The largest countries in terms of land -- the United States, Mexico and Canada-- also take a lion's share of North America's total population. Denali (Mount McKinley) in Alaska, rising 20,310 feet (6,190 metres) above sea level, is the continent’s highest point, and Death Valley in California, at 282 feet (86 metres) below sea level, is its lowest. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Continents Definition: What is a Continent Exactly? According to some authorities, North America begins not at the Isthmus of Panama but at the narrows of Tehuantepec, with the intervening region called Central America. North America’s first inhabitants are believed to have been ancient Asiatic peoples who migrated from Siberia to North America sometime during the last glacial advance, known as the Wisconsin Glacial Stage, the most recent major division of the Pleistocene Epoch (about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). For discussion of individual countries of the continent, see the articles Canada, Mexico, and United States of America. This table may be more easily updated if the rank-order column (1,2,3) is removed and a row number column is added instead.Alphabetical order may also help. North America occupies the northern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the Western Hemisphere, or simply the Americas. Professor of Geography, Michigan State University, East Lansing. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). North America contains some of the oldest rocks on Earth. Some geographers characterize the area roughly from the southern border of the United States to the northern border of Colombia as Middle America, which differs from Central America because it includes Mexico. The two countries are shown in the table below, with current population. Mainland North America is shaped roughly like a triangle, with its base in the north and its apex in the south; associated with the continent is Greenland, the largest island in the world, and such offshore groups as the Arctic Archipelago, the West Indies, Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands), and the Aleutian Islands. For discussion of major cities of the continent, see specific articles by name—e.g., Mexico City, New York City, and Toronto. By contrast, the Autumn vegetation in Denali National Park and Preserve, south-central Alaska, U.S., with Denali (Mount McKinley) towering in the centre background. North America is part of the super-continent referred to as “Americas” which is split into South America … Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Although at first the term America was applied only to the southern half of the continent, the designation soon was applied to the entire landmass. North America contains more than three countries. To overcome this anomaly, the whole of Mexico, together with Central and South American countries, also may be grouped under the name Latin America, with the United States and Canada being referred to as Anglo-America. There are either 23 or 27 countries in North America, depending on the definition. To the southeast of the shield rose the ancient Appalachian Mountains; and to the west rose the younger and considerably taller Cordilleras, which occupy nearly one-third of the continent’s land area. This article treats the physical and human geography of North America. People of European ancestry constitute the largest group, followed by those of African and of Asian ancestry; in addition there is a large group of Latin Americans, who are of mixed European and Native American ancestry. A small farm nestled in the rugged highlands of central Honduras. Omissions? The North American Continent is made up of 23 different countries and 9 dependent territories. How Many Countries in North America As of 2020, there are a total of 24 countries in North America. North America, third largest of the world’s continents, lying for the most part between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer. Of the 23 countries that divide up the continent, Canada, and the United States comprise nearly 80% of the total land area. This cultural division is a very real one, yet Mexico and Central America (including the Caribbean) are bound to the rest of North America by strong ties of physical geography. North America has the highest average income per person of any continent and an average food intake per person that is significantly greater than that of other continents. Greenland also is culturally divided from, but physically close to, North America. North America 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. See examples heThis is a list of North American countries and dependent territories by population.. List of Cities and Towns in North Carolina, Continents in the World and Their Countries. The United States is the 4th largest country on earth, and the third most populous country. All Rights Reserved. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Those portions that widened out north of the Isthmus of Panama became known as North America, and those that broadened to the south became known as South America. It extends for more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) to within 500 miles (800 km) of both the North Pole and the Equator and has an east-west extent of 5,000 miles. In between these two mountain belts are the generally flat regions of the Great Plains in the west and the Central Lowlands in the east. North America’s only land connection is to South America at the narrow Isthmus of Panama. Not included in this total of "countries" and listed separately are: Dependencies (or dependent territories, dependent areas) or Areas of Special Sovereignty (autonomous territories) WTBF Media, LLC, Highest Mountains of the World by Continent, The Ozone Layer: What Is it, How its Formed, & Why It is So Important, Ozone Depletion: What it is, Causes, Effects. It covers an area of 9,355,000 square miles (24,230,000 square km). They main countries are Canada, United States and Mexico. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. North America, third largest of the world’s continents, lying for the most part between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer.It extends for more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) to within 500 miles (800 km) of both the North Pole and the Equator and has an east-west extent of 5,000 miles. Although it is home to less than 10 percent of the world’s population, its per capita consumption of energy is almost four times as great as the world average. Grassland, desert, and tundra communities, The European attitudes toward the environment, The role of Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America, The Mexican and the Central American segments, https://www.britannica.com/place/North-America, National Geographic - North America: Physical Geography, North America - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), North America - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Last modified August 12, 2020, Country by Country FAQs / Country Guides / Serbia. The descendants of these peoples, the various Native American and Eskimo (Inuit) groups, largely have been supplanted by peoples from the Old World. (One fewer if Trinidad and Tobago is counted with South America. The name America is derived from that of the Italian merchant and navigator Amerigo Vespucci, one of the earliest European explorers to visit the New World. North America’s coastline of some 37,000 miles (60,000 km)—the second longest of the continents after Asia—is notable for the great number of indentations, particularly in the northern half. The principal treatment of North American historical and cultural development is contained in the articles mentioned above and in the article Latin America, history of. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Under such a definition, part of Mexico must be included in Central America, although that country lies mainly in North America proper. There are 23 nations in North America. Updates? Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? The continent is richly endowed with natural resources, including great mineral wealth, vast forests, immense quantities of fresh water, and some of the world’s most fertile soils. Some definitions of Middle America also include the West Indies. There are 2 countries in Northern America today, according to the United Nations.