Description of North America: list of countries, capitals, cities and resorts. Photos and videos, oceans and seas, mountains, rivers and lakes of North America. Tour operators and tours in North America.
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North America is not only the USA, Mexico and Canada: in total, there are 23 countries on the mainland and nearby islands, 16 of which belong to Latin America, and another 7 - to Central America. In addition to independent states, in this region there are so-called dependent territories - modern colonies of European countries and the Americas. North America is a unique continent in its ethnic, natural, climatic and cultural composition, which can be studied endlessly.
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Tourism in North America
America is the second largest destination after Europe foreign tourists. Half of international flights take place in the USA and Canada, with the Caribbean islands taking second place, receiving 12 million tourists a year. The main types of tourism are beach, sports, excursion, and business tourism.
There are 5 tourist areas:
- Eastern (northeastern USA and southern Canada) attracts travelers with architectural and historical monuments and the culture of local peoples.
- The western zone is an untouched wilderness, national parks of the USA and Canada, famous ski resorts.
- The central zone is occupied by agricultural crops, there are no bright attractions, so the flow of travelers is small.
- The northern (Alaska and northern Canada) zone is the choice of those who admire the harsh nature, love ski resorts, exotics and are interested in historical heritage and modern development region.
- The southern zone is the coast of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. There is a mild climate, bright sun, warm water in the seas and oceans, so tourists who prefer beach holidays, exoticism and traditional cordiality and hospitality come here.
America's national parks
Geography
North America is washed by three oceans - the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic; separated from Eurasia by the Bering Strait, and from South America by the Isthmus of Panama. The western part of the continent is occupied by the Cordillera mountain system, where the highest point of the continent is located - Mount McKinley (6194 m). The lowest point is Death Valley (86 m below sea level). The most famous natural monuments of North America are the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, Yellowstone Park, Niagara Falls, and the Great Lakes.
The total territory of North America is 24.25 million km², the population is about 579 million people (8% of the world's population). The majority are immigrants from Europe. Also, a significant part of the mainland’s inhabitants are representatives of the Mongoloid race - both immigrants from Asia and indigenous people- Indians, Aleuts and Eskimos. African Americans make up another 20 million of the population, many mulattoes.
As before, large areas remain uninhabited - this applies to both the mountainous areas in the west of the continent and the northern lands of Alaska. The southern part of the mainland, the Caribbean islands, the Great Lakes region and the Pacific coast are more densely populated.
North American countries
Continental states
It is North America that includes independent states on the exotic Caribbean islands: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Grenada, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis , Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica.
One of the most interesting (and largest) countries on this continent is USA. There are a lot of national parks, many domestic tourism destinations and world-famous resorts in Florida, Hawaii, and California. Alaska and the northern states attract ski lovers. Those who come to the USA for the first time cannot deny themselves the pleasure of visiting the casinos of Las Vegas, Hollywood and Disneyland in California or Florida. Popular US cities among tourists are New York, Washington, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas.
Canada- a center of ethnographic and ecological tourism: the country’s coasts are not very suitable for beach holiday. But there are a lot of national parks, forests, lakes that attract nature lovers, and many slopes await lovers of alpine skiing. Here is the famous Niagara Falls, the fantastically beautiful Thousand Islands archipelago at the source of the St. Lawrence River - a famous resort of the early 20th century. And lovers of antiquity are attracted by the historical sights of Ottawa, Quebec, and Toronto.
Mexico can be called an ideal tourist destination: here are some of the best beaches in the world, the most beautiful national parks, the three-thousand-year-old cultural and spiritual heritage of the Mayans, Aztecs and Olmecs. Mexico is also known for excellent service, hospitality and many opportunities for ecotourism, rafting, diving, etc.
America is the second destination after Europe in terms of the number of foreign tourists. Half of international flights take place in the USA and Canada, with the Caribbean islands taking second place, receiving 12 million tourists a year.
Island states
Cuba famous for its beaches, the best of which are located in the vicinity of the country's capital, Havana, and the resort center of Varadero. There are many caves on the island, the most interesting of which is located near the city of Matanzas. Those interested in history will be attracted by a variety of attractions: Trotsky's house, the castle-like Chapultepec Palace, the San Francisco Monastery, and connoisseurs American literature Be sure to visit Ernest Hemingway's house-museum near Havana.
Jamaica- one of the largest islands of the Caribbean archipelago, located in the very center of the Caribbean Sea, at a distance of 145 km south of Cuba. Once the famous island of pirates, Jamaica is now a beach paradise. The recreation area near Montego Bay, the resorts of Negril, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio are especially popular among tourists. The local underwater park attracts deep-sea diving enthusiasts.
Bahamas are located north of Cuba, not far from the USA. This is an equally famous tourist area. The capital of the archipelago, Nassau, is a resort center and has one of the largest casinos. In addition, the Bahamas are famous for its national parks and historical museums, where monuments of ancient Indian culture are exhibited. The Coral World underwater observatory has recently opened.
Dominican Republic- very fashionable last decade resort located in the eastern part of the island of Haiti. Mountains, evergreen forests, beaches, always fresh tropical fruits And clear waters The Caribbean Sea attracts more than 2 million tourists every year. It was this island that Columbus saw at the end of his famous journey. In honor of him, a grandiose memorial was built on the coast - a monument and museum in the form of a truncated pyramid.
Haiti- a state in the western part of the island of the same name in the Caribbean Sea. It is the most mountainous country in the Caribbean, known for its stunning landscapes and fantastic beaches.
Barbados combines the beauty of nature, the romance of beaches, secluded relaxation and exciting adventures. The island is famous for its rum and the architecture of Bridgetown, on one of the streets of which there is a monument to Admiral Nelson. In the island's national parks, unique species of tropical plants and animals have been preserved in wild conditions, and not far from the coast, divers can admire coral reefs. However, even if you are reluctant to leave the beach, you will still appreciate the uniqueness of the local landscape: the sand on the coast of Barbados is pink!
Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Curaçao, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands. Most of them are islands of volcanic origin, most often dormant volcanoes. Thanks to them, there are many geysers, hot springs and small lakes with “boiling” water. On the coast there are beaches with black and yellow sand. The most fashionable resorts are Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Saint Lucia, Curacao, etc.
Combining incredible historical events, civilizations and... This place is the land of the ancient Incas, the great Amazon, rare species of animals and tropical forests. The mainland is surrounded by Atlantic and Pacific waters, which also hide many unique and yet unexplored things. South America-, which is ranked 4th in size after Eurasia, and.
Continental extremes of South America
- Northern. It is located on Cape Gallinas, which is located on the Guajira Peninsula (12°27"31" north latitude and 71°40"8" west longitude).
- South. Located on the Brunswick Peninsula, Cape Forward (53°53"47" south latitude and 71°40"8" west longitude).
- Western. Located on Cape Parinhas in Peru (4°40"58" north latitude and 81°19"43" west longitude).
- Eastern. Located at Cape Seixas, Brazil (7°9"19"N latitude and 34°47"35"W longitude).
Extreme islands of South America
- The northernmost point is on Santa Catalina Island (13°23"18"N latitude and 81°22"25"W longitude), which is part of the Colombian Department of San Andres and Providencia. The island is connected to Providencia Island via a 330-foot-long pedestrian bridge.
- The islet of Aguila, Chile (56°32"16"S latitude and 68°43"10"W longitude) is the most southern point continent and is part of the Diego Ramirez Islands group. Aguila is located approximately 800 km from the closest Antarctic areas such as Greenwich Island and the South Shetland Islands. It is also only 950 km from the mainland.
- Darwin Island (01°40"44"N, 92°00"33"W), the smallest island in the Galapagos archipelago, can be considered the westernmost point of South America. The island covers an area of only 1 square. km, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean surrounding the island are abundant wildlife.
Taking into account Easter Island, the westernmost point of the South American continent can be considered the island of Motu Nui, which belongs to Chile. The island serves several species of seabirds. This is a volcanic islet with a peak located at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. - The island of Ilha do Sul (20°29"50" south latitude and 28°50"51" west longitude) is considered the easternmost island point of South America. It is located in the Trindade and Martin Vas archipelago, which is part of the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. If the South Sandwich Islands are taken into account as part of the territory of South America, then Montagu Island (58°30"43" south latitude and 26°16"7" longitude) can be considered as the easternmost point of the continent.
Extreme settlements of South America
In the north of the mainland, the most extreme permanent settlement has preserved its originality and ancient traditions. This is the village of Vayu, where the Indian people of the same name live. Only 100 people live in the village, and the total number of this people is no more than 300,000 people. In the south, the most extreme city is Punta Arenas, which belongs to Chile and serves as the administrative center of the commune of the same name. Just over 130,000 people live in the city.
The enormous Cordilleran fold belt, 9 thousand km long and 1000 to 1500 km wide, stretches along the entire western edge of North America from Alaska to Central America. It distinguishes 4 segments: Alaskan, Canadian, USA and Mexican and two main longitudinal zones common to all segments - the miogeosynclinal zone of the Rocky Mountains and the eugeosynclinal internal zone. The Rocky Mountain zone is most typically expressed in Canada and the United States. It is underlain by Early Precambrian sialic basement, common to the basement of the adjacent platform. The extent of this basement extends farthest to the west, to the top of the Gulf of California in the south and the Yukon River basin to the north. In the outer, near-platform subzone, shelf sediments of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic accumulated directly on this foundation. In the more internal subzone, where these sediments increase in thickness and become deeper, they are underlain by thick Upper Precambrian sediments. At the same time, the Lower (?)- and Middle Riphean formations are possibly sediments of an intracratonic rift system, while the Upper Riphean-Vendian clastic sediments obviously reflect the beginning of the formation of a riftogenic passive margin. The latter continued to develop in the Cambrian - Middle Devonian. In the Late Devonian - early Carboniferous, carbonate shelf sedimentation gave way to clastic sedimentation in the Rocky Mountains. In the US Cordillera, this was associated with the thrust of sediments of the slope and foot onto the shelf during the so-called era. Antler orogeny. Later, in the Early Carboniferous, the accumulation of carbonates resumed, but in the deposits of the Middle-Upper Carboniferous and especially the Permian and Triassic they are interbedded with clastic rocks. In the Permian and Triassic, the western edge of the continent underwent new deformations. In the Cordillera of the United States, from this time on, the existence of a marginal Andean-type volcano-plutonic belt has been established. From the Late Jurassic (Nevada tectono-magmatic epoch), the Rocky Mountain zone, starting from the inner edge, was involved in intense fold-thrust deformations. They spread right up to its outer edge at the end of the Cretaceous - the beginning of the Paleogene (Laramie tectono-magmatic era). The entire zone turns into a system of gentle tectonic nappes, torn off from the Early Precambrian basement and moved hundreds of kilometers towards the craton. In the Cordillera of the United States, a significant portion of the craton itself was involved in this process from the beginning of the Cretaceous, as a result of which the Cordilleran belt reaches its maximum width here. In the north of this area, a series of differently oriented basement uplifts arose, separated by deep depressions filled with thick Cretaceous deposits - the lower Paleogene, over which these uplifts were thrust. In the southern half of the area, there was a general uplift of a large block that made up the Colorado Plateau and was bounded on the east by the linear uplifts of the Southern Rockies and the younger Rio Grande Rift. The continuation of the Rocky Mountain zone in Alaska (Brooks Range) and Mexico (eastern Sierra Madre) differs significantly from the main part of the zone in that the Mesozoic miogeosynclinal complex here is sharply unconformably superimposed on the Paleozoic, which belonged to the Arctic belt in Alaska and the Atlantic in Mexico, where this complex begins only in the Upper Jurassic, and with evaporites, which are underlain by continental red rocks, separating it from the Paleozoic folded base. In Alaska, the Mesozoic section is entirely marine and terrigenous. A common feature with the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the United States is a Laramian terminal deformation age and tectonic style with large low-angle thrusts to the north in the Brooks Range and to the northeast and east in the Sierra Madre Oriental. The construction of the Brooks Range is accompanied from the north by a large and deep foredeep - the Colville Basin, filled with thick Cenozoic molasse, with intensely deformed southern and gently sloping northern sides. Deflections of the marginal type, but of smaller size, follow in an intermittent chain along the eastern edge of the remaining Cordilleras; these are the Mackenzie and Alberta basins in Canada, Powder River, Denver and Rayton in the USA and Chicontepec in Mexico.
The general characteristics of the eugeosynclinal zone of the Cordillera remain only its predominant oceanic origin, proven by ophiolites, the widest development of other igneous rocks of the calc-alkaline series and an exceptionally complex internal structure with numerous zones of melange, thrusts and strike-slip faults, resulting from deformations that began in the Permian and culminated in chalk. In general, the zone is dominated by western (in Alaska southern) vergence and right-lateral, sometimes hundreds of kilometers, displacement along strike-slip faults (San Andreas in California and many others). Modern researchers believe that the inner zone of the Cordillera is a “collage”, i.e. mosaic resulting from the “sticking together” of many dozens of large and small blocks of different nature and age, fragments of intra-oceanic rises, island arcs, microcontinents, which differ sharply in the structure and composition of their sections and do not reveal mutual transitions. Some of them experienced movement in the north along the edge of the continent for many hundreds and even more than a thousand km. With the end of the main deformations, intermountain troughs filled with Cretaceous and (or) Cenozoic molasse were superimposed on the fold-thrust structure in places - the Great Valley trough and smaller ones in California, Bowser in Canada, a number of troughs in western Alaska. Rifting was widespread in the US Cordillera in the Cenozoic. It created a wide zone of extension and block structure in the center of the system - the Basin and Range zone with thinned crust and lithosphere, as well as the Rio Grande rift east of the Colorado Plateau, the Gulf of California rift with a transition to oceanic spreading at the end of the Miocene and with continuation on the continent . The Cenozoic was also an era of intense volcanism, mainly, but not exclusively, in the western zone of the Cordillera. The formation of the still active volcanoes of the Aleutian Arc, the Alaska Range, the Cascade Mountains, the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt and the more ancient Oligocene-Miocene calc-alkaline volcanism of the Sierra Madre Occidental province are associated with the subduction of the Pacific lithosphere under the continent of North America. The Jurassic-Cretaceous granite batholiths of the Alaska Range, Coast Range of British Columbia, Sierra Nevada and the Baja California Peninsula have the same origin. To the east, manifestations of intrusive magmatism from the end of the Cretaceous to the beginning of the Paleogene are observed only in the southern half of the Cordillera (USA, Mexico); plutons are smaller in size, exhibit slightly increased alkalinity and a greater proportion of crustal material. The outermost ones go out onto the platform (Montana, South Dakota). In the rear of the volcanic ridges of the Cascade Mountains, the Columbia Plateau, filled with basalt, is located, and along the transverse fault zone of the Snake River, manifestations of bimodal (both basic and felsic) volcanism are observed.
A special place in the structure of North America belongs to the vast, 1500 km in diameter, rounded depression of the Gulf of Mexico. Its central part, occupied by the deep-sea (up to 3750 m) Sigsbee Plain, is underlain by oceanic-type crust, which is believed to have arisen during the spreading process in the Middle-Late Jurassic, simultaneously with the beginning of the formation of Atlantic Ocean. Along the periphery of the deep-sea basin, transitional type crust is developed - a product of the initial rifting of the Late Triassic - Early Jurassic. At the end of the Middle Jurassic, when Atlantic waters penetrated into the basin, a thick layer of salts was deposited here. The latter is associated with intense manifestations of salt diapirism over most of the perimeter of the basin, except for the carbonate platforms of Yucatan and Florida, which close the basin in the northeast and southeast. In the Early Cretaceous, a ring of barrier reefs formed around almost the entire basin, and in the Late Cretaceous deposition of layered carbonates predominated. In the Cenozoic, the periphery of the basin, except for Yucatan and Florida, where carbonate accumulation continued, began to be filled with sandy-clayey sediments; their thickness reaches 15 km in the northern part of the basin. At the same time, the growth of salt diapirs continued. The cover of Cretaceous and Cenozoic coastal shallow sediments, crossing Florida, spreads to the Atlantic Plain of the United States, increasing in thickness towards the ocean; he is practically not deployed. Along the Mississippi River valley, this cover forms a “bay” that overlaps the area at the junction of the Appalachian and Ouachita Mountains and reaches its peak at the ancient platform.
In a geographical sense, the Antilles-Caribbean region belongs to North America in the south. Its main elements are the Antilles island arc, convex to the east, the Central American (Panamanian) Isthmus connecting North America with South America, and the Caribbean Sea enclosed between them. The Antilles arc, consisting of three main links (the latitudinal chain of the Greater Antilles in the north, the arc of the Lesser Antilles in the east and the latitudinal archipelago of the Southern Lesser Antilles in the south), developed from the Jurassic to the Eocene inclusive as a volcanic arc, laid partly on the sialic, partly on a simatic basis. As a result of intense deformations of the end of the Cretaceous and the end of the Eocene, it acquired a complex fold-cover structure with a general northern vergence, with the participation of ophiolites and with the formation in the south, in the rear, of metamorphogenic dome structures. On the northern coast of Cuba, the nappes are thrust onto the edge of the Florida-Bahama platform with a Precambrian-Paleozoic basement and a carbonate cover of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. In Oligocene-Quaternary time, the islands of the Greater Antilles experienced a general (in Cuba and Haiti somewhat differentiated) uplift. The Lesser Antilles for the most part represent a volcanic arc that arose in the Eocene and remains active in modern era. Part of the islands of the Lesser Antilles has lost this activity and is covered with a cover of Neogene-Quaternary limestones (Limestone Antilles). The Southern Lesser Antilles, like the Greater Antilles, are an ancient (Cretaceous) volcanic arc on a simatic base. Together with the Coastal Ranges of Venezuela, they are part of a complex of south-vergent fold-cover structures thrust onto the northern edge of the South American continent. The Isthmus of Panama south of the Polochic-Motagua shear zone, which opens into the Gulf of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea, consists of two main structural elements- an ancient, Precambrian-Paleozoic massif in the north with a Mesozoic-Cenozoic cover, continuing into the Nicaraguan underwater rise of the Caribbean Sea, and a young fold-cover structure of the Isthmus of Panama with Jurassic-Early Cretaceous ophiolites at the base of the section and younger island-arc volcanics. Between the massif and the folded system lies the largest deep fault zone, along which there is a chain of young volcanoes of Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica, which, like the Polochik-Motagua shear zone, is distinguished by high seismic activity. The folded system of the Isthmus of Panama took shape only at the beginning of the Pliocene, when a land connection arose between North America and South America.
The Caribbean Sea consists of several deep-sea depressions (Yucatan, Colombia, Venezuela, Grenada). Their formation dates back to the beginning of the Late Cretaceous. The Yucatan depression is separated from the Colombian by the Nicaraguan uplift and the Cayman Trench, the Colombian from the Venezuelan by the underwater Beata ridge, extending in the south from the island of Haiti, the Venezuelan from the Grenada depression by the underwater Awas ridge (a dead volcanic arc). A unique young shear-spreading structure is represented by the deep-sea Cayman Trench, which extends in the latitudinal direction in the east from the top of the Gulf of Honduras to the strait between Cuba and Haiti and joins here with the Puerto Rico Trench, which borders the eastern segment of the Greater Antilles from the northeast and east and from the north - Lesser Antillas.
Seismicity. The main seismically active zone of North America extends along its Pacific coast and is associated with the convergence of the East Pacific and North American lithospheric plates along the seismic focal zones of the Aleutian and Central American trenches, the coast of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, as well as the seismogenic San Andreas transform fault in California. Destructive earthquakes occurred in this seismically active zone: Alaska (1964), San Francisco (1906), in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles (1971), Mexico (September 1985) and in the far south in Managua (1982). It is quite obvious that this entire zone remains highly seismic in the future, especially its intersection with latitudinal transform faults of the Pacific Ocean. To the east, in the Cordillera, seismic activity weakens, but does not completely fade: the western, southern and eastern periphery of the Great Basin and the Rio Grande Rift are seismic. The Terek platform and the ancient folded structures framing it from the north, east and south are practically aseismic or weakly seismic. The exception is the zone extending from the St. Lawrence River estuary to the Mississippi Delta, which is considered a zone of ancient and modern rifting. A major earthquake in 1811-12 was associated with it.
Minerageny. According to the features geological structure In North America, four eras of the formation of mineral deposits are distinguished on its territory: Archean, Proterozoic, Paleozoic and Mesozoic-Cenozoic.
In the Archean rock blocks of the Canadian Shield, deeply metamorphosed ore deposits of the basaltoid and granitoid groups are distinguished. The basaltoid group includes formations of greenstone belts, represented by numerous hydrothermal gold deposits such as Porcupine, Kirkland Lake, etc., sulfide deposits such as Flin Flon, as well as ferruginous quartzites of Abitibi. The granitoid group includes the oldest rare metal and muscovite metamorphogenic pegmatites, known among the domes of gray granites.
Deposits of ores of ferrous, non-ferrous, noble, rare and radioactive metals are associated with the Proterozoic formations of the Canadian Shield. Large deposits of ferruginous quartzites are concentrated in the area of Lake Verkhnee (see Lake Verkhnee iron ore basin). Among the deposits of non-ferrous metal ores in Canada, igneous deposits of sulfide copper-nickel ores, deposits of Sullivan pyrite-polymetallic ores, as well as very rare deposits of native copper of the Keweenaw Peninsula stand out. Deposits of precious metals are represented by high-temperature hydrothermal quartz-gold
North America is the third largest continent by area after Africa and Eurasia. To give full information about the continent, it is necessary to draw up a plan to describe North America. First of all, you need to find out geographical location, climatic conditions, information about the relief and its dimensions.
General characteristics
North America is a continent that includes 23 countries. The largest countries are Canada, the United States of America and Mexico.
The length of the continent of North America from north to south is 7326 km. The continent is located in the Western Hemisphere north of the equator. Its extreme points:
- northern – Cape Murchison
- western – Cape Prince of Wales
- eastern – Cape St. Charles
- southern – Cape Mariato
North America is washed by the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. It is separated from South America by the Panama Canal, and from Eurasia by the Bering Strait.
In the northern part of the continent, the shores have a highly indented structure. The largest peninsulas are Labrador, California, and Florida. The largest islands are Greenland (the largest in the world) and the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
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Greenland is the largest island in the world (total area 2.2 million sq. km). This island belongs to Denmark. The capital is the city of Nuuk with a population of only 17,000 people.
Rice. 1. Greenland
Relief and minerals
In North America, mountains predominate in the West and plains in the East. At the base of most of the continent lies the North American Plate, on which the Mississippian Lowlands, the Central Plains and the steps of the “giant staircase” of the Great Plains and the northern coastal plains are located.
The Cordilleras are located in the west of the continent. In short, the Cordillera is the largest mountain range on Earth, stretching along the outskirts of North and South America. The highest altitude is Mount McKinley (6194 m), which is the highest point of the Cordillera and all of North America.
Rice. 2. Mount McKinley
The Appalachians are a mountain range located in the east. Compared to the Cordillera, there are very low mountains here, the height of which ranges from 600 m to 1200 m.
North America also has many mineral resources. Oil, gas, and coal deposits are located on the Great Plains and the Mississippi Lowland. The Cordillera is rich in non-ferrous metal ores, gold, uranium ores. Iron ores and coal occur in the Appalachians.
Climate
The equatorial climate zone is the only zone in which North America is not located. Many factors play a huge role in climate: longitude, latitude, presence or absence of mountains, distance from the ocean.
It is necessary to remember the following information: the further the area is from the Atlantic Ocean, the less precipitation. At the same time, humid air masses from the Pacific Ocean affect the coastal slopes of the Cordillera.
In addition to the northern coast, the Arctic zone includes Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
Greenland can get so cold in winter that temperatures drop to -50 degrees.
In the subarctic zone are the Alaska Peninsula, the Labrador Peninsula, and the coast of Hudson Bay. Distinctive feature This belt is permafrost.
The temperate zone is characterized by a monsoon type of climate in the east, and a sea climate on the Pacific coast. The temperature here depends on the time of year: in summer, tropical air brings heat, and winter is characterized by sharp cold snaps.
On the east coast the climate is humid subtropical, and on the west coast it is Mediterranean. In the central part of the continent the climate is continental.
All of Central America, excluding the south, is located in the tropical climate zone. South – in subequatorial. The climate in these areas is determined by the trade winds.
Inland waters
There are many rivers and lakes in North America. The Arctic Ocean basin includes largest river- Mackenzie. The rivers belonging to this area are mostly flat and covered with ice for 8-9 months of the year.
The rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin are quite long. The most important river in this territory is the Mississippi (3778 km). The Mississippi is a lowland river that often overflows due to heavy rainfall, causing flooding.
At the end of the 15th century, a new, previously unknown continent opened to the world, which later received the name America. Its area is more than 40 million square meters. km. The discoverers called this continent the New World.
A few words about the continent
The official date of the discovery of the continent is October 12, 1492. It was on this day that the sailors of Christopher Columbus noticed the land, which turned out to be America. Although the history of this part of the world began long before the discovery. There is a version that the continent received its name from the name of the navigator Amerigo Vespucci (navigator in the expedition of Admiral Alonso de Ojeda).
IN modern meaning America is a part of the world that includes two continents (southern and northern) and their surrounding islands. Previously, they belonged to different continents. is more than 950 million people, according to the 2015 census. Residents of Asia began to populate its territory for the first time. It is because of the numerous migration of the Eskimos that they are now considered the indigenous inhabitants of the mainland.
Regional division of territory
The following regions are distinguished:
- North America - includes the states: Canada, Mexico, as well as islands located on the east coast.
- unites independent countries located on the mainland.
- Central America is a region that includes states located on the northern continent south of Mexico.
- The Caribbean (another name for the West Indies) - consists of the islands of the Caribbean Sea.
Division by language
The territory of America is also classified by division according to linguistic and historical characteristics:
- Latin America (Spanish, Portuguese, French speaking countries);
- Anglo-America (English-speaking countries).
In total, America includes 36 independent countries and 17 dependent territories.
North America
The third largest continent on the planet is located in the Northern Hemisphere. This is North America. The area of the continent is more than 20 million square meters. km. With adjacent islands - more than 24 million square meters. km. The most large islands North America - Greenland, Aleutian, West Indies and Canadian. This region includes the following countries: USA, Canada, Mexico, as well as Greenland, the Bahamas and Bermuda. The total population of the region is more than 560 million people. The continent is washed by the waters of three oceans: the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific. In the south it is connected to South America by the Isthmus of Panama.
Quite varied. In the west stretches one of the largest mountain systems on the planet - the Cordillera Mountains, while in the east plains and low hills predominate. The highest point of the mainland is Denali (formerly McKinley) - 6,193 m.
The climate of the region varies, from arctic in the north to subequatorial in the south. This diversity can easily be explained by the large area. Air masses come to the mainland from the west, and only in the south of the region do warm trade winds prevail. The region is rich in precipitation. In the northwest they can reach 6,000 mm/year. In North America there is the largest river system on the planet - the river. Mississippi and Missouri, as well as the largest accumulation of fresh water in the Canadian Great Lakes.
South America
The area of the mainland is 17.8 million square meters. km ranks 4th among other continents. It is washed by the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. In the south it is disconnected from Antarctica, but in the north a narrow isthmus separates the mainland from North America. The coastline of the continent is smooth and has few bays. The border of South America (namely the coastline) stretches for more than 30,000 km. The relief of the region is asymmetrical: in the west, half of the continent is occupied by a high mountain range - the Andes; in the east, plains and lowlands predominate. The highest point is Aconcagua (6,960 m). South America crosses the equator.
The population of this region is 387 million people. It is distributed unevenly across the continent. The most populated regions are the Atlantic coast, where the most major cities continent.
On political map This continent has 12 independent states and one colony - the overseas department of France - Guiana. According to the level of development, states belong to the agrarian-industrial type. That is, these are countries that are developing. The most industrialized countries are Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In other countries, agriculture and mining dominate.
Central America (description)
The central part is a region of America, conventionally located between the Southern and Northern continents. But geographically it belongs to the northern continent. The region includes 7 small states. Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama and Honduras are what Central America is made up of. The land area reaches about 2.7 million square meters. km. The majority of the region's population is Hispanic. The total population is 36 million people. Most of them are engaged in farming. Another popular name for the region is “banana republics”. It took root due to the fact that more than 90% of all banana imports come from these countries.
West Indies
The Caribbean (West Indies) is an island region of America. Includes the islands: Caribbean, Bahamas and Antilles. The region's population is 42 million people. Consists of 5 states: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Almost all large islands have rugged shores and convenient bays. In addition, the region has a fairly even, warm tropical climate. This makes the West Indies a very popular tourist destination.