World map showing location of North America
A satellite composite image of North America
North America is the third largest
continent in area and in population after
Asia and
Africa. It is bounded on the north by the
Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North
Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the
Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North
Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 9,355,000 square miles (24,230,000 square kilometers). In 2001 its population was estimated at 454,225,000. It can be geographically defined by subtracting
South America from the
supercontinent of the
Americas. Both North and South America are named after
Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not the East Indies, but a previously undiscovered
New World.
Although
Canada, the
United States, and
Mexico are geographically in North America, in a
European mindset, however,
North America is often considered to include Canada and the United States, but not Mexico or any of the
Central American countries, which in some contexts may cause confusion.
In Latin America, the Americas are considered as one continent and therefore North America is only a subcontinent composed by Canada, United States and Mexico.
North America occupies the northern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the
New World, the
Western Hemisphere, the Americas, or simply America. North America's only land connection is to South America at the narrow
Isthmus of Panama and
Panama Canal. According to some authorities, North America begins not at the Isthmus of Panama but at the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec, with the intervening region called Central America. Most, however, tend to see Central America as a region of North America, considering it too small to be a continent of its own.
Physical features
Sedimentary, volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic rock types of
North America. ]]
The continent can be divided into four great regions (each of which contains many sub-regions): the
Great Plains stretching from the
Gulf of Mexico to the
Canadian Arctic; the geologically young, mountainous west, including the
Rocky Mountains, the
Great Basin,
California and
Alaska; the raised but relatively flat plateau of the
Canadian Shield in the northeast; and the varied eastern region, which includes the
Appalachian Mountains, the coastal plain along the Atlantic seaboard, and the
Florida peninsula. Mexico, with its long
plateaus and
cordilleras, falls largely in the western region, although the eastern coastal plain does extend south along the Gulf.
The western mountains are split in the middle, into the main range of the Rockies and the coast ranges in California,
Oregon and Washington state, with the Great Basin – a lower area containing smaller ranges and low-lying deserts – in between. The highest peak is Denali in Alaska.
Since 1931,
Rugby, North Dakota, has officially been recognized as being at the geographic center of North America. The location is marked by a 4.5 metre (15 foot) field stone
obelisk.
Image:North america terrain 2003 map.jpg|North America bedrock and terrain.
Image:North america basement rocks.png|North American cratons and basement rocks.
Image:North america craton nps.gif|North America craton.
Regional and political divisions
Political highlights of North America
On the main continent itself there are three large and relatively populous countries:
At the extreme southern end of the continent, in a relatively small area called
Central America, are the countries of:
At the extreme southeastern end of the continent lies a chain of islands territories called the
Antilles, the
Caribbean or the West Indies, which include the states:
And the dependencies:
Lying in the
Atlantic Ocean but considered part of the continent are the dependencies:
1 These states and dependencies have territory both in North and South America.
2 These dependencies lie in South America, but are considered North American because of cultural and historical reasons.
See here for details.
The United States, Canada, and the other English-speaking nations of the
Americas (Belize, Guyana, and the Anglophone Caribbean) are sometimes grouped under the term
Anglo-America, while the remaining nations of North and South America are grouped under the term
Latin America.
The term "North America", when employed in a context other than geography, may mean different things to different people. To many
Americans and Canadians the term, in common usage, is often taken to mean "The United States of America and Canada, only", excluding Mexico and the countries of Central America, unless the context makes it clear that they are to be included (for instance, with specific reference to Mexico, when talking about NAFTA). This is due to the fact that culturally and economically, the USA and Canada are more alike to each other than they are to the rest of North America. Mexicans, however, are acutely aware that Mexico is a part of North America and object to this usage. Central Americans, however, are generally content to be called Central Americans – largely because of their shared history, which includes several attempts at supranational integration in the region.
Political divisions – area and population data
See also
External link
Category:Continents
af:Noord-Amerika
ar:أمريكا الشمالية
ast:Norteamérica
bg:Северна Америка
bn:উত্তর আমেরিকা
ca:Amčrica del Nord
cv:Çӳрçěр Америка
cs:Severní Amerika
cy:Gogledd America
da:Nordamerika
de:Nordamerika
et:Pőhja-Ameerika manner
es:América del Norte
eo:Nordameriko
fr:Amérique du Nord
fy:Noard-Amearika
ga:Meiriceá Thuaidh
ko:북아메리카
ht:Amerik dinň
haw:ʻAmelika ʻĀkau
id:Amerika Utara
is:Norđur-Ameríka
it:America settentrionale
he:אמריקה הצפונית
la:America Septentrionalis
lv:Ziemeļamerika
lt:Šiaurės Amerika
lb:Nord- a Mëttelamerika
li:Noord-Amerika
mk:Северна Америка
zh-min-nan:Pak Bí-chiu
nl:Noord-Amerika
nds:Noordamerika
ja:北アメリカ
no:Nord-Amerika
pl:Ameryka Północna
pt:América do Norte
ro:America de Nord
ru:Северная Америка
se:Davvi-Amerihkká
simple:North America
sk:Severná Amerika
sl:Severna Amerika
sr:Северна Америка
fi:Pohjois-Amerikka
sv:Nordamerika
th:ทวีปอเมริกาเหนือ
vi:Bắc Mỹ
tr:Kuzey Amerika
uk:Північна Америка
zh:北美洲