North America
| UN M49 code | 003 – North America019 – Americas001 – World |
|---|---|
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere.[b] It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as a part of North America geographically.
North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometres (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe. In 2013, its population was estimated at nearly 579 million people in 23 independent states, or about 7.5% of the world's population. In human geography and in the English-speaking world outside the United States, particularly in Canada, "North America" and "North American" can refer to just Canada and the United States together.[6][7][8][9][10]
North America was reached by its
Owing to Europe's colonization of the Americas, most North Americans speak European languages such as English, Spanish or French, and their cultures commonly reflect Western traditions. However, in parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central America, there are indigenous populations continuing their cultural traditions and speaking native languages.
Name
The Americas are usually accepted as having been named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci by the German cartographers Martin Waldseemüller and Matthias Ringmann.[11] Vespucci, who explored South America between 1497 and 1502, was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not the East Indies, but a different landmass previously unknown by Europeans. In 1507, Waldseemüller produced a world map, in which he placed the word "America" on the continent of South America.[12] What was known about the continent was referred to as Parias above what is today Mexico.[13] On a 1553 world map published by Petrus Apianus,[14] North America was called Baccalearum, meaning "realm of the Cod fish", in reference to the abundance of Cod fish on the east coast.[15]
Waldseemüller used the Latinized version of Vespucci's name (Americus Vespucius), but in its feminine form "America", following the examples of "Europa", "Asia" and "Africa". Later mapmakers extended the name America to the northern continent. In 1538,
Gerardus Mercator on his map called North America "America or New India" (America sive India Nova).[17] The Spanish Empire called its territories in North and South America "Las Indias"; the state body overseeing them was the Council of the Indies.
Extent
The United Nations formally recognizes "North America" as comprising three areas: Northern America, Central America, and the Caribbean. This has been formally defined by the UN Statistics Division.[18][19][20]
"Northern America", as a term distinct from "North America", excludes Central America, which itself may or may not include Mexico. In the limited context of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the term covers Canada, the United States, and Mexico, which are the three signatories of that treaty.
North America has been historically referred to by other names. Spanish North America (New Spain) was often referred to as Northern America,[citation needed] and this was the first official name given to Mexico.[26]
Regions
Geographically, the North American continent has many regions and subregions. These include cultural, economic, and geographic regions. Economic regions included those formed by trade blocs, such as those of the NAFTA and
The southern part of the North American continent is composed of two regions. These are Central America and the Caribbean.[28][29] The north of the continent maintains recognized regions as well. In contrast to the common definition of "North America", which encompasses the whole continent, the term "North America" is sometimes used to refer only to Mexico, Canada, the U.S., and Greenland.[30][31][32][33][34]
The term Northern America refers to the northernmost countries and territories of North America: the U.S., Bermuda, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Canada, and Greenland.
North America's largest countries by land area, Canada and the U.S., also have well-defined and recognized regions. In the case of Canada, these are (from east to west)
Countries, dependencies, and other territories
| Arms | Flag | Country / Territory[39][40][41] | Area[42] | Population (2021)[43][44] |
Population density |
Capital | Name(s) in official language(s) | ISO 3166-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Anguilla (United Kingdom) |
91 km2 (35 sq mi) |
15,753 | 164.8/km2 (427/sq mi) |
The Valley | Anguilla | AIA |
|
|
Antigua and Barbuda | 442 km2 (171 sq mi) |
93,219 | 199.1/km2 (516/sq mi) |
St. John's | Antigua and Barbuda | ATG |
|
|
Aruba (Kingdom of the Netherlands)[c] |
180 km2 (69 sq mi) |
106,537 | 594.4/km2 (1,539/sq mi) |
Oranjestad | Aruba | ABW |
|
|
The Bahamas[d] | 13,943 km2 (5,383 sq mi) |
407,906 | 24.5/km2 (63/sq mi) |
Nassau | Bahamas | BHS |
|
|
Barbados | 430 km2 (170 sq mi) |
281,200 | 595.3/km2 (1,542/sq mi) |
Bridgetown | Barbados | BRB |
|
|
Belize | 22,966 km2 (8,867 sq mi) |
400,031 | 13.4/km2 (35/sq mi) |
Belmopan | Belize | BLZ |
|
|
Bermuda (United Kingdom) |
54 km2 (21 sq mi) |
64,185 | 1,203.7/km2 (3,118/sq mi) |
Hamilton | Bermuda | BMU |
|
|
Bonaire (Kingdom of the Netherlands)[c][45] |
294 km2 (114 sq mi) |
12,093 | 41.1/km2 (106/sq mi) |
Kralendijk | Boneiru | BES |
|
|
British Virgin Islands (United Kingdom) |
151 km2 (58 sq mi) |
31,122 | 152.3/km2 (394/sq mi) |
Road Town | British Virgin Islands | VGB |
|
|
Canada | 9,984,670 km2 (3,855,100 sq mi) |
38,155,012 | 3.7/km2 (9.6/sq mi) |
Ottawa | Canada | CAN |
|
|
Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) |
264 km2 (102 sq mi) |
68,136 | 212.1/km2 (549/sq mi) |
George Town | Cayman Islands | CYM |
|
|
Clipperton Island (France) | 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi) |
0 | 0/km2 (0/sq mi) |
— | Île de Clipperton | CPT |
|
|
Costa Rica | 51,100 km2 (19,700 sq mi) |
5,153,957 | 89.6/km2 (232/sq mi) |
San José | Costa Rica | CRI |
|
|
Cuba | 109,886 km2 (42,427 sq mi) |
11,256,372 | 102.0/km2 (264/sq mi) |
Havana | Cuba | CUB |
|
|
Curaçao (Kingdom of the Netherlands)[c] |
444 km2 (171 sq mi) |
190,338 | 317.1/km2 (821/sq mi) |
Willemstad | Kòrsou | CUW |
|
|
Dominica | 751 km2 (290 sq mi) |
72,412 | 89.2/km2 (231/sq mi) |
Roseau | Dominica | DMA |
|
|
Dominican Republic | 48,671 km2 (18,792 sq mi) |
11,117,873 | 207.3/km2 (537/sq mi) |
Santo Domingo | República Dominicana | DOM |
|
|
El Salvador | 21,041 km2 (8,124 sq mi) |
6,314,167 | 293.0/km2 (759/sq mi) |
San Salvador | El Salvador | SLV |
|
|
Federal Dependencies of Venezuela (Venezuela) |
342 km2 (132 sq mi) |
2,155 | 6.3/km2 (16/sq mi) |
Gran Roque | Dependencias Federales de Venezuela | VEN-W |
|
|
Kingdom of Denmark )
|
2,166,086 km2 (836,330 sq mi) |
56,243 | 0.026/km2 (0.067/sq mi) |
Nuuk | Kalaallit Nunaat/Grønland | GRL |
|
|
Grenada | 344 km2 (133 sq mi) |
124,610 | 302.3/km2 (783/sq mi) |
St. George's | Gwinàd | GRD |
 |
|
Guadeloupe (France) |
1,628 km2 (629 sq mi) |
396,051 | 246.7/km2 (639/sq mi) |
Basse-Terre | Gwadloup | GLP |
 |
|
Guatemala | 108,889 km2 (42,042 sq mi) |
17,608,483 | 128.8/km2 (334/sq mi) |
Guatemala City | Guatemala | GTM |
 |
|
Haiti | 27,750 km2 (10,710 sq mi) |
11,447,569 | 361.5/km2 (936/sq mi) |
Port-au-Prince | Ayiti/Haïti | HTI |
|
|
Honduras | 112,492 km2 (43,433 sq mi) |
10,278,345 | 66.4/km2 (172/sq mi) |
Tegucigalpa | Honduras | HND |
|
|
Jamaica | 10,991 km2 (4,244 sq mi) |
2,827,695 | 247.4/km2 (641/sq mi) |
Kingston | Jumieka | JAM |
 |
|
Martinique (France) |
1,128 km2 (436 sq mi) |
368,796 | 352.6/km2 (913/sq mi) |
Fort-de-France | Martinique/Matinik | MTQ |
 |
|
Mexico | 1,964,375 km2 (758,449 sq mi) |
126,705,138 | 57.1/km2 (148/sq mi) |
Mexico City | México | MEX |
|
|
Montserrat (United Kingdom) |
102 km2 (39 sq mi) |
4,417 | 58.8/km2 (152/sq mi) |
Brades[e]
|
Montserrat | MSR |
|
|
Nicaragua | 130,373 km2 (50,337 sq mi) |
6,850,540 | 44.1/km2 (114/sq mi) |
Managua | Nicaragua | NIC |
 |
|
Nueva Esparta (Venezuela) |
1,151 km2 (444 sq mi) |
491,610 | 427.1/km2 (1,106/sq mi) |
La Asunción | Nueva Esparta | VEN-O |
|
|
Panama[c][f] | 75,417 km2 (29,119 sq mi) |
4,351,267 | 45.8/km2 (119/sq mi) |
Panama City | Panamá | PAN |
|
|
Puerto Rico (United States) |
8,870 km2 (3,420 sq mi) |
3,256,028 | 448.9/km2 (1,163/sq mi) |
San Juan | Puerto Rico | PRI |
|
|
Saba (Kingdom of the Netherlands)[45] |
13 km2 (5.0 sq mi) |
1,537 | 118.2/km2 (306/sq mi) |
The Bottom | Saba | BES |
 |
|
San Andrés and Providencia (Colombia) |
53 km2 (20 sq mi) |
77,701 | 1,468.59/km2 (3,803.6/sq mi) |
San Andrés | San Andrés | COL-SAP |
|
|
Saint Barthélemy (France)[46] |
21 km2 (8.1 sq mi)[47] |
7,448 | 354.7/km2 (919/sq mi) |
Gustavia | Saint-Barthélemy | BLM |
|
|
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 km2 (101 sq mi) |
47,606 | 199.2/km2 (516/sq mi) |
Basseterre | Saint Kitts and Nevis | KNA |
|
|
Saint Lucia | 539 km2 (208 sq mi) |
179,651 | 319.1/km2 (826/sq mi) |
Castries | Sainte-Lucie | LCA |
|
|
Saint Martin (France)[46] |
54 km2 (21 sq mi)[47] |
29,820 | 552.2/km2 (1,430/sq mi) |
Marigot
|
Saint-Martin | MAF |
|
|
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) |
242 km2 (93 sq mi) |
5,883 | 24.8/km2 (64/sq mi) |
Saint-Pierre | Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon | SPM |
|
|
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 km2 (150 sq mi) |
104,332 | 280.2/km2 (726/sq mi) |
Kingstown | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | VCT |
|
|
Sint Eustatius (Kingdom of the Netherlands)[45] |
21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) |
2,739 | 130.4/km2 (338/sq mi) |
Oranjestad | Sint Eustatius | BES |
|
|
Sint Maarten (Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
34 km2 (13 sq mi) |
44,042 | 1,176.7/km2 (3,048/sq mi) |
Philipsburg | Sint Maarten | SXM |
|
|
Trinidad and Tobago[c] | 5,130 km2 (1,980 sq mi) |
1,525,663 | 261.0/km2 (676/sq mi) |
Port of Spain | Trinidad and Tobago | TTO |
 |
|
Turks and Caicos Islands (United Kingdom)[g] |
948 km2 (366 sq mi) |
45,114 | 34.8/km2 (90/sq mi) |
Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) | Turks and Caicos Islands | TCA |
|
|
United States[h] | 9,629,091 km2 (3,717,813 sq mi) |
336,997,624 | 32.7/km2 (85/sq mi) |
Washington, D.C. | United States of America | USA |
 |
|
United States Virgin Islands (United States) |
347 km2 (134 sq mi) |
100,091 | 317.0/km2 (821/sq mi) |
Charlotte Amalie
|
US Virgin Islands | VIR |
| Total | 24,500,995 km2 (9,459,887 sq mi) |
583,473,912 | 22.1/km2 (57/sq mi) |
|||||
Natural characteristics
Geography
of North AmericaNorth America occupies the northern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the
in ArizonaBefore the Central American isthmus formed, the region had been underwater. The islands of the West Indies delineate a submerged former land bridge, which had connected North and South America via what are now Florida and Venezuela.
There are numerous islands off the continent's coasts; principally, the Arctic Archipelago, the
The vast majority of North America is on the North American Plate. Parts of western Mexico, including Baja California, and of
The continent can be divided into four great regions (each of which contains many subregions): the
The western mountains are split in the middle into the main range of the Rockies and the coast ranges in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, with the Great Basin—a lower area containing smaller ranges and low-lying deserts—in between. The highest peak is Denali in Alaska.
The
Geology
Geologic history
Laurentia is an ancient craton which forms the geologic core of North America; it formed between 1.5 and 1.0 billion years ago during the Proterozoic eon.[62] The Canadian Shield is the largest exposure of this craton. From the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic eras, North America was joined with the other modern-day continents as part of the supercontinent Pangaea, with Eurasia to its east. One of the results of the formation of Pangaea was the Appalachian Mountains, which formed some 480 mya, making it among the oldest mountain ranges in the world. When Pangaea began to rift around 200 mya, North America became part of Laurasia, before it separated from Eurasia as its own continent during the mid-Cretaceous period.[63] The Rockies and other western mountain ranges began forming around this time from a period of mountain building called the Laramide orogeny, between 80 and 55 mya. The formation of the Isthmus of Panama that connected the continent to South America arguably occurred approximately 12 to 15 mya,[64] and the Great Lakes (as well as many other northern freshwater lakes and rivers) were carved by receding glaciers about 10,000 years ago.
North America is the source of much of what humanity knows about
Canada
Geologically, Canada is one of the oldest regions in the world, with more than half of the region consisting of
United States
The
- The American cordillera
- The Canadian Shield[67] Northern portion of the upper midwestern U.S.
- The stable platform
- The coastal plain
- The Appalachian orogenic belt
The geology of Alaska is typical of that of the cordillera, while the major islands of Hawaii consist of Neogene volcanics erupted over a hot spot.
Central America
Central America is geologically active with
Volcanic eruptions are common in the region. In 1968 the Arenal Volcano, in Costa Rica, erupted and killed 87 people. Fertile soils from weathered volcanic lavas have made it possible to sustain dense populations in agriculturally productive highland areas.
Central America has many mountain ranges; the longest are the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, the Cordillera Isabelia, and the Cordillera de Talamanca. Between the mountain ranges lie fertile valleys that are suitable for the people; in fact, most of the population of Honduras, Costa Rica, and Guatemala live in valleys. Valleys are also suitable for the production of coffee, beans, and other crops.
Climate
North America is a very large continent that extends from north of the Arctic Circle to south of the Tropic of Cancer. Greenland, along with the Canadian Shield, is tundra with average temperatures ranging from 10 to 20 °C (50 to 68 °F), but central Greenland is composed of a very large ice sheet. This tundra radiates throughout Canada, but its border ends near the Rocky Mountains (but still contains Alaska) and at the end of the Canadian Shield, near the Great Lakes. Climate west of the Cascade Range is described as being temperate weather with average precipitation 20 inches (510 millimetres).[70] Climate in coastal California is described to be Mediterranean, with average temperatures in cities like San Francisco ranging from 57 to 70 °F (14 to 21 °C) over the course of the year.[71]
Stretching from the East Coast to eastern North Dakota, and stretching down to Kansas, is the humid continental climate featuring intense seasons, with a large amount of annual precipitation, with places like New York City averaging 50 in (1,300 mm).[72] Starting at the southern border of the humid continental climate and stretching to the
Ecology
![[icon]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it . (March 2015) |
Notable North American fauna include the bison, black bear, jaguar, cougar, prairie dog, turkey, pronghorn, raccoon, coyote and monarch butterfly.
Notable plants that were domesticated in North America include
History
Pre-Columbian
The
Before contact with Europeans, the
During the thousands of years of native habitation on the continent, cultures changed and shifted. One of the oldest yet discovered is the
The first recorded European references to North America are in
The Mayan culture was still present in
Post-contact, 1492–1910
During the so-called
On the southern eastcoast of North America, Spanish explorer
Other European powers began to intrude on areas that Spain had claimed, including the Caribbean islands. France took the western half of Hispaniola and developed
In the late 18th and early the Thirteen Colonies on the North Atlantic coast declared independence in 1776, fighting a protracted
Demographics
Economically, Canada and the U.S. are the wealthiest and most
Demographically, North America is ethnically diverse. Its three main groups are Whites, Mestizos and Blacks.[102] There is a significant minority of Indigenous Americans and Asians among other less numerous groups.[102]
Languages
of the U.S., Canada, Greenland, and Northern MexicoThe dominant
The French language has historically played a significant role in North America and now retains a distinctive presence in some regions. Canada is officially bilingual. French is the official language of the Province of Quebec, where 95% of the people speak it as either their first or second language, and it is co-official with English in the Province of
A significant number of Indigenous languages are spoken in North America, with 372,000 people in the U.S. speaking an indigenous language at home,[103] about 225,000 in Canada[104] and roughly 6 million in Mexico.[105] In the U.S. and Canada, there are approximately 150 surviving indigenous languages of the 300 spoken prior to European contact.[106]
Religions
Christianity is the largest religion in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. According to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey, 77% of the population considered themselves Christians.[107] Christianity also is the predominant religion in the 23 dependent territories in North America.[108] The U.S. has the largest Christian population in the world, with nearly 247 million Christians (70%), although other countries have higher percentages of Christians among their populations.[109] Mexico has the world's second largest number of Catholics, surpassed only by Brazil.[110] A 2015 study estimates about 493,000 Christian believers from a Muslim background in North America, most of them belonging to some form of Protestantism.[111]
According to the same study, the
Canada, the U.S. and Mexico host communities of
The predominant religion in Mexico and Central America is Christianity (96%)..
Populace
North America is the
While the U.S., Canada, and Mexico maintain the largest populations, large city populations are not restricted to those nations. There are also large cities in the Caribbean. The largest cities in North America, by far, are Mexico City and New York. These cities are the only cities on the continent to exceed eight million, and two of three in the Americas. Next in size are Los Angeles,
Eight of the top ten
North America has also been witness to the growth of
The top ten largest North American metropolitan areas by population as of 2013, based on national census numbers from the U.S. and census estimates from Canada and Mexico.
| Metro Area | Population | Area | Country |
| Mexico City | 21,163,226† | 7,346 km2 (2,836 sq mi) | Mexico |
| New York City | 19,949,502 | 17,405 km2 (6,720 sq mi) | United States |
Los Angeles
|
13,131,431 | 12,562 km2 (4,850 sq mi) | United States |
| Chicago | 9,537,289 | 24,814 km2 (9,581 sq mi) | United States |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | 6,810,913 | 24,059 km2 (9,289 sq mi) | United States |
| Houston | 6,313,158 | 26,061 km2 (10,062 sq mi) | United States |
| Toronto | 6,054,191† | 5,906 km2 (2,280 sq mi) | Canada |
| Philadelphia | 6,034,678 | 13,256 km2 (5,118 sq mi) | United States |
Washington, DC
|
5,949,859 | 14,412 km2 (5,565 sq mi) | United States |
Miami
|
5,828,191 | 15,896 km2 (6,137 sq mi) | United States |
†2011 Census figures
Economy
| Rank | Country or Territory | GDP[144](PPP, peak year) millions of USD |
Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States |
25,035,164 | 2022 |
| 2 |  Mexico |
2,919,875 | 2022 |
| 3 |  Canada |
2,240,390 | 2022 |
| 4 |  Dominican Republic |
256,446 | 2022 |
| 5 |  Cuba |
254,865 | 2015 |
| 6 |  Guatemala |
185,849 | 2022 |
| 7 |  Panama |
159,863 | 2022 |
| 8 |  Puerto Rico |
135,277 | 2022 |
| 9 |  Costa Rica |
129,950 | 2022 |
| 10 |  Honduras |
69,684 | 2022 |
| Rank | Country or Territory | GDP (nominal, peak year)
millions of USD |
Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States |
25,035,164 | 2022 |
| 2 | Canada |
2,200,352 | 2022 |
| 3 | Mexico |
1,424,533 | 2022 |
| 4 | Puerto Rico |
118,677 | 2022 |
| 5 | Dominican Republic |
112,417 | 2022 |
| 6 | Cuba[145] |
107,352 | 2020 |
| 7 | Guatemala |
91,318 | 2022 |
| 8 | Panama |
71,085 | 2022 |
| 9 | Costa Rica |
68,489 | 2022 |
| 10 |  El Salvador |
31,989 | 2022 |
North America's GDP per capita was evaluated in October 2016 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be $41,830, making it the richest continent in the world,[146] followed by Oceania.[147]
Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. have significant and multifaceted economic systems. The U.S. has the largest economy of all three countries and in the world.[147] In 2016, the U.S. had an estimated per capita gross domestic product (PPP) of $57,466 according to the World Bank, and is the most technologically developed economy of the three.[148] The U.S.'s services sector comprises 77% of the country's GDP (estimated in 2010), industry comprises 22% and agriculture comprises 1.2%.[147] The U.S. economy is also the fastest growing economy in North America and the Americas as a whole,[149][146] with the highest GDP per capita in the Americas as well.[146]
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