Infrastructure
Primary 4 · Social and Religious Studies
Infrastructure
Lesson 1 of 4
14 min
At breakfast, Byiringiro counts how things reached his table. The milk came from a farm by bicycle. The sugar came in a lorry all the way from a port by the sea. His uncle arrived from Rusizi by bus, and his aunt flew home from Nairobi by aeroplane. "Everything moves!" he laughs.
Transport is moving people and goods from one place to another. The roads, bridges, bus stations, ports and airports that make transport possible are part of a country's infrastructure.
We can sort transport into types, by where it moves. Each type has its own means: the things that carry people and goods.
| Type | Where it moves | Means (examples) |
|---|---|---|
| Road transport | On land, along roads and paths | Walking, bicycle, moto, car, bus, lorry |
| Water transport | On lakes, rivers and seas | Canoe, boat, ship, ferry |
| Air transport | Through the air | Aeroplane, helicopter, drone |
| Railway transport | On rails | Train |
| Pipeline transport | Through pipes | Pipes carrying water, oil or gas |
| Type | Good points | Bad points |
|---|---|---|
| Road | Goes almost everywhere, door to door; fairly cheap | Accidents, traffic jams, muddy roads in heavy rain |
| Water | Carries heavy loads cheaply | Slow; only where there is water; boats can sink in storms |
| Air | The fastest; crosses mountains and seas | Very expensive; needs airports |
| Railway | Carries very heavy loads far and cheaply | Costly to build; only goes where the rails go |
Tip
Type = WHERE it moves (road, water, air, railway, pipeline).
Means = WHAT carries you (moto, bus, boat, aeroplane).
Ask yourself: "Road, water or air?" first, then "In what?"
Answer: Moving people and goods from one place to another.
Answer: Water transport.
Answer: Road transport.
Answer: Kigali International Airport, at Kanombe.
Answer: A drone (air transport), because air transport is the fastest and drones can fly over the hills straight to the hospital.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The rest of the lesson, including the practice questions, is written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each means of transport to its type.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
