Winnipeg, a city of more than a half million people in southeastern Manitoba approximately 60 miles (95 kilometers) due north of the North Dakota-Minnesota boundary, is a major grain market and distribution center for the prairie provinces of western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta) and serves as the gateway to eastern Canada. Bordering the eastern edge of the Great Plains of North America, the region produces tremendous spring wheat crops, which is visually confirmed by the density of cultivated field patterns in this photograph. Some characteristics of the 1700s when the French and British were competing for control of the area are noted. French-influenced long lots, the narrow rectangular farms perpendicular to the rivers, allow each farm access to the waterway. These long lots are found along the Red River, and to a lesser extent along the Seine (southeast of Winnipeg). The Assiniboine River (barely visible) joins the Red River in downtown Winnipeg. Visible are several prominent linear features—the Red River floodway to the east, which was constructed to alleviate flooding in the city; numerous highways and roads radiating from the core of the city; the street network within the city; and the runways of Winnipeg International Airport west-northwest of the central business district.