North America. List of states and dependent territories of North America What countries are called North American
The history of North America began long before the voyages of Columbus, and even long before the Mayans. Life appeared on this continent a very long time ago. In North America, scientists are finding remains of a wide variety of dinosaur species found nowhere else in the world.
The indigenous population of North America (Indians and Eskimos) left a noticeable mark on the history of this continent. However, the real history of North America began, as many believe, only after Europeans sailed there.
Now in North America, along with the USA and Canada, developed capitalist states, there are also Mexico, El Salvador and Nicaragua. These countries can hardly be suspected of having a high market economy. But they have preserved thousands of historical monuments telling the history of pre-Columbian America...
Geography
The continent of North America is located in the north of the Earth's Western Hemisphere. From the west, North America is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, from the east by the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Caribbean and Labrador Seas, and in the north by the Arctic Ocean. In the south, the Isthmus of Panama divides North America from South America. In the West, the Bering Strait separates North America from Eurasia.
North America includes numerous islands and archipelagos (for example, Greenland, the Aleutian Islands, Vancouver Island, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago). The total area of North America is 24.2 million square meters. km, including islands (this is 4.8% of the Earth's territory).
North America has all types of climates, ranging from subequatorial in the south to arctic in the north. However, most of this continent has a temperate continental climate.
The longest river on the North American continent is the Mississippi (6,019 km), which flows through the United States. The largest North American rivers also include: the Mackenzie (4,241 km), the St. Lawrence River (3,058 km), the Rio Grande (3,034 km), and the Yukon (2,829 km).
On the territory of Canada and the United States there is Lake Superior, the largest lake in North America (its area is 82 thousand sq. km.).
Almost 36% of North America's territory is occupied by mountain systems. The largest of them are the Cordilleras and Appalachians. The highest mountain on this continent is McKinley in Alaska, its height is 6,194 meters.
In the western part of North America there are several large deserts and semi-deserts - Sonora, Chihuahua and Mojave.
Population of North America
At the moment, the population of North America already reaches 530 million people. This is almost 13% of the entire world population.
North America is home to representatives of the Caucasian, Negroid and Mongoloid races, as well as mixed racial groups (mestizo, mulatto, Sambo, etc.). North American aborigines (Indians and Eskimos) belong to the Mongoloid race.
In Mexico and Central American countries, the population speaks Spanish, in the United States - English and Spanish, and in Canada - English and French.
North American countries
There are now 23 independent states in North America. The largest North American country is Canada (its territory covers 9,976,140 sq. km), and the smallest is Saint Christopher and Nevis (261 sq. km). The territory of the USA is 9,363,00 sq. km.
Regions of North America
North America as a whole can be divided into 3 main regions:
- Anglo-America (Canada and USA);
- Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Belize, El Salvador and Mexico);
- Caribbean (Cuba, Jamaica, Antigua, Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Dominica and Haiti).
Some cities in North America appeared before our era (they were formed by the Mayan Indians). Now the most populous North American city is Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, which is home to more than 8.9 million people.
North America is the third largest continent on our planet. On its territory today there are ten independent North America (a list of which is presented in this article) differing in area, population and economic development. There are many differences between them in other ways, including ethnic, cultural and linguistic.
North American countries and their capitals
America is one of the six parts of the world, consisting of two continents: North and South America. There are ten independent states in North America. Another 13 island countries are located within the Caribbean region. Sometimes they are also classified as states in the North American region.
The countries of North America and their capitals vary in size and population. Here is one of the largest countries on the planet - Canada. On the same continent there is an area 500 times smaller!
The countries of North America and their capitals differ greatly in the level of economic development and well-being of their citizens. Thus, the continent is home to one of the world’s leading economies, the No. 1 country in terms of GDP per capita (we are talking about the USA). At the same time, North America is home to poor, developing countries (such as Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala).
All continental countries of North America are listed below, the list also includes the capitals of these states:
- Canada (Ottawa).
- USA (Washington).
- Mexico (Mexico City).
- Belize (Belmopan).
- Honduras (Tegucigalpa).
- Nicaragua (Managua).
- Guatemala (Guatemala).
- El Salvador (San Salvador).
- Costa Rica (San Jose).
Near the mainland there is also the largest island on planet Earth - Greenland, which is an overseas possession of the European state of Denmark.
Largest countries in North America: USA
The United States of America is the fourth largest country on the planet with a population of 325 million people. The territory of the state is divided into 50 states, each of which has its own laws. Some of them amaze with their oddities and meaningless norms. The United States has a powerful diversified economy and the world's strongest army.
It is curious that the United States, despite its vast expanses, borders (by land) only two countries - Canada and Mexico. USA - Immigrants began to come here since the end of the 19th century, from various parts of the planet. Some came to the States in search of a better life, others fled from repression from the former USSR, Yugoslavia, etc. Migrants settled in the United States, as a rule, compactly. This is how Italian, Jewish, Russian, and Chinese quarters were formed here, which managed to preserve the culture and traditions of their countries.
Canada - a country of mountains, lakes and maple syrup
Canada is second in the world. Although only 35 million people live here. Canada is washed by three oceans and is famous primarily for its nature. Beautiful mountain ranges, waterfalls, huge national parks - all this is about Canada! In addition, the country boasts three powerful megacities, in which almost all the financial, intellectual and labor resources of the state are concentrated. These are Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
Canada has 20% of the planet's fresh water, 50% of the world's polar bear population and about 80% of the maple syrup produced on Earth. And it is no coincidence that the maple leaf is present on the flag of this state. And it was Canadians (and not Americans, as many people think) who invented basketball.
Mexico - a country of cacti and contrasts
Mexico is another large North American country that lies entirely within a tropical and subtropical climate. Well-known and beloved products - corn and chocolate - were given to the world by this country.
The capital is the oldest city on the entire continent. It was built on the ruins of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, which was previously inhabited by the Aztecs. Modern Mexicans are descendants of at least five of the most ancient civilizations on the planet.
The Mexican economy is one of the most powerful on the continent. Oil, gas, iron ore are mined here, corn, rice, wheat and soybeans are grown. Mechanical engineering, metallurgy and the chemical industry are very developed in Mexico.
Finally...
Now you know all the countries of North America and their capitals. They differ radically from each other in population, area, and level of economic development.
Countries belonging to North America (from north to south): Canada, USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama.
The picture shows a map of North America with countries and capitals. Capitals are marked in bold, and the largest cities are also indicated. The color division of the map shows that the territory is divided into regions. At the head of the north is Canada, which is washed by the Beaufort Sea and the Labrador Sea.
The land is surrounded by two largest oceans - the Pacific and the Atlantic. The middle is marked in pink and refers to the territorial boundaries of the United States of America. You can also notice that part of the United States is located not only in the middle, but also to the west of the Canadian region, which is surrounded on three sides by expanses of water - the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Alaska and the Beaufort Sea.
The smallest part of the land, not counting the island areas, belongs to Mexico on the southern side. The remaining colors on the map depict the islands and their capitals.
Extreme points of the mainland:
- from the north - Cape Murchison;
A physical map indicates the elevation of the area, the landscape of the territory. It roughly indicates how many meters above sea level a particular area is. The depth of the sea is marked in blue, and the more saturated the color, the deeper it is. Yellow and orange colors indicate height above zero (this is sea level).
The highest point in North America is marked in deep orange. Its height is 6194 meters, and this is Mount Denali. The lowest land point is Death Valley, a mountain depression, its height is 86 meters lower than sea level.
Canada is a country occupying the northern part of the continent. The only state with which Canada has a land border is. Canada has access to three oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic.
The area of Canada is 9980 thousand km2, the population is 29.6 million people. According to the form of government, Canada is a confederation, the capital is (1.0 million inhabitants).
The country can be divided into two large parts: mountainous and flat. The western part is mountainous and is occupied by the Cordilleras. The highest point in the country, Logan (5951 m), is located here. The eastern part is flat (Prairie Plateau, Laurentian Upland).
Canada is located in three climatic zones: arctic, subarctic and temperate.
Arctic is characteristic of the islands. The subarctic and temperate climates run in two broad bands, while in the west the climate is continental, harsher, and in the east it is humid, milder and with more precipitation. Canada is rich in rivers, most of them flow from west to east and belong to the Arctic Ocean basin. This is the St. River, Saskatchewan. There are also many lakes: Canada has access to the Great Lakes; Great Slave Lake and Winnipeg are located on its territory.
Most of the population is concentrated along the country's southern border. These are mainly descendants of immigrants from England (40%) and (27%). Indigenous population - (no more than 2% of the population), live mainly in the northern part of the country. The level is quite high - 77%, the largest cities: Toronto (4.3 million inhabitants), (3.3 million), Vancouver (1.8 million).
There are many minerals in and near the Great Lakes: iron, copper, lead, and also. Despite the fact that Canada is a developed country, most of whose population is employed in the service sector, Canada's global specialization lies in the export of metals, fuels, electricity, as well as timber and agricultural products.
The most developed industries are mining, . Thanks to the abundance of forests in Canada, the timber and pulp industries are developing. Intensive agriculture is well developed; wheat, barley are grown, cattle, pigs, and sheep are raised. Fishing is also important.
Mexico
Mexico is the largest country in southern North America. In the north, Mexico borders with the United States, in the south - with, has access to (Gulf of Mexico,) and. The area of Mexico is 1960 thousand km2, the population is 93.6 million people. According to the form of government, it is a republic, the capital is a city (16.6 million inhabitants).
The country's topography is predominantly mountainous. Most of the country is occupied by the Mexican Highlands, the southern part of which is higher. The California Peninsula also has a mountain range; the Yucatan Peninsula, on the contrary, is low-lying. The climate in most of the country is tropical; in the Mexican Highlands and the California Peninsula it is arid, with no more than 200 mm of precipitation per year. In the east of the country, the climate is tropical and humid, with up to 2500 mm of precipitation. Mexico is extremely poor, the largest river is the Rio Bravo del Norte.
The population of Mexico is made up of Indians and descendants, 60% of the population are mestizo, descendants of mixed marriages of Caucasians and Mongoloids. The level of urbanization in the country is 75%, the largest cities are Mexico City and Guadalajara (3.4 million inhabitants).
Mexico is rich. Oil deposits are being actively developed in the Gulf of Mexico and non-ferrous metal ores are being mined in the mountains. Mexico ranks first in the world in silver mining.
Mexico's economy is closely linked to the United States; most of its exports go there. These are minerals and agricultural products: wheat, corn, sorghum, beans, tomatoes, bananas, citrus fruits, sugar cane. Mining, chemical, automotive, and light industries are developed.
USA
The USA is a country that occupies most of the continent of North America, two states are enclaves - separated from the rest of the territory - Alaska in the northwest of the continent and Hawaii - an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. The USA has land borders in the north and south. The country is washed by the Pacific Ocean from the west, the Atlantic - from the east, Alaska has access to. The area of the USA is 9364 thousand km2, the population is 263 million people. The form of government of the United States is a republic, the capital is Washington (4.5 million inhabitants).
The cordillera occupies the western part of the country, the eastern part is flatter - low mountains run along the coast, and closer to the center of the country - the Central and Great Plains. In the south is the Mississippi Lowland.
Most of the US lies temperate and subtropical. Enough precipitation falls in the east and west of the continent, only in the center there are dry areas. The state of Alaska is located in the subarctic climate zone; the average January temperature here is -25°C. Hawaii is located in a tropical climate zone, the influence of the ocean is great, because of this it is very high - up to 10 thousand mm of precipitation per year.
The country has quite large reserves of fresh water. Major rivers: (flows into the Gulf of Mexico), Colorado and (flows into the Pacific Ocean). On the border with Canada are the Great Lakes, and in the center of the country is the Great Salt Lake.
The USA ranks 3rd in the world in terms of population. The entire population of the country can be divided into 4 large parts. 75% of the population are Caucasian Americans, immigrants from Russia, 12% are African Americans, descendants of former slaves taken from Russia, 12% are a group of immigrants from Russia, and representatives of Russia. Less than 1% of the population are Aboriginal Indians, indigenous people of the United States, currently living in specially designated settlements - reservations. The level of urbanization is quite high - 76%. Largest cities: New York - 19.6 million inhabitants, Los Angeles - 15.3 million, Chicago - 8.5 million, San Francisco - 6.5 million. In some areas the cities are located quite close, they are growing rapidly, so that the border between two different cities becomes difficult to determine. Such conglomerations formed on the northeastern coast (Boston - Washington), on the coast of the Great Lakes (Chicago - Pittsburgh), on the Atlantic coast in California (San Francisco - Los Angeles).
Currently, the United States ranks first in the world in terms of production volume. All branches of industry are developed in the country, with the latest high-tech industries developing especially actively: electronics, the rocket and space industry. The USA is home to such world-famous corporations as Ford, Microsoft, Intel, General Electric, Coca-Cola, IBM, etc. The most famous scientific and technical laboratories operate here (for example, Silicon Valley in California), universities (Stanford, Massachusetts, California, etc.). With this level of development, it remains for a long time the largest exporter of agricultural products: wheat, corn, cattle meat.
