'North America'
'North America' is a
continent[1] in the
Earth's
northern hemisphere and (chiefly)
western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the
Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North
Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the
Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west by the North
Pacific Ocean;
South America lies to the southeast, connected to North America by the
Isthmus of Panama. It covers an
area of about 24,490,000
square kilometres (9,450,000
sq mi), about 4.8 percent of the planet's surface or about 16.4% of its land area. As of October 2006, its
population was estimated at over 514,600,000. It is the
third-largest continent in area, following
Asia and
Africa, and is fourth in population after Asia, Africa, and
Europe. North and South America are collectivelly known as the
Americas.
Etymology
North and South America are popularly accepted as having been named after
Italian explorer
Amerigo Vespucci by the German cartographer
Martin Waldseemüller. Vespucci was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not the East Indies, but a new world previously undiscovered by Europeans. Vespucci was the first to discover South America and the ''Amerique'' mountains of Central America, which connected his discoveries to those of
Christopher Columbus. The etymology is further complicated by the need of cartographers to come up with a name that paralleled the feminine names of the other continents (e.g. Europa, Asia, Africa etc.). The convention is to use the surname for naming discoveries except in the case of royalty and so a derivation from "Amerigo Vespucci" may be problematic.
The second and less generally accepted theory is that the continents are named after an English merchant named
Richard Amerike from Bristol, who is believed to have financed
John Cabot's voyage of discovery from England to Newfoundland in 1497. A minutely explored belief that has been advanced is that America was named for a Spanish sailor bearing the ancient
Visigothic name of 'Amairick'. Another is that the name is rooted in an
American Indian language.
[2]
History
Main articles: History of North America
Scientists have
several theories as to the origins of the
early human population of the North America. The
indigenous peoples of North America themselves have many
creation stories, by which they assert that they have been present on the land since its creation.
Before contact with Europeans the natives of North America were divided into many different
polities, from small
bands of a few families to large
empires. They lived in several "
culture areas", which roughly correspond to
geographic and biological zones and give a good indication of the main
lifeway or occupation of the people who lived there (e.g. the
Bison hunters of the
Great Plains, or the
farmers of
Mesoamerica). Native groups can also be classified by their
language family (e.g.
Athapascan or
Uto-Aztecan). It is important to note that peoples with similar languages did not always share the same
material culture, nor were they always
allies.
Scientists believe that the
Inuit people of the high
Arctic came to North America much later than other native groups, as evidenced by the disappearance of
Dorset culture artifacts from the
archaeological record, and their replacement by the
Thule people.
During the thousands of years of native inhabitation on the continent, cultures changed and shifted. Archaeologists often name different cultural groups they discover after the site where they are first found. One of the oldest cultures yet found is the
Clovis culture of modern
New Mexico. A more recent example is the group of related cultures called the
Mound builders (e.g. the
Fort Walton Culture), found in the
Mississippi river valley. They flourished from 3000 BCE to the 1500s CE.
The more southern cultural groups of North America were responsible for the
domestication of many common
crops now used around the world, such as
tomatoes and
squash. Perhaps most importantly they domesticated one of the world's major staples,
maize (corn).
As a result of the development of agriculture in the south, many important cultural advances were made there. For example, the
Maya civilization developed a
writing system, built
huge pyramids, had a
complex calendar, and developed the concept of
zero 500 years before anyone in the
Old World. The Mayan culture was still present when the
Spanish arrived in
Central America, but political dominance in the area had shifted to the
Aztec Empire further north.
Upon the arrival of the Europeans in the "New World", native peoples found their culture changed drastically. As such, their affiliation with political and cultural groups changed as well, several linguistic groups went
extinct, and others changed quite quickly. The name and cultures that Europeans recorded for the natives were not necessarily the same as the ones they had used a few generations before, or the ones in use today.
Geography and extent
North America occupies the northern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the
New World, the
Western Hemisphere,
the Americas, or simply America (which is sometimes considered a single
continent[''The Olympic symbols.'' International Olympic Committee. 2002. Lausanne: Olympic Museum and Studies Centre. The five rings of the Olympic flag represent the five inhabited, participating continents (Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania).][Océano Uno, Diccionario Enciclopédico y Atlas Mundial, "Continente", page 392, 1730. ISBN 84-494-0188-7][Los Cinco Continentes (The Five Continents), Planeta-De Agostini Editions, 1997. ISBN 84-395-6054-0] and North America a
subcontinent).
[3] North America's only land connection is to
South America at the narrow
Isthmus of Panama. (Geopolitically, all of
Panama—including the segment east of the
Panama Canal in the isthmus—is often considered a part of North America alone. However, prior to independence in
1903, Panama was part of
Colombia and was therefore considered part of South America. Panama is thus the only country to have been "moved" from one continent to another.) According to some authorities, North America begins not at the Isthmus of Panama but at the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec,
Mexico with the region to the south called
Central America (or
Middle America if the
Caribbean is included) and mostly resting on the
Caribbean Plate. Before the Central American isthmus was raised, the region had been underwater. The islands of the
West Indies delineate a submerged former
land bridge, which had connected North America and
South America via
Florida and
Venezuela.
The continental coastline is long and irregular. The
Gulf of Mexico is the largest body of water indenting the continent, followed by
Hudson Bay. Others include the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the
Gulf of California.
There are numerous
islands off the continent’s coasts: principally, the
Arctic Archipelago, the
Greater and
Lesser Antilles, the
Alexander Archipelago, and the
Aleutian Islands.
Greenland, a
Danish self-governing island and the
world's largest, is on the same
tectonic plate (the
North American Plate) and is part of North America geographically.
Bermuda is not part of the Americas, but is an oceanic island which was formed on the fissure of the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge over 100 million years ago. The nearest landmass to it is
Cape Hatteras,
North Carolina, and it is often thought of as part of North America, especially given its historical, political and cultural ties to
Virginia and other parts of the continent.
Physical geography
, , , rock types of North America.
The vast majority of North America is on the
North American Plate. Parts of
California and western
Mexico form the partial edge of the
Pacific Plate, with the two plates meeting along the
San Andreas fault. The southern-most portion of the continent and much of the
West Indies lie on the
Caribbean Plate, while the
Juan de Fuca and
Cocos Plates border the North American Plate on its western frontier.
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,
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
United States Geographical Survey states that the geographic center of North America is “6 miles west of Balta, Pierce County, North Dakota” at approximately , approximately 15 miles (25 km) from
Rugby, North Dakota. The USGS further states that “No marked or monumented point has been established by any government agency as the geographic center of either the 50 States, the conterminous United States, or the North American continent.” Nonetheless, there is a 15 foot (4.5
m) field stone
obelisk in Rugby claiming to mark the center.
Human geography
The prevalent
languages in North America are
English,
Spanish, and
French. The term
Anglo-America is used to refer to the
anglophone countries of the Americas: namely the
United States and
Canada (where English and French are co-official), but also sometimes
Belize and parts of the Caribbean.
Latin America refers to the other areas of the Americas (generally south of the U.S.) where
Romance languages derived from
Latin predominate: the other republics of
Central America,
Mexico, much of the Caribbean, and most of South America.
The French language has historically played a significant role in North America and remains a distinctive presence in some regions. Canada is officially bilingual; French is the official language of the
Canadian province of
Quebec and is co-official with English in the province of
New Brunswick. Other French-speaking locales include the
French West Indies and
Saint-Pierre and 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 past historical association but Haitians speak
Creole and French. Although the former language is derived from French, it is not French.
Socially and culturally, North America presents a well-defined entity. Canada and the United States have a similar culture and similar traditions as a result of both countries being former
British colonies. A common cultural and economic market has developed between the two nations because of the strong economic and historical ties. Spanish-speaking North America shares a common past as former
Spanish colonies. In Central American countries and Mexico where civilizations like the
Maya developed, indigenous people preserve traditions across modern boundaries. Central American and Spanish-speaking Caribbean nations have historically had more in common due to geographical proximity and the fact that, after winning independence from Spain, Mexico never took part in an effort to build a Central American Union.
Economically, Canada and the United States are the wealthiest and most
developed nations in the continent; the countries of Central America and the Caribbean are much
less developed, while
Mexico—a
newly industrialized country—lies between these two extremes. The most important
trade blocs are the
Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the recently signed
Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)—the last of these being an example of the economic integration sought by the nations of this subregion as a way to improve their financial status.
Demographically, North America is a racially and ethnically diverse continent. Its three main ethnic groups are
Whites,
Mestizos and
Blacks (chiefly
African-Americans and
Afro-Caribbeans). There is a significant minority of
Amerindians and
Chinese among other less numerous groups.
Countries and territories
Political highlights of North America
North America is often divided into subregions but no universally accepted divisions exist. Central America comprises the southern region of the continent, but its northern terminus varies between sources.
Geophysically, the region starts at the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico (namely the
Mexican states of
Campeche,
Chiapas,
Tabasco,
Quintana Roo, and
Yucatán[4]). The
United Nations geoscheme includes Mexico in Central America; conversely, the
European Union excludes both Mexico and
Belize from the area.
Geopolitically, Mexico is frequently not reckoned in Central America.
[5]
Northern America is used to refer to the northern countries and territories of North America: Canada, the United States, Greenland, Bermuda, and St. Pierre and Miquelon. They are often considered distinct from the southern portion of the Americas, which largely comprise
Latin America. The term
Middle America is sometimes used to collectively refer to Mexico, the nations of Central America, and the
Caribbean.
See Also:
List of North American countries by population
Usage
The term ''North America'' may mean different things to different people in the world according to the context. Usage other than that of the entire continent includes:
★ In English, ''North America'' is often used to refer to the United States and Canada exclusively.
[10] Alternatively, usage may include Mexico
[11] (as with
North American Free Trade Agreement) and other entities.
[12]
★ In Latin America, Iberia, and some other parts of Europe, ''North America'' usually designates a subcontinent (''subcontinente'' in Spanish) of the Americas containing Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, and often Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and Bermuda.
[13]
See also
★
Americas (terminology)
★
United States
★
Canada
★
History of North America
★
Discoverer of the Americas
★
Economy of North America
★
European colonization of the Americas
★
★
Transportation in North America
Notes and references
1. United Nations Statistics Division- Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49)
2. The Naming of America: Fragments We've Shored Against Ourselves. By Jonathan Cohen
3. Encarta, "Norteamérica".
4. Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Central America"
5. The American Heritage Dictionary, "Central America"
6. Depending on definitions, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago have territory in one or both of North and South America.
7. Due to ongoing activity of the Soufriere Hills volcano beginning 1995, much of Plymouth, Montserrat's ''de jure'' capital, was destroyed and government offices relocated to Brades.8. Panama is generally considered a transcontinental country in Central America (UN region) and South America; population and area figures are for North American portion only, west of the Panama Canal.9. Includes the US state of Hawaii, which is distant from the North American landmass in the Pacific Ocean and is, thus, commonly included with the other territories of Oceania.10. Burchfield, R. W., ed. 2004. "America." ''Fowler's Modern English Usage'' (ISBN 0-19-861021-1) New York: Oxford University Press, p. 48 -- quotation reads: "the term 'North America' is mostly used to mean the United States and Canada together. Countries to the south of the United States are described as being in Central America (Mexico, Nicaragua, etc.) or South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.)"; see also: McArthur, Tom. 1992. "North American." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (ISBN 0-19-214183-X) New York: Oxford University Press, p. 707. See also [1]
11. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: refers to "Three nations, on the same continent"
12. Countries of North America: includes Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and the United States
13. In Ibero-America, ''North America'' is considered a subcontinent containing Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Greenland, Bermuda and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon."Norteamérica (Mexican version)"/(Spaniard version). ''Encarta Online Encyclopedia.''
★ "
North America"/"
Central America". ''
The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 6th ed. 2001-6. New York: Columbia University Press.
★ "
North America"/"
Central America". ''
Encyclopædia Britannica''. 2006. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
★
UN Statistics Division: Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings
★
GeoHive: The population of continents, regions and countries
★ "
North America"/ "
Central America". ''
MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006.''
★
American Heritage Dictionaries, North America and
Central America
★
Houghton Mifflin Company, "North America"
★
WordNet Princeton University: Central America
★
Crystal Reference Encyclopedia, "North America"
★
Internet World Map Study showing the geographic distribution of the Internet across North America.
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