North America

North America is a continent located in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South America and the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west.

The continent covers about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), making it the third-largest continent after Asia and Africa. As of 2021, it is home to over 592 million people living in 23 independent states and territories, which is about 7.5% of the world's population.

North America includes areas such as Canada, the continental United States, Mexico, and many smaller regions. The continent has a rich history, with people living there at least 20,000 years ago. Over time, many different groups, including European settlers, indigenous peoples, and enslaved Africans, have shaped its cultures and languages. Today, most people speak languages like English, Spanish, and French, while many still honor ancient traditions.

Name

Further information: Naming of the Americas, New Spain, Turtle Island, and Vinland

The continents we now call the Americas were named after an Italian explorer named Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci sailed along South America and helped people understand that these lands were a new continent, not part of Asia. In 1507, a mapmaker named Martin Waldseemüller put the name “America” on his map for the southern part of this new land. Later, the name “America” was also used for the northern part, which we now call North America.

At first, North America had other names too. One old map called it “Baccalearum,” meaning “land of the cod fish,” because there were many cod fish along the East Coast. Over time, the name “America” stuck and was used for the whole area.

Definition

The United Nations and its statistics division recognize North America as comprising three subregions: Northern America, Central America (which includes Mexico), and the Caribbean. In some trade agreements like NAFTA, the term refers to three countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

North America is divided into different regions based on culture, language, and economics. It includes areas such as Anglo-America and Latin America. Some parts, like Louisiana and Quebec, have large Francophone communities. The largest countries by land area are Canada and the United States, each with many well-known regions.

History

Main article: History of North America

Pre-Columbian era

Main article: Pre-Columbian era

The first people of North America had many stories about how they came to be there. Scientists believe they came from Asia, possibly crossing a land bridge called Bering Land Bridge between Siberia and Alaska thousands of years ago. Others may have sailed from a place called Beringia. These early people lived in many different groups, each with their own ways of life. Some hunted animals on the Great Plains, while others farmed in places like Mesoamerica. They created art called petroglyphs and developed new ideas, like growing crops such as maize.

Europeans first learned about North America from old stories called Norse sagas, which mentioned a place called Vinland. The first proof that Europeans visited North America comes from a site in Newfoundland, showing that a explorer named Leif Erikson was there around the year 1000.

Post-contact, 1492–1910

Main article: European colonization of the Americas

Further information: Timeline of the European colonization of North America, British America, French America, New Spain, and Russian colonization of the Americas

When Europeans arrived in North America, the people who already lived there reacted in many ways. Many got sick from diseases the newcomers brought, which they had never encountered before. Others fought or made agreements. Life changed greatly for the native peoples, and many of their traditions shifted.

Spain, England, and France all claimed parts of North America. Spain started settlements in places like Hispaniola and Cuba. France settled areas such as Saint-Domingue, and Britain settled places including Barbados and Jamaica. Later, Britain began settling along the east coast of what is now the United States.

English settlements

Main article: British America

The first permanent English town was Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. More towns grew along the east coast, from Georgia to Massachusetts. In Canada, early British towns included St. John's, Newfoundland and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The French founded Quebec City, Quebec in 1608.

Seven Years' War

Main article: Seven Years' War

After Britain won the Seven Years' War, France gave up its lands east of the Mississippi River to Britain in 1763. Spain received lands west of the Mississippi. French settlers moved to areas like Illinois Country and later moved west to places near the Pacific Ocean.

American Revolution

Main articles: American Revolution and American Revolutionary War

In 1776, the thirteen colonies declared their independence from Britain. They formed the United States after winning a long war. France and Spain helped the United States, while Britain had support from soldiers called Hessian military from Germany. The war ended in 1783 with a treaty that recognized the United States as a new country.

Westward expansion

Main article: Westward Expansion Trails

Further information: Lewis and Clark Expedition, Louisiana Purchase, and United States Exploring Expedition

By the late 1700s, Russia had settlements on the northern Pacific Northwest coast. Spain also wanted control of the Pacific coast. Explorers like Lewis and Clark traveled to the west. In 1803, the United States bought a large area called the Louisiana Purchase from France. Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. The United States later went to war with Mexico and gained more land. Russia sold its lands in North America, including Alaska, to the United States in 1867.

Canada and Panama Canal

Main articles: Canada and Panama Canal

In 1867, many areas north of the United States joined together to form Canada. The United States wanted to build a waterway through the narrow part of Panama, which was then part of Colombia. With help from local people, Panama became separate from Colombia. The United States then built the Panama Canal, finishing it in 1913. This canal connected the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and made travel by ship much easier.

Geography

Main article: Geography of North America

North America is the third-largest continent, covering about 24.7 million square kilometers. It stretches from the Arctic Circle in the north to near the Tropic of Cancer in the south. The continent includes many islands, such as the Bahamas and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.

North America has diverse landscapes, from the flat plains of the Great Plains to the tall mountains of the Rocky Mountains and the coastal ranges. The highest peak is Denali in Alaska. The continent also has many bodies of water, including the Gulf of Mexico and Hudson Bay.

List of states and territories

Main article: List of sovereign states and dependent territories in North America

North America is home to many countries and territories. Some of the largest countries include Canada, the United States, and Mexico. There are also many smaller islands and territories that belong to other countries, such as those linked to France and the United Kingdom. Each of these places has its own government and rules, making North America a diverse and interesting part of the world.

Economy

Main article: Economy of North America

See also: List of North American countries by GDP (nominal) and List of North American countries by GDP (PPP)

North America has the richest economy in the world. The United States has the largest economy, with Canada and Mexico also playing important roles. The United States’ economy is very strong in technology and services. Canada’s economy grows in areas like mining and manufacturing. Mexico’s economy includes oil, manufacturing, and farming.

Trade agreements help these countries work together. The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, helped Canada, the United States, and Mexico trade more easily. In 2018, this agreement was updated and is now called the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). Other trade groups, like the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and the Central American Common Market (CACM), also help countries share goods and services.

Transport

Main article: Transportation in North America

North America has many important roads and railroads. The Pan-American Highway is a long road that connects many countries. In the United States, the first transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869, linking the east and west coasts. This helped people and goods move across the country much faster.

Communications

A shared telephone system called the North American Numbering Plan connects many countries and territories, including the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and some Caribbean nations.

Demographics

See also: List of North American countries by population and List of North American countries by life expectancy

Canada and the United States are the wealthiest and most developed nations on the continent followed by Mexico, a newly industrialized country. The countries of Central America and the Caribbean are at various levels of economic and human development. For example, small Caribbean island-nations, such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Antigua and Barbuda, have a higher GDP (PPP) per capita than Mexico due to their smaller populations. Panama and Costa Rica have a significantly higher Human Development Index and GDP than the rest of the Central American nations. Additionally, despite Greenland's vast resources in oil and minerals, much of them remain untapped, and the island is economically dependent on fishing, tourism, and subsidies from Denmark. Nevertheless, the island is highly developed.

Demographically, North America is ethnically diverse. Its three largest groups are Whites, Mestizos, and Blacks. There is a significant minority of Indigenous Americans and Asians among other less numerous groups.

Languages

Main article: Languages of North America

The dominant languages in North America are English, Spanish, and French. Danish is prevalent in Greenland alongside Greenlandic, and Dutch is spoken side by side local languages in the Dutch Caribbean. The term Anglo-America is used to refer to the anglophone countries of the Americas: namely Canada (where English and French are co-official) and the U.S., but also sometimes Belize and parts of the tropics, especially the Commonwealth Caribbean. Latin America refers to the other areas of the Americas (generally south of the U.S.) where the Romance languages, derived from Latin, of Spanish and Portuguese, (but French-speaking countries are not usually included) predominate: the other republics of Central America (but not always Belize), part of the Caribbean (not the Dutch-, English-, or French-speaking areas), Mexico, and most of South America (except Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana [France], and the Falkland Islands [UK]).

The U.S. has an ethnically diverse population, and 37 ancestry groups have more than one million members. 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 New Brunswick. Other French-speaking locales include the province of Ontario (the official language is English, but there are an estimated 600,000 Franco-Ontarians), the province of Manitoba (co-official as de jure with English), the French West Indies and Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, as well as the U.S. state of Louisiana, where French is also an official language. Haiti is included with this group based on historical association but Haitians speak both Creole and French. Similarly, French and French Antillean Creole is spoken in Saint Lucia and the Commonwealth of Dominica alongside English.

Indigenous languages

A significant number of indigenous languages are spoken in North America, with roughly 6 million in Mexico speaking an indigenous language at home, 372,000 people in the U.S., and about 225,000 in Canada. In the U.S. and Canada, there are approximately 150 surviving indigenous languages of the 300 spoken prior to European contact.

Religions

Main article: Religion in North America

See also: Religions of the world

Christianity is the largest religion in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey, 77% of the population considered themselves Christians. Christianity also is the predominant religion in the 23 dependent territories in North America. 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. Mexico has the world's second-largest number of Catholics, surpassed only by Brazil.

According to the same study, the religiously unaffiliated (including agnostics and atheists) make up about 17% of the population of Canada and the U.S. Those with no religious affiliation make up about 24% of Canada's total population.

Canada, the U.S., and Mexico host communities of Jews (6 million or about 1.8%), Buddhists (3.8 million or 1.1%) and Muslims (3.4 million or 1.0%). The largest number of Jews can be found in the U.S. (5.4 million), Canada (375,000) and Mexico (67,476). The U.S. hosts the largest Muslim population in North America with 2.7 million or 0.9%, while Canada hosts about one million Muslims or 3.2% of the population. In Mexico there were 3,700 Muslims in 2010. In 2012, U-T San Diego estimated U.S. practitioners of Buddhism at 1.2 million people, of whom 40% are living in Southern California.

The predominant religion in Mexico and Central America is Christianity (96%). Beginning with the Spanish colonization of Mexico in the 16th century, Roman Catholicism was the only religion permitted by Spanish crown and Catholic church. A vast campaign of religious conversion, the so-called "spiritual conquest", was launched to bring the indigenous peoples into the Christian fold. The Inquisition was established to assure orthodox belief and practice. The Catholic Church remained an important institution, so that even after political independence, Roman Catholicism remained the dominant religion. Since the 1960s, there has been an increase in other Christian groups, particularly Protestantism, as well as other religious organizations, and individuals identifying themselves as having no religion. Christianity is also the predominant religion in the Caribbean (85%). Other religious groups in the region are Hinduism, Islam, Rastafari (in Jamaica), and Afro-American religions such as Santería and Vodou.

Population

See also: List of North American countries by population, List of North American cities by population, and List of North American metropolitan areas by population

North America is the fourth most populous continent after Asia, Africa, and Europe. Its most populous country is the U.S. with 342.9 million persons. The second-largest country is Mexico with a population of 126 million. Canada is the third-most-populous country with 41.5 million. The majority of Caribbean island-nations have national populations under a million, though Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico (a territory of the U.S.), Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago each have populations higher than a million. Greenland has a small population of 55,984 for its massive size (2.166 million km² or 836,300 mi²), and therefore, it has the world's lowest population density at 0.026 pop./km² (0.067 pop./mi²).

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 City. 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, Toronto, Chicago, Havana, Santo Domingo, and Montreal. Cities in the Sun Belt regions of the U.S., such as those in Southern California and Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Atlanta, and Las Vegas, are experiencing rapid growth. These causes included warm temperatures, retirement of Baby Boomers, large industry, and the influx of immigrants. Cities near the U.S. border, particularly in Mexico, are also experiencing large amounts of growth. Most notable is Tijuana, a city bordering San Diego that receives immigrants from all over Latin America and parts of Europe and Asia. Yet as cities grow in these warmer regions of North America, they are increasingly forced to deal with the major issue of water shortages.

Eight of the top ten metropolitan areas are located in the U.S. These metropolitan areas all have a population of above 5.5 million and include the New York City metropolitan area, Los Angeles metropolitan area, Chicago metropolitan area, and the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. While the majority of the largest metropolitan areas are within the U.S., Mexico is host to the largest metropolitan area by population in North America: Greater Mexico City. Canada also breaks into the top ten largest metropolitan areas with the Toronto metropolitan area having six million people. The proximity of cities to each other on the Canada–United States border and the Mexico–U.S. border has led to the rise of international metropolitan areas. These urban agglomerations are observed at their largest and most productive in Detroit–Windsor and San Diego–Tijuana and experience large commercial, economic, and cultural activity. The metropolitan areas are responsible for millions of dollars of trade dependent on international freight. In Detroit-Windsor the Border Transportation Partnership study in 2004 concluded US$13 billion was dependent on the Detroit–Windsor international border crossing while in San Diego–Tijuana freight at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry was valued at US$20 billion.

Further information: Megaregions of the United States

North America has also been witness to the growth of megapolitan areas. The United States includes eleven megaregions.

^†2011 Census figures

Culture

Main article: Culture of North America

North America has many different cultures. The United States and English-speaking parts of Canada share similar traditions, but French Canada has its own unique culture that is protected by law. The Southwest of the U.S. has strong influences from Spanish-speaking cultures because of history and immigration. Mexico and Central America are part of Latin America and have their own distinct traditions.

Canada is a country with both English and French as official languages. The government helps protect its culture, including making sure French is used in many places in Quebec. The United States does not have an official language but English is commonly spoken. Many people in places like the southwestern United States, New York, and Florida celebrate rich Latino culture.

Sport

Main article: Sport in North America

Sport in North America includes many popular games. The United States and Canada have teams that play against each other in baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer. Together with Mexico, they will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Canada considers lacrosse a national sport, and curling is an important winter activity there. Boxing is popular in places like Mexico and the United States. Canada even has its own football league, different from the one in the U.S..