Why Trump’s “Imaginary” Canada-US border remark oversimplifies centuries of treaty, conflict, and compromise

US President Donald Trump’s claim that the Canada-US border is an “imaginary line” oversimplifies centuries of treaties, colonial negotiations, and Indigenous displacement. Experts explain how the 8,891-kilometre boundary was shaped by history, not rulers—making any modern redrawing nearly impossible. Discover the true story behind North America’s longest international border