Border End Travelers Threatening Countries United Canada American

The border between the United States and Canada is the longest border in the world. Including the part between Canada and Alaska, the "terrestrial" (land-based, not water-based) border is more than 5,500 miles (almost 8,900 kilometers) long.

The border was created by the Treaty of Paris in 1783 at the end of the American Revolutionary War (the War fought to separate the American colonies from Great Britain) and the Convention of 1818. The eastern end of the border follows the 45th "parallel" (a line of latitude; one of the horizontal lines circling the globe, parallel to the equator), and the western end of the border follows the 49th parallel. There are also water borders along the Great Lakes.

There is "relatively" (comparatively) little "security" (law enforcement) along the U.S.-Canadian border, but people crossing the border are expected to "present themselves to" (report to and speak with) an "immigration officer" (a person whose job is to examine passports and visas to determine whether someone should be allowed into a country).

To enter Canada, travelers need to provide proof of citizenship and proof of identity, such as a driver's license and birth certificate. However, to re-enter the United States, travelers must have a U.S. passport book or a passport "card" (a smaller, passport-like document that is less expensive than a passport, but valid only for land border crossings). Travelers who are less than 16 years old can cross the U.S.-Canadian border with just a birth certificate. The rules "governing" (mandating; controlling) which documents are needed to cross the border have changed many times in recent years due to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.