Why was the Silk Road considered international, not global?

Why was the Silk Road considered international, not global?

• A. It had no ocean route to the American continent
• B. It was only within Asia
• C. It was too slow
• D. It didn't involve money

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that global trade implies a network that reaches all major regions of the world with transoceanic connections, including the Americas. The Silk Road connected many regions across continents—East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and parts of Africa—through extensive overland routes and exchanges between diverse peoples and kingdoms. But it did not include an ocean route to the American continents, so it never formed a truly world-spanning system. The absence of a transoceanic link to the Americas is what keeps it from being global. It wasn’t limited to Asia, it did involve money and goods, and its pace varied, but those factors don’t define international versus global in this context.

The key idea is that global trade implies a network that reaches all major regions of the world with transoceanic connections, including the Americas. The Silk Road connected many regions across continents—East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and parts of Africa—through extensive overland routes and exchanges between diverse peoples and kingdoms. But it did not include an ocean route to the American continents, so it never formed a truly world-spanning system. The absence of a transoceanic link to the Americas is what keeps it from being global. It wasn’t limited to Asia, it did involve money and goods, and its pace varied, but those factors don’t define international versus global in this context.