"North American" redirects here. For other uses see North American (disambiguation). North America Area 24709000 km2 (9540000 sq mi) Population 528720588 (2008 4th) Pop. density 22.9/km2 (59.3/sq mi)1 Demonym North American American2 Countries 23 (List of countries) Dependencies see List of North American countries Languages Spanish English French Dutch and many others Time Zones UTC-10 to UTC Largest cities List of cities3

North America (Spanish: Amrica del Norte or Norteamrica; French: Amrique du Nord; Dutch: Noord-Amerika; Papiamento: Nort Amerika; Kalaallisut: Amerika Avannarleq) is the northern continent of the Americas4 situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the 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 west by the North Pacific Ocean. South America lies to the southeast of the continent.

North America covers an area of about 24709000 square kilometers (9540000 square miles) about 4.8% of the planet's surface or about 16.5% of its land area. As of July 2008 its population was estimated at nearly 529 million people. It is the third-largest continent in area following Asia and Africa and the fourth in population after Asia Africa and Europe. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Geologic history 2.2 Prehistory 2.3 History 3 Geography and extent 3.1 Human geography 3.2 Populace 4 Economy 5 Infrastructure 5.1 Communications 6 Countries and territories 6.1 Historical toponymy 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 External links Etymology Map of North America (circa 16th century).

The Americas are usually accepted as having been named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci by the German cartographers Martin Waldseemller and Matthias Ringmann. 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 Waldseemller produced a world map in which he placed the word "America" on the continent of South America in the middle of what is today Brazil. He explained the rationale for the name in the accompanying book Cosmographiae Introductio ab Americo inventore ... quasi Americi terram sive Americam (from Americus the discoverer ... as if it were the land of Americus thus America).5

For Waldseemller no one should object to the naming of the land after its discoverer. He used the Latinized version of Vespucci's name (Americus Vespucius) but in its feminine form "America" following the examples of "Europa" and "Asia".

Later when other mapmakers added North America they extended the original name to it as well: in 1538 Gerard Mercator used the name America to all of the Western Hemisphere on his world map.6

Some argue that the convention is to use the surname for naming discoveries except in the case of royalty and so a derivation from "Amerigo Vespucci" could be problematic.7 Ricardo Palma (1949) proposed a derivation from the "Amerrique" mountains of Central AmericaVespucci was the first to discover South America and the Amerrique mountains of Central America which connected his discoveries to those of Christopher Columbus.

Alfred E. Hudd proposed a theory in 1908 that the continents are named after a Welsh 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 a Native American language.6 History Main article: History of North America Geologic history

North America is the source of much of what humanity knows about geologic time periods.8 The geographic area that would later become the United States has been the source of more varieties of dinosaurs than any other modern country.8 According to paleontologist Peter Dodson this is primarily due to stratigraphy climate and geography human resources and history.8 Much of the Mesozoic Era is represented by exposed outcrops in the many arid regions of the continent.8 The most significant Late Jurassic dinosaur-bearing fossil deposit in North America is the Morrison Formation of the western United States.9 Prehistory The ruins of Chichn Itz Mexico.

Scientists have several theories as to the origins of the early human population of North America. The indigenous peoples of North America themselves have many creation myths 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 were 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 300 BC to the 150s AD. 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). History Main article: History of North America Benjamin West's The Death of General Wolfe (1771) depicts the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec in 1759 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 and temples had a complex calendar and developed the concept of zero around 400 CE a few hundred years after the Mesopotamians.10 The Mayan culture was still present in southern Mexico and Guatemala when the Spanish explorers arrived but political dominance in the area had shifted to the Aztec Empire whose capital city Tenochtitlan was located further north in the Valley of Mexico. The Aztecs were conquered in 1521 by Hernn Corts11. Upon the arrival of the Europeans in the "New World" the Native American population declined substantially primarily due to the introduction of European diseases to which the Native Americans lacked immunity.12 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 names 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. In the late 18th Century and begining of the 19th several independence movements started across North America. The 13 British Colonies at the North Atlantic Ocean coast declared independence in 1776 becoming the United States of America. New Spain which territory encompassed from modern-day southern U.S. to Central America declared independence in 1810 becoming Mexico. In 1823 the former Captaincy General of Guatemala then part of the Mexican Empire became the first independent state in Central America officially changing its name to United Provinces of Central America. Geography and extent Further information: Geography of North America A satellite composite image of North America. Clickable map 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 less commonly is considered by some as a single continent131415 with North America a subcontinent).16 North America's only land connection to South America is at the Isthmus of Panama. The continent is delimited on the southeast by most geographers at the Darin watershed along the Colombia-Panama border placing all of Panama within North America.171819 Alternatively a less common views would end North America at the man-made Panama Canal and other sources physio-graphically locate its southern limit at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Mexico with Central America tapering and extending southeastward to South America.citation needed 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 what are now 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 continents coasts principally the Arctic Archipelago the Bahamas Turks & Caicos the Greater and Lesser Antilles the Aleutian Islands (some of which are in the eastern hemisphere proper) the Alexander Archipelago the many thousand islands of the British Columbia Coast and Newfoundland. Greenland a self-governing Danish island and the world's largest is on the same tectonic plate (the North American Plate) and is part of North America geographically. In a geologic sense Bermuda is not part of the Americas but 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. However Bermuda 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. Sedimentary volcanic plutonic metamorphic 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 southernmost portion of the continent and much of the West Indies lie on the Caribbean Plate whereas 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 subregions): 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 and into the main range of the Rockies and the coast ranges in California Oregon Washington and British Columbia with the Great Basina lower area containing smaller ranges and low-lying desertsin 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 4810N 10010W / 48.167N 100.167W / 48.167; -100.167 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. The North American continental pole of inaccessibility is located 1650 km (1024 mi) from the nearest coastline between Allen and Kyle South Dakota at 4322N 10158W / 43.36N 101.97W / 43.36; -101.97 (Pole of Inaccessibility North America).20 North America bedrock and terrain North American cratons and basement rocks Human geography Languages spoken in the Americas 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 Canada (where English and French are co-official) and the United States but also sometimes Belize and parts of the Caribbean. Latin America refers to the other areas of the Americas (generally south of the United States) 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 (FR) and The Falkland Islands (UK)). 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 is an estimated 600000 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. Economically Canada and the United States are the wealthiest and most developed nations in 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.21 Non-Native American Nation's control over North America circa 17502008 Demographically North America is a racially and ethnically diverse continent. Its three main racial groups are Caucasians Mestizos and Blacks. There is a significant minority of Indigenous Americans and Asians among other less numerous groups. 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 Mexico and the Central American countries 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 they won independence from Spain. Northern Mexico particularly in the cities of Monterrey Tijuana Ciudad Jurez and Mexicali is strongly influenced by the culture and way of life of the U.S. Of the a fore mentioned cities Monterrey has been regarded as the most Americanized city in North America.22 Immigration to the United States and Canada remains a significant attribute of many nations close to the southern border of the U.S. The Anglophone Caribbean states have witnessed the decline of the British Empire and its influence on the region and its replacement by the economic influence of northern North America. In the Anglophone Caribbean this influence is partly due to the relatively small populations (less than 200000) of the majority of English-speaking Caribbean countries and the fact that many of these countries now have expatriate diasporas living abroad that are larger than those remaining at home. Populace 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 The most populous country in North America over doubling the second largest country in population is the United States with 303606020 persons.23 The second largest country and only other country to maintain a populace above 100 million persons is Mexico with a population of 112322757.24 Canada is the third largest country with a population of 32623490.25 The majority of Caribbean island-nations have national populations under one million though Cuba Dominican Republic Haiti Puerto Rico - a territory of the United States Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have populations higher then ten million.2627282930 Eight of the top ten metropolitan areas are are located in the United States. 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 DallasFort Worth metroplex. Whilst the majority of the largest metropolitan areas are within the United States 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 five and half million citizens. The proximity of cities to each other on the Canada - United States border and Mexico - United States border has led to the rise of international metropolitan areas. These urban agglomerations are observed at their largest and most productive in DetroitWindsor and San DiegoTijuana 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 USD $13 billion was dependent on the DetroitWindsor international border crossing while in San Diego-Tijuana freight at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry was valued at USD $20 billion.3132 The top 10 largest North American cities by metropolitan area population based on national census numbers from the United States of America and census estimates from Canada and Mexico. City Population Year Country Mexico City 21163226 1 2009 Mexico New York City 18897109 2010 USA Los Angeles 12828837 2010 USA Chicago 9461105 2010 USA Dallas Fort Worth 6371773 2010 USA Philadelphia 5965343 2010 USA Houston 5946800 2010 USA Toronto 5593212 1 2010 Canada Washington D.C. 5582170 2010 USA Miami 5564635 2010 USA 1. Figures are estimates for year marked not official census figures. Largest cities of North America Mexico City is the most populous city in North America.   New York City is the second most populous city in North America   Los Angeles is the third most populous city in North America   Economy This section requires expansion with: Focus on the general economy and not just trade blocs. Rank Country 2010 GDP (PPP) millions of dollars 1 United States 14657800 2 Mexico 1629917 3 Canada 1330272 4 Cuba 125500 5 Dominican Republic 85391 6 Guatemala 69958 7 Costa Rica 51130 8 Panama 43725 9 El Salvador 43640 10 Honduras 33537 The North American economy is well defined and structured in three main economic areas.33 These areas are the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and the Central American Common Market (CACM).33 Of the a fore mentioned trade blocs the United States takes part in two. In addition to the larger trade blocs there is the Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement among numerous other free trade relations; often between the larger more developed countries and Central American and Caribbean countries. The North America Free Trade Agreement forms one of the four largest trade blocs in the world.34 Its implementation in 1994 allowed for strong economic cooperation with hopes of eliminating barriers of trade and foreign investment between the three northern nations.35 While Canada and the United States already conducted the largest bilateral trade relationship - and to present day still do - in the world and Canada - United States trade relations already allowed trade without national taxes and tariffs36 NAFTA allowed Mexico to experience a similar duty free trade. The free trade agreement allowed for the elimination of tariffs that had previously been in place on United States-Mexico trade. Trade volume has steadily increased annually and in 2010 surface trade between the three NAFTA nations reached an all-time historical increase of 24.3% or USD $791 billion.37 The NAFTA trade bloc GDP (PPP) is the world's largest with $17.617 USD trillions.38 This is in part attributed to the fact that the economy of the United States is the world's largest national economy; the country had a nominal GDP of approximately $14.7 trillion in 2010.39 The countries of NAFTA are also some of each others largest trade partners. The United States is the largest trade partner of Canada and Mexico;40 while Canada and Mexico are each others third largest trade partners.4142 The Caribbean trade bloc - CARICOM - came into agreement in 1973 when it was signed by 15 Caribbean nations. As of 2000 CARICOM trade volume was USD $96 billion. CARICOM also allowed for the creation of a common passport for associated nations. In the past decade the trade bloc focused largely on Free Trade Agreements and under the CARICOM Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) free trade agreements have been signed into effect. Integration of Central American economies occurred under the signing of the Central American Common Market agreement in 1961; this was the first attempt to engage the nations of this area into stronger financial cooperation. Recent implementation of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) has left the future of the CACM unclear.43 The Central American Free Trade Agreement was signed by five Central American countries the Dominican Republic and the United States. The focal point of CAFTA is to created a free trade area similar to that of NAFTA. In addition to the United States Canada also has relations in Central American trade blocs. Currently under proposal the Canada Central American Free Trade Agreement (CA4) would operate much the same as CAFTA with the United States does. North American nations also take part in inter-continental trade blocs. Mexico takes a part in the G3 Free Trade Agreement with Colombia and Venezuela and has a trade agreement with the EU. The United States has proposed and maintained trade agreements under the Transatlantic Free Trade Area between itself and the European Union; the US-Middle East Free Trade Area between numerous Middle Eastern nations and itself; and the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership between Southeast Asian nations Australia and New Zealand. Infrastructure Communications Main article: North American Numbering Plan Many of the nations of North America cooperate together on a shared telephone system known as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) which is an integrated telephone numbering plan of 24 countries and territories: the United States and its territories Canada Bermuda and 16 Caribbean nations. Countries and territories Political division of North America Political map with focus on Central America and the Caribbean Geographically the North American continent is sub-divided into the defined groups of Central America44 and the Caribbean.45 Canada Mexico and the United States are grouped in a region also sometimes referred to as North America not to be confused with the continent as a whole.4647 The term Northern America is sometimes used to refer to the northern-most countries and territories of North America: Canada the United States Greenland Bermuda and St. Pierre and Miquelon. Linguistically and culturally the continent could be divided into Anglo America and Latin America. The term Middle America although rarely usedcitation needed en-globes Mexico and the regions of Central America and the Caribbean. Country or territory Area (km)48 Population (2008 est.)49 Population density (per km) Capital North Americanote 1  Bermuda (UK) &000000000000005400000054 &000000000006500000000065000 1203.7 Hamilton  Canada &00000000099846700000009984670 &000000003357300000000033573000 3.4 Ottawa  Greenland (Den.) &00000000021660860000002166086 &000000000005700000000057000 0.026 Nuuk  Mexico &00000000019643750000001964375 &0000000112322757000000112322757 57.1 Mexico City Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Fr.) &0000000000000242000000242 &00000000000060000000006000 24.8 Saint-Pierre  United States53 &00000000096290910000009629091 &0000000314659000000000314659000 32.7 Washington D.C. Caribbean  Anguilla (UK) &000000000000009100000091 &000000000001500000000015000 164.8 The Valley  Antigua and Barbuda &0000000000000442000000442 &000000000008800000000088000 199.1 St. John's  Aruba (Neth.) &0000000000000180000000180 &0000000000107000000000107000 594.4 Oranjestad  Bahamas The &000000000001394300000013943 &0000000000342000000000342000 24.5 Nassau  Barbados &0000000000000430000000430 &0000000000256000000000256000 595.3 Bridgetown  Bonaire (Neth.) &0000000000000294000000294 &00000000000120930000001209354 41.1 Kralendijk  British Virgin Islands (UK) &0000000000000151000000151 &000000000002300000000023000 152.3 Road Town  Cayman Islands (UK) &0000000000000264000000264 &000000000005600000000056000 212.1 George Town  Cuba &0000000000109886000000109886 &000000001120400000000011204000 102.0 Havana  Curaao (Neth.) &0000000000000444000000444 &000000000014079400000014079454 317.1 Willemstad  Dominica &0000000000000751000000751 &000000000006700000000067000 89.2 Roseau  Dominican Republic &000000000004867100000048671 &000000001009000000000010090000 207.3 Santo Domingo  Grenada &0000000000000344000000344 &0000000000104000000000104000 302.3 St. George's  Guadeloupe (Fr.) &00000000000016280000001628 &000000000040178400000040178455 246.7 Basse-Terre  Haiti &000000000002775000000027750 &000000001003300000000010033000 361.5 Port-au-Prince  Jamaica &000000000001099100000010991 &00000000027190000000002719000 247.4 Kingston  Martinique (Fr.) &00000000000011280000001128 &000000000039769300000039769356 352.6 Fort-de-France  Montserrat (UK) &0000000000000102000000102 &00000000000060000000006000 58.8 Plymouth; Brades57  Navassa Island (USA) &0000000000000005000000558 &0000000000000000000000059 0.0    Puerto Rico (USA) &00000000000088700000008870 &00000000039820000000003982000 448.9 San Juan  Saba (Neth.) &000000000000001300000013 &0000000000001537000000153754 118.2 The Bottom  Saint Barthlemy (Fr.) &00000000000000210000002158 &0000000000007448000000744859 354.7 Gustavia  Saint Kitts and Nevis &0000000000000261000000261 &000000000005200000000052000 199.2 Basseterre  Saint Lucia &0000000000000539000000539 &0000000000172000000000172000 319.1 Castries  Saint Martin (Fr.) &00000000000000540000005458 &00000000000298200000002982059 552.2 Marigot  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines &0000000000000389000000389 &0000000000109000000000109000 280.2 Kingstown  Sint Eustatius (Neth.) &000000000000002100000021 &0000000000002739000000273954 130.4 Oranjestad  Sint Maarten (Neth.) &000000000000003400000034 &00000000000400090000004000954 1176.7 Philipsburg  Trinidad and Tobago60 &00000000000051300000005130 &00000000013390000000001339000 261.0 Port of Spain  Turks and Caicos Islands (UK) &0000000000000948000000948 &000000000003300000000033000 34.8 Cockburn Town  United States Virgin Islands (USA) &0000000000000347000000347 &0000000000110000000000110000 317.0 Charlotte Amalie Central America  Belize &000000000002296600000022966 &0000000000307000000000307000 13.4 Belmopan Clipperton Island (France) &00000000000000060000006 &00000000000000000000000 0.0 -  Costa Rica &000000000005110000000051100 &00000000045790000000004579000 89.6 San Jos  El Salvador &000000000002104100000021041 &00000000061630000000006163000 293.0 San Salvador  Guatemala &0000000000108889000000108889 &000000001402700000000014027000 128.8 Guatemala City  Honduras &0000000000112492000000112492 &00000000074660000000007466000 66.4 Tegucigalpa  Nicaragua &0000000000130373000000130373 &00000000057430000000005743000 44.1 Managua  Panama6061 &000000000007541700000075417 &00000000034540000000003454000 45.8 Panama City Total &000000002450099500000024500995 &0000000541720440000000541720440 22.9 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 may be used to refer to the United States and Canada together.62 Alternatively usage sometimes includes Mexico (as with North American Free Trade Agreement) and other entities.6364656646 In Latin America Spain Portugal and some other parts of Europe North America usually designates a subcontinent (subcontinente in Spanish) of the Americas containing Canada the United States and Mexico and often Greenland Saint Pierre et Miquelon and Bermuda.67 Historical toponymy North America in whole or in part has been historically referred to by other names: Spanish North America (New Spain) was often referred to as Northern America and this was the first official name given to Mexico. The Spanish called North America Florida68 which eventually became more focused on its present location. The English called their portion of North America Virginia. The name Virginia was first applied by Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584.69 John Dee pushed to call it Atlantis (inspired by Plato). The northern part of North America was often referred to as Norumbega. The northeastern part of what would become the United States was named New England in 1616 in John Smith's book of that year. Western North America was named Nova Albion by Francis Drake as he repaired his boat (Golden Hind) a short distance north of present day San Francisco. Areas of past British control were called British North America. Regions under control of the Hudson's Bay Company was called Rupert's Land which eventually made up a large portion of the Dominion of Canada the modern country of Canada. Outside of North America going into the twentieth century the whole American continent (North Central and South America as well as the Caribbean) was referred simply as "America" one of the "Five Continents" (the other four being Africa Europe Asia and Oceania).70 See also North America portal Main article: Outline of North America Americas (terminology) Voyages of Christopher Columbus Economy of North America European colonization of the Americas History of North America Mountain peaks of North America Nearctic Transportation in North America Turtle Island (North America) Organizations and agreements: Fortress North America North American Aerospace Defense Command Anglo-America Notes This definition of North America includes only the four northernmost territorial entities of Canada the United States Greenland Mexico and the nearby islands of Bermuda - off the coast and east of Cape Hatteras North Carolina - and Saint Pierre and Miquelon - off the coast and south of Newfoundland and Labrador. 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ISBN 0-631-22335-5. "The Olympic symbols". Lausanne: Olympic Museum and Studies Centre: International Olympic Committee. 2002. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080307073846/http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/enreport672.pdf.  The five rings of the Olympic flag represent the five inhabited participating continents (Africa America Asia Europe and Oceania). Ocano Uno Diccionario Enciclopdico 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 "Encarta "Norteamrica".". Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/queryid1257013693874868. dead link "Americas" Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49) United Nations Statistics Division "North America" Atlas of Canada North America Atlas National Geographic Garcia-Castellanos D.; U. Lombardo (2007). 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Accessed on November 6 2010. Note: An exchange rate of 1 CUC to 1.08 USD was used to convert GDP.1 "Presidencia de la Repblica; Generalidades". http://www.presidencia.gob.do/app/prenuestropais.aspxid372. Retrieved 2009-12-14.  CIA - The World Factbook: Haiti Central Intelligence Agency http://www.webcitation.org/5wu9PoobA retrieved June 11 2011  "2010 U.S. Census Data". 2010.census.gov. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/index.php. Retrieved February 6 2011.  "CIA - The World Factbook: Jamaica". Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jm.html. Retrieved June 11 2011.  Detroit Regional Chamber (2006) Detroit/Windsor Border Update: Part I-Detroit River International Crossing Study "CHAPTER IV PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: URBAN & REGIONAL PLANNING IN THE SAN DIEGO-TIJUANA REGION". International Community Foundation. http://www.icfdn.org/publications/blurredborders/documents/urbanch4.pdf. Retrieved March 20 2011.  a b De la Torre Miguel; Benigno Benavides Jos Saldaa Jess Fernndez (2008). "Las profesiones en Mxico: condiciones econmicas culturales y sociales". Sociologa y Profesin. Monterrey: Nuevo Len Autonomous University (UANL). p. 116. ISBN 9702400511. "La economa de Amrica del Norte se encuentra bien definida y estructurada en tres principales reas econmicas: el Tratado de Libre Comercio de Amrica del Norte (TLCAN) el CARICOM y el Mercado Comn Centroamericano"  Regional Trade Blocs UCSC http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/trade/subthemetradeblocs.php retrieved June 10 2011  North American Free Trade Agreement Encyclopedia Britannica http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/418784/North-American-Free-Trade-Agreement-NAFTA retrieved June 10 2011  Fergusson Ian http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RL33087.pdf CRS Report for Congress: United States-Canada Trade and Economic Relationship - Prospects and Challenges Congress Research Service http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RL33087.pdf retrieved June 9 2011  NAFTA Trade Volume Increases IMF - 2010 Report Countries by GDP (PPP) BEA News Release: Gross Domestic Product Bureau of Economic Analysis http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2011/pdf/gdp4q10adv.pdf  "United States Foreign Trade Highlights". United States of America Bureau of the Census. http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/top1012yr.html.  Canadian Manufacturing Association "Canadian Manufacturing Association". http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/general/increase-bilateral-trade-between-nafta-countries-cme-32091 Canadian Manufacturing Association. Retrieved June 9 2011.  "Mexico Free Trade Agreements". http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40784.pdf. Retrieved June 9 2011.  "Central American Community and Market". Pearson Education. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0811094.html. Retrieved June 9 2011.  "Central America". Encarta Encyclopedia. http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary1861670266/CentralAmerica.html. Retrieved 30 May 2011.  "Caribbean". The Free Dictionary. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Caribbean. Retrieved 30 May 2011.  a b "North American Region". The Trilateral Comission. http://www.trilateral.org/go.cfmdoPage.View&pid12. Retrieved 30 May 2011.  Parsons Alan; Jonathan Schaffer (May 2004). Geopolitics of oil and natural gas. Economic Perspectives. U.S. Department of State.  Unless otherwise noted land area figures are taken from (PDF) Demographic YearbookTable 3: Population by sex rate of population increase surface area and density. United Nations Statistics Division. 2008. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2008/Table03.pdf. Retrieved 2010-10-14.  Unless otherwise noted population estimates are taken from Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2009) (PDF). World Population Prospects Table A.1. 2008 revision. United Nations. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008texttables.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-12.  CommerceConnect.gov. "Security and Prosperity Partnership Of North America". Spp.gov. Archived from the original on 2008-06-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20080618182224/http://www.spp.gov/. Retrieved 2010-11-14.  "Ecoregions of North America". United States Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/naeco.htm. Retrieved 30 May 2011.  What's the difference between North Latin Central Middle South Spanish and Anglo America about.com Includes the U.S. state of Hawaii which is distant from the North American landmass in the Pacific Ocean and therefore more commonly associated with the other territories of Oceania. a b c d e Population estimates are taken from the Central Bureau of Statistics Netherlands Antilles. "Statistical information: Population". Government of the Netherlands Antilles. http://www.cbs.an/population/populationb2.asp. Retrieved 2010-10-14.  Insee - Populations lgales 2008 - 971-Guadeloupe Insee - Populations lgales 2008 - 972-Martinique Due to ongoing activity of the Soufriere Hills volcano beginning in July 1995 much of Plymouth was destroyed and government offices were relocated to Brades. Plymouth remains the de jure capital. a b c Land area figures taken from "The World Factbook: 2010 edition". Government of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2147.html. Retrieved 2010-10-14.  a b c These population estimates are for 2010 and are taken from "The World Factbook: 2010 edition". Government of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html. Retrieved 2010-10-14.  a b Depending on definitions Aruba Bonaire Curaao Panama and Trinidad and Tobago have territory in either or both of North and South America. Panama is generally considered a North American country though some authorities divide it at the Panama Canal. Figures listed here are for the entire country. 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. Countries of North America: includes Bermuda Canada Mexico St. Pierre and Miquelon and the United States What's the difference between North Latin Central Middle South Spanish and Anglo America about.com CommerceConnect.gov. "Security and Prosperity Partnership Of North America". Spp.gov. Archived from the original on 2008-06-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20080618182224/http://www.spp.gov/. Retrieved 2010-11-14.  "Ecoregions of North America". United States Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/naeco.htm. Retrieved 30 May 2011.  In Ibero-America North America is considered a subcontinent containing Canada the United States Mexico Greenland Bermuda and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon."Norteamrica (Mexican version)dead link"/(Spaniard version)dead link. Encarta Online Encyclopedia.. Archived 2009-10-31. Clayton Lawrence (1993). The De Soto Chronicles: The Expedition of Hernando De Soto to North America in 15391543. Tuscaloosa Alabama: University of Alabama Press.  In 1584 Sir Walter Raleigh sent Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe to lead an exploration of what is now the North Carolina coast and they returned with word of a regional "king" named "Wingina." This was modified later that year by Raleigh and the Queen to "Virginia" perhaps in part noting her status as the "Virgin Queen;" Stewart George (1945). Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States. New York: Random House. p. 22.  Lewis Martin W.; Wigen Kren (1997). The myth of continents: a critique of metageography. University of California Press. p. 31. ISBN 9780520207431. http://books.google.com/booksidC2as0sWxFBAC.  External links Find more about North America on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks commons:Category:North America commons:Category:Atlas of North America "North America"/"Central America". Encyclopdia Britannica. 2006. Chicago Encyclopdia 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 Houghton Mifflin Company "North America" Council on Hemispheric Affairs Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration Crystal Reference Encyclopedia "North America"  Links to related articles v d eNorth America Outline of North America Culture  History  Demographics  Economy  Geography  Politics Culture Art (Architecture  Cinema  Music  Painting  Sculpture)  Cuisine  Languages (Endangered)  Philosophy  Religion (Christianity  Islam  Judaism)  Sport  Symbols  Universities History Settlement of the Americas  Paleo-Indians  Pre-Columbian era  European colonization (New Spain  New France  British North America)  19th century  20th century Demographics Ethnic groups (Indigenous peoples  Classification)  Immigration  Life expectancy  Population  Population density Economy GDP (nominal) (per capita)  GDP (PPP) (per capita)  GNI (nominal) per capita  GNI (PPP) per capita  budget revenues (per capita)  HDI  Corruption Perceptions Index  Minimum wages  CARICOM  NAFTA Geography Area and population  Countries and dependent territories  Cities  Villages  Geology  Islands  Lakes  Mountains  Rivers  Extreme points Politics American imperialism  Anglosphere  North American Union  Organization of American States  Transatlantic Other Financial and social rankings  Internet users  Maps Portal v d eCountries and dependencies of North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda  Bahamas  Barbados  Belize  Canada  Costa Rica  Cuba  Dominica  Dominican Republic  El Salvador  France (Guadeloupe  Martinique)  Grenada  Guatemala  Haiti  Honduras  Jamaica  Mexico  Nicaragua  Netherlands (Bonaire  Saba  Saint Eustatius)  Panama  St. Kitts and Nevis  St. Lucia  St. Vincent and the Grenadines  Trinidad and Tobago  United States Dependencies Denmark Greenland France Clipperton Island  St. Barthlemy  St. Martin  St. Pierre and Miquelon Netherlands Aruba  Curaao  Sint Maarten United Kingdom Anguilla  Bermuda  British Virgin Islands  Cayman Islands  Montserrat  Turks and Caicos Islands United States Bajo Nuevo Bank  Navassa Island  Puerto Rico  Serranilla Bank  U.S. Virgin Islands v d eContinents     Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Europe North America South America     Afro-Eurasia America Eurasia Oceania     Geological supercontinents Gondwana  Laurasia  Pangaea  Pannotia  Rodinia  Columbia  Kenorland  Nena  Ur  Vaalbara Historical continents Arctica  Asiamerica  Atlantica  Avalonia  Baltica  Cimmeria  Congo craton  Euramerica  Kalaharia  Kazakhstania  Laurentia  North China   Siberia  South China  Ur  East Antarctica   India     Submerged continents Kerguelen Plateau  Zealandia Possible future supercontinents Pangaea Ultima  Amasia  Novopangaea Mythical and theorized continents Atlantis  Lemuria  Meropis  Mu  Terra Australis See also Regions of the world v d eRegions of the world Africa Northern  Sub-Saharan (Central  Southern  Western  Eastern) Oceania Australasia (Australia)  Melanesia  Micronesia  Polynesia America North (Northern  Middle  Central  Caribbean)  South (Southern  Northern  Western)  Anglo  Latin Polar Arctic  Antarctic Asia Central  Eastern (Northeastern)  Northern  Southeastern  Southern (Indian subcontinent)  Western (Middle East) Oceans World  Arctic  Atlantic  Indian  Pacific  Southern Europe Central  Eastern  Northern  Southeastern  Southern  Western Seas List of seas Related Continents of the world  List of seas  Physical Earth