I'm from Northern Ontario. Distance is measured in hours.
Frequently in dozens.
Australia ain't much better 
Plus ya can't even escape the country unless ya willing to row or catch a plane
Really don't understand this concept of 'land borders'. What, you step over a line and your in some other country? Seems.. crowded. Next you'll have state capitals which are less then 10 hours drive from each other. (Actually, Canberra technically is only 3 hours from Sydney.. unless you get stuck in Sydney traffic and then you add about 4-5 additional hours...)