# Navigable Rivers

## Definition

Rivers that can be used for the transportation of goods by boat or ship, serving as natural highways that connect inland areas to coastal markets. Navigable rivers extend the reach of water-carriage into the interior of countries, enabling the development of markets and division of labour in inland regions.

## Source Chapter

Book I, Chapter 3

## Context

Smith identifies navigable rivers as crucial infrastructure for economic development, noting that industry naturally begins to subdivide and improve itself along their banks. He uses examples like the Nile in Egypt and various rivers in China to show how inland navigation creates extensive markets that support specialisation.

## Economic Domain

Exchange

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