-ft wide strip of forest wherever there are trees. This deforestation is also known as the slash. The dividing line is also marked by monuments.

[00:00:23]>> [music] >> There are about 8,000 of them along the border.

[00:00:26]All this is done to physically mark the border.

[00:00:29]>> [music] >> For example, during a hike, a person can easily identify the boundary.

[00:00:34]>> [music] >> The slash is maintained by the International Boundary Commission, which removes new trees there every 5 to 15 years. An interesting fact, clearing these trees costs [music] each US taxpayer about 50 cents per year.

[00:00:47]Unlike the southern border, there are no fences, barriers, or military support, making the USA-Canada border the most undefended in the world. However, >> [music] >> you can't easily cross the slash there.

[00:00:59]Residents of the USA and Canada can only cross the border through checkpoints [music] located on major roads.