North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered 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 about 24,500,000 km2 (9,460,000 sq mi), or about 4.8% of the Earth's surface. As of July 2002, its population was estimated at more than 514,600,000. It is the third largest continent in area, after Asia and Africa, and is fourth in population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

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 (by Europeans) New World.

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. (For geopolitical reasons, all of Panama – including the segment east of the Panama Canal in the isthmus – is often considered a part of North America alone.) 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 and resting on the Caribbean Plate. Most, however, tend to see Central America as a region of North America, considering it too small to be a continent on its own. Greenland, although a part of North America geographically and on the same tectonic plate (the North American Plate), is not considered to be part of the continent politically. You can often find cheap flights between Mallacoota and other capital cities.

Physical features

Plate tectonics recognizes the vast majority of North America as being the surface of the North American Plate. Parts of California and western Mexico are known for being the edge of the Pacific Plate, with the two plates meeting along the San Andreas fault.

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.

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.

Territories and regions

On the main continent landmass, there are three large and relatively populous countries:

• Canada - many large islands off the shore of North America belong to Canada, including Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands on the west, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island on the east, and the Canadian Arctic islands (including Ellesmere Island, Baffin Island, and Victoria Island) in the north
• Mexico - the Revillagigedo archipelago and numerous smaller islands off its coast belong to Mexico
• The United States - the 48 contiguous states and Alaska are part of North America, while the state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean is not; the Aleutian Islands south of Alaska also belong to the U.S. Many of the US residents reside within the nations cities and suburbs which offer private and gated communities with many amenities and activities.

At the southern end of the continent, in a relatively small area commonly known as Central America, are the countries of:

• Belize
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Panama 1

At the southeastern end of the continent lies a chain of islands territories called the Antilles, the Caribbean or the West Indies, which include the countries:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Cuba
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago 1

And the dependencies:

• Anguilla (British overseas territory)
• Aruba 2 (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• Cayman Islands (British overseas territory)
• Guadeloupe (French region d'outre-mer)
• Martinique (French region d'outre-mer)
• Montserrat (British overseas territory)
• Navassa Island (U.S. territory)
• Netherlands Antilles 1 (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• Puerto Rico (U.S. commonwealth)
• Turks and Caicos Islands (British overseas territory)
• British Virgin Islands (British overseas territory)
• U.S. Virgin Islands (territory of the USA)

Lying in the Atlantic Ocean but considered part of the continent are the dependencies:

• Bermuda, a British overseas territory found about 1,072 km (670 mi.) southeast of New York City
• Greenland, the largest island in the world and a self-governing dependency of Denmark, which is located in the far north of the continent to the east of Nunavut.
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French collectivite d'outre-mer off the south coast of Newfoundland, is the last of France's once vast possessions in America north of the Caribbean.

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.

Usage

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.

Alternatively, Northern America is used to refer to Canada and the U.S. together (plus Greenland and Bermuda), while Central America (including Mexico, according to the UN) is mainland North America south of the United States. The West Indies generally include all islands in the Caribbean Sea. In this respect, Latin America generally includes most of Central and South America and, sometimes, the West Indies. The term Middle America is sometimes used to refer to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean collectively.

The term "North America" may mean different things to different people. The term in common usage is often taken to mean "the United States and Canada, only" by some people of the United States and Canada, excluding Mexico and the countries of Central America, unless the context makes it clear that they are to be included (such as with specific reference to Mexico, when talking about NAFTA). For example, guides to wild flora and fauna published by the National Audubon Society for "North America" frequently include only species found in Canada and the U.S.

Bad Credit Loans

deck construction | compensation| web design Miami | ID Cards | Online Dating Personals| Camping in France Just Camping France is the independent resource guide to camping holidays in France.

Car Hire Geneva Airport Geneva Car Hire is the cheapest way to rent a car and you can advance book online to avoid hassle at your destination. Our prices are the lowest on the market.

hotel seo HotelWebAdvertising offers Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Marketing Optimization (SMO) services and internet marketing. 

beach resorts Whispering Palm Beach Resort offering information on Hotels Booking & Reservation for Hotels in Goa.

Pet Friendly Hotels | Designer Glasses | Stock Music | Dallas termite control | Used Jeep | driving lessons in luton | matchmaking websites | low carb shakes | Cheap SEO | toner Samsung | Online Business  | online courses | Landmark Education |Rock |  Las Vegas criminal attorney | phentermine 37.5 | TV Links | Cheap Flights to India | Cheap Flights

Shipping your cat to Australia

Immigration forms US Immigration services: US Visas, Green Cards, Citizenship and Passport applications.  Download INS USCIS immigration forms. Free US immigration news. Green Card Lottery and DV Visa Lottery applications.

vacation rental paris Apartments to rent in Paris - short term aprtments and studios rentals in Paris. Cheap apartments in Paris for rent. Rent luxury apartment in Paris.

Salons Tucson | Wellington Pediatric Dentist | briefbogen drucken gestalten | phoenix property | HCG Drops | picking colors | acaielite | Apatrim | Elations | bingo

Document Management software The Microsoft based; fast track to the "Paperless Office".  Turn cabinets of paper or desktops of electronic information into an organized library.  Capture, store, manage and share documents, such as images, email, faxes and many other types of electronic information within your organization.

If you've been in an accident and gained an injury, don't hesitate to make a personal injury claim. A personal injury involves harm or suffering to someone's body, however, it's not limited to physical injury; psychological injury is included as well.

roofing contractor A leaky roof can really bring a lot of damage really fast. As a professional roofing contractor, we are here to help you. You can reach Pro Roofing at 4166223312, on the website proroofing.ca or in the office 716 The West Mall, unit 903, Toronto, Canada.

managed futures trading Online commodity futures brokerage firm offering futures trading, daily research, option trading, and managed futures. We offer free educational information and free investor kits to help you make informed trades in the commodities and futures markets.

A considerate renter knows that to in order to protect himself from big expenses, renters insurance is perfect. Get quotes from our website today, and start saving cash on renters insurance.

best car rental UK With a vast number of rental car companies you can often be visiting one site after another filling out the same information time and time again. Well here with us this is not the case! Our site is here purposely here to find you cheap hire car prices in without stress and within seconds.

Online university Online University offering accredited online degrees for associate, bachelors, masters and doctorate level. Take our online courses and earn your degree in business, education, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, computer science, psychology, legal studies and many other fields.

Online high school MUST is an accredited online high school offering online high school diploma program for working adults, homeschool students and GED seekers. Take our home study online high school courses and earn your high school diploma from home. Credit transfer and financial aid facility available!

Graduate diploma Online accredited graduate diploma in business, education, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, computer science, psychology, legal studies and many other fields.

International accreditation The International Accreditation Organization (IAO) is an internationally recognized private education accrediting body. IAO oversees both online/distance learning colleges, universities and schools accreditation as well as traditional/campus based institues accreditation.

Online schools RISE Online University's Online Schools: Online Business school, Online Management school, Online Computer Science school, Online Engineering school, Online Education school and other schools offering all accredited online degrees: Online Foundation's degree, online bachelor's degree, online master's degree and online PhD / doctorate's degree, diploma and certificate programs at affordable prices with ease, quickness, flexibility and quality of education.


High school diploma Online High School Diploma Program offered by MUST High School is ahead of others in terms of ease, flexibility, affordability, quickness and quality of education.

SEO UK


Car Transport

Cheap Airfare Find cheap flights and exclusive cheap airfare flight deals. Book cheap airline tickets, discount air tickets, cheap plane tickets and more. Save big by booking cheap tickets on Globester!

beach house California Coastside Vacation Rentals offers oceanfront property that feels miles away, with many conveniences within close proximity.
Located on the San Mateo Coast in California.

Eco-friendly Residential Painter Environmentally friendly painting contractor & the best painters in the Vancouver lower mainland. Free estimates! 778-238-1915 - Call Now.

French language courses French courses for adults in Antibes – French Riviera – in an accredited school opened all year round.

French courses for Kids and Teens Immersion camps for teens 9 - 17 years old on the French Riviera, in Provence and on the Atlantic Coast.

French course in Paris A recognized school on the Grands Boulevards offering French courses all year round.

Summer camps in Paris French Summer camps for teens in Paris.

villa in Toscana - Posarelli Villas offre una vasta gamma di ville in affitto in Toscana. Da Posarelli Villas troverete il

Bluetooth Advertising - BlueMagnet is a bluetooth advertising software. It's designed to help your small business to advertise products in a cost effective way!

Cheap Hotels in Amsterdam - Find complete tourist information, cheap and best-located hotels, and apartments along with instant and secured online hotel booking, travel advice, airport, and weather.

Rajasthan Travel - The site reveals a detailed introduction of Rajasthan. It also provides the picture of the history, locations and various stories hidden in its lap along with other evidences and places of entertainment.

High school diploma - Online High School Diploma Program offered by MUST High School is ahead of others in terms of ease, flexibility, affordability, quickness and quality of education.

Online university - Online University offering accredited online degrees for associate, bachelors, masters and doctorate level. Take our online courses and earn your degree in business, education, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, computer science, psychology, legal studies and many other fields.

University degree - Online university degrees for associate, bachelor's, master's and doctorate level. Take our online courses and earn your diploma in business, education, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, computer science, psychology, legal studies and many other fields.

Management degree - School Of Business and Management offers online Management degree and diploma programs for associate, bachelors, masters and doctorate level.

Traductor ingles Traductor de inglйs a espaсol profesional. Traducciones de inglйs por traductor inglйs experto. Traducciones garantizadas por los mejores traductores ingles profesionales.

Miami Defense Attorney - Criminal law information for Miami and the entire state of Florida.

Debt Consolidation - Need to consolidate debts? Been turned down for finance in the past? That's OK, Debt Fix can help.

hoodies sweatshirts | Personal injury lawyer | Amsterdam Hotels Amsterdam Hotels, hostels and tourist info website. Cheap Amsterdam hotels reservations. Offering articles, tips &, pics about Amsterdam the Netherlands. All Amsterdam hotels, Shiphol hotels and bed & breakfast. Amsterdam city guide.

Treasure Island Vacation Rentals Search from a great selection of Treasure Island vacation rentals on AlwaysOnVacation.com including vacation homes, condos, townhouses and other property types directly from owners.

Minneapolis Web Design Rocket 55, The Minneapolis MN Web Design Company. We are the Minneapolis SEO and website design company that helps MN businesses excel online. 612-418-2787

Nashville Limo | Seattle Flights Book Cheap Flights to Seattle on OneTravel and visit the thriving metropolis! Now you can enjoy all this within your budget as OneTravel offers exclusive travel deals. This may be attributed to the fact that culturally and economically, the U.S. 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 and in which Mexico, their much larger northern neighbor, was never involved.

Take an Inside Passage Cruise with Unbound Expeditions and explore a great number of ports, waterways and wildlife in the northernmost state of the United States.

Cheap Flights | Cheap Airline Tickets | Sapphire Earrings | all inclusive vacations | Interactive New Media Agency - Music. video. design. marketing. entertainment content creators and branding specialists.

car subwoofers | Commercial Refrigeration | Best credit card offers | Used Toyota | computer reviews:TopFiveComputers.com is a user friendly computer product review and comparison site for computers and related items. The site was created by Lorenzo Loero, a CompTIA A+ certified IT technician based out of Orlando, FL. The main focus is to give novice computer shoppers the information they need to make purchasing decisions.London SEO| | Cheapoair - Cheapoair offers discount on international flights, hotels, car rentals and holiday packages. Compare cheap o air travel deals and select one best suited to you at Cheapoair-offers.com.

auto insurance online If you are looking for auto insurance online then look no further then Kanetix. We have broad coverage options with many partners, some of which might fit you. Give our website a try. It costs absolutely nothing.

Plano Movers Plano Movers - Plano Moving Companies and Moving Services in Plano, Texas TX

School Furniture | dermatologist nyc | Custom Gifts | Windshield Replacement | Gold Bullion

hard money lenders | Best UK Casino Reviews | insolvency | New Cars for Sale | canadian pharmacy online | sell jewellery | term papers | Indonesian translator | certificate translation

nephelometer | nephelometers

real time stock options real time database of stock options

ERP ERP.com, a network forum for ERP, Enterprise Resource Planning Professionals, Services and Software.

canadian pharmacy | Spoed geld lenen

Deck builder - Quality deck builder, decking companies in for building decks

City Deals Washington DC, MD, VA - City Life Cards is a business directory offering best city deals, reward cards and coupons to consumers Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

canada drugs