Canada is a country that occupies the northern part of the mainland. The only country with which Canada has a land border is Canada. Canada has access to three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific and the 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, it is occupied by the Cordillera. Here is the highest point of the country, the city of Logan (5951 m.). 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, with the climate being continental and harsher in the west, and humid, milder and with more rainfall in the east. Canada is rich in rivers, most of them flow from west to east and belong to the Arctic Ocean basin. These are the St. Rivers, Saskatchewan,. There are also many lakes: Canada has access to the Great Lakes, on its territory there are the Great Slave Lake, Winnipeg.

Most of the population is concentrated along the southern border of the country. Basically, these are the descendants of immigrants from England (40%) and (27%). Indigenous people - (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, as well as. 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, fuel, electricity, as well as timber and products. Agriculture.

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, sheep are bred. Fishing is also important.

Mexico

Mexico is the largest country in southern North America. In the north, Mexico borders on the United States, in the south - on, 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 relief of the country 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 other hand, 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 humid, up to 2500 mm of precipitation will fall. 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 mestizos, descendants from mixed marriages of Caucasians and Mongoloids. The level of urbanization in the country is 75%, the largest cities are Mexico City, Guadalajara (3.4 million inhabitants).

Mexico is rich. Oil deposits are actively developed in the Gulf of Mexico and non-ferrous metal ores are mined in the mountains. Mexico ranks first in the world in silver mining.

The Mexican economy is closely linked to the United States, and most of the exported product goes there. These are minerals, agricultural products: wheat, corn, sorghum, beans, tomatoes, bananas, citrus fruits, sugar cane. Mining, chemical, automobile, and light industries are developed.

USA

The United States is a country that occupies most of the mainland of North America, two states are enclaves - separated from the rest of the territory - this is Alaska in the northwest of the mainland and Hawaii - an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. The US has land borders to 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. According to the form of government, the United States is a republic, the capital is Washington (4.5 million inhabitants).

The Cordillera occupy the western part of the country, the eastern part is more flat - low ones pass along the coast, closer to the center of the country - the Central and Great Plains. To the south is the Mississippi Lowland.

Most of the US lies in the temperate and subtropical regions. Enough precipitation falls in the east and west of the mainland, only in the center there are dry areas. Alaska is located in the subarctic climate zone. average temperature January here -25°С. Hawaii is located in the tropical climate zone, the influence of the ocean is great, because of this it is very large - up to 10 thousand mm of precipitation per year.

The country has large reserves 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, in the center of the country is the Great Salt Lake.

The USA ranks third 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 from, 12% are African Americans, descendants of former slaves taken from, 12% are a group of immigrants from and, representatives. Less than 1% of the population is made up of 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 of the city are close enough, they are growing rapidly , so that the border between two different cities becomes difficult to determine. Such conglomerations formed on the northeast coast (Boston - Washington), on the coast of the Great Lakes (Chicago - Pittsburgh), on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean 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, the latest science-intensive industries are developing especially actively: electronics, rocket and space industry. The United States hosts 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, Californian, etc.). With this level of development, for a long time it remains the largest exporter of agricultural products: wheat, corn, cattle meat.

America, consisting of two continents and thus forming one part of the world, is located in two hemispheres at once.

North America, respectively, is located in the northern hemisphere, South America - in the southern. Relative to the zero meridian, the continent of America is located in the west.

Geographical position

America is called absolutely all the lands that are located between the western part of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific coast. The total area of ​​this part of the world, entirely located in the Western Hemisphere, is 42 million km 2, which, in percentage terms, occupies 28.5% of the entire land area on planet Earth.

In addition to the two continents, part of the world also combines small islands located next to them (for example, the island of Greenland). In the North, the coast of America is washed by the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific is on the right, the Atlantic is on the left. South and North America are at different latitudes and have the same longitude.

Geographic characteristics

In this case, it makes sense to talk about North and South America separately, since the relief of the continents differs significantly from each other.

Relief of North America:

• Central plains with a slightly undulating relief, which transforms into a glacial one to the north;
• the Great Plains, which are a huge foothill plateau in front of the Cordillera;
• the Laurentian Upland, gently undulating, reaching up to 6100 meters above sea level;
• Coastal lowlands in the southern part of the mainland;
• Mountains: Cascade, Sierra Nevada, Rocky, etc.

Relief of South America:

• Plain East;
• Mountainous west with the Andes system;
• Amazonian lowland;
• Brazilian and Guiana plateaus.

There are many climatic zones on the territory of North America, including both oceanic and continental, and subequatorial climates. The average monthly temperature in January varies from -36 degrees to +20 (at the extreme points of the mainland). In July it can be from -4 to +32. Most precipitation falls on the Pacific coast (about 3 thousand mm annually), the least - in the Cordillera (up to 200 mm). Summers are usually warm throughout the mainland. It is accompanied by rare dry winds or, on the contrary, showers.

South America includes 6 climatic zones at once, of which the subequatorial is repeated twice (in different territories), and once - tropical, temperate, subtropical and equatorial. At the same time, the tropics and subtropics reign over the vast majority of the territory, which means that dry and wet seasons are clearly expressed in South America. It is warm on the mainland: in summer (summer in the hemisphere begins in January), the temperature varies from 10 to 35 degrees, in winter - from 0 to 16. There is a lot of precipitation, especially in Chile and Colombia. There falls up to 10 thousand mm per year.

Americas

In this part of the world, especially in the northern part, the population density is very high. America unites on its territory a huge number of independent states and dependent zones, differing from each other in terms of population, economic well-being, level of development, etc.

Historically, North America, called the "New World" by Europeans, has become more prosperous. It is on this continent that two countries are located, which are considered a symbol of prosperity and financial prosperity of the 20th-21st centuries: Canada and the United States of America. In total, about 500 million people live in North America, which is approximately 7% of the world's population.

South America is also quite densely populated - the figure is approaching 380 million - but the region is incomparably poorer. South America - the mainland, where the countries are located, which were once colonies of more ancient European states; in addition, the stratification into rich and poor is more pronounced here.

List of countries in North America

The largest country is, of course, the United States. More than 300 million people, 9.5 million square kilometers, the largest industrial and commercial centers around the world allow the United States to confidently represent North America on the map.

Major countries in North America:

(with detailed description)

List of South American countries

In South America, the two leading countries are Brazil and Argentina. They are leading in terms of area, population, and economic success. It is these countries that can be called developing.

Major countries in South America:

(with detailed description)

Nature

In its northern part, America is very rich in water resources: lakes and rivers occupy most of the area, and the Mississippi and Miussuri are the longest in the whole world. river system. On the southern mainland, however, there is no lack of water either - the Amazon flows through it, which is one of the largest sources of fresh water in the whole world.

Nature, plants and animals of North America

North America is similar in flora and fauna to Eurasia - there are both coniferous and deciduous forests, the famous oaks and cedars. Animals are also typical: moose, bears, squirrels, foxes. Toward the south, the landscape becomes deserted, dry, and the flora and fauna change...

Nature, plants and animals of South America

The southern mainland is occupied by plants and animals characteristic of equatorial forests and savannahs. There are large predators, crocodiles, many birds - especially parrots. A significant part of the territory is covered with tropical forests. There are many fish in the rivers, including piranhas. An extensive population of insects...

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of the Americas

North America - more precisely, most of it - is located in a temperate and cold thermal zone, which is characterized by cold (up to -32 at the extreme point) winters and warm (about 25-28 degrees) summers. There are no special weather disasters here - with the possible exception of the Pacific coast, which periodically suffers from hurricanes.

South America, located in the zone of savannahs and equatorial forests, leans towards the tropics and subtropics according to the climatic type. Extremely humid, hot summer reigns here in December-February, but the "summer" months familiar to the inhabitants of the other hemisphere, on the contrary, are the coldest. The temperature in July drops to zero here and there...

Peoples of America

America is a part of the world with a very diverse population. Even the tribes of the Indians, who are considered the indigenous population of America, differ so much from each other that they consider each other to belong to different nationalities.

Peoples of North America: culture and traditions

North America is the third largest continent on our planet. On its territory today there are ten independent North America (the list of which is presented in this article) differ in area, population and economic development. There are many differences between them on other grounds, 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. Ten independent states are located on the territory of North America. Another 13 island countries are located within the Caribbean region. Sometimes they are also ranked among the states of the North American region.

The countries of North America and their capital cities vary in size and population. Here is one of the largest countries on the planet - Canada. On the same mainland there is an area which is 500 times smaller!

The countries of North America and their capitals differ greatly in terms of economic development well-being of its citizens. Thus, one of the world's leading economies is located on the continent, the country No. 1 in terms of GDP per capita ( we are talking about the USA). At the same time, poor, developing states (such as Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala) are located in North America.

All the continental countries of North America are listed below, the list also includes the capitals of these states:

1. Canada (Ottawa).
2. USA (Washington).
3. Mexico (Mexico City).
4. Belize (Belmopan).
5. Honduras (Tegucigalpa).
6. Nicaragua (Managua).
7. Guatemala (Guatemala).
8. Salvador (San Salvador).
9. Costa Rica (San Jose).

Near the mainland is also located the largest island of the 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 curiosities and senseless norms. The United States has a powerful diversified economy and the strongest military in the world.

It is curious that the States, despite their vast expanses, border (on land) with only two states - Canada and Mexico. USA - Settlers began to come here since late XIX century, from different parts of the world. Some came to the States in search of a better life, others fled from repressions from the former USSR, Yugoslavia, etc. As a rule, migrants settled compactly in the USA. This is how Italian, Jewish, Russian, Chinese quarters were formed here, which managed to preserve the culture and traditions of their countries.

Canada is 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 - it's all about Canada! In addition, the country can boast of 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 is 20% of the planet's fresh water, 50% of the world's polar bear population, and about 80% of the world's maple syrup. And the maple leaf on the flag of this state is not at all accidental. And it was the Canadians (and not the Americans, as many people think) who invented basketball.

Mexico - a country of cacti and contrasts

Mexico is another large state in North America, located entirely within the tropical and subtropical climate. Known and loved by all products - corn and chocolate - were presented to the world by this particular country.

The capital is the oldest city throughout the continent. It was built on the ruins ancient city Tenochtitlan, once inhabited by the Aztecs. Modern Mexicans are the descendants of at least five ancient civilizations planets.

The Mexican economy is one of the most powerful on the continent. Oil, gas, iron ore, 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 radically differ from each other in terms of population, area, as well as the level of economic development.

North American countries (from north to south): Canada, USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama.

The history of North America began long before the travels of Columbus, and even long before the Maya. On this continent, life appeared a very long time ago. In North America, scientists find the remains of a wide variety of dinosaur species that are not found anywhere else in the world.

The indigenous population of North America (Indians and Eskimos) left a noticeable mark in the history of this continent. However, the real history of North America began, as many believe, only after the Europeans sailed there.

Now in North America, along with the United States and Canada, the developed capitalist states, there are also Mexico, El Salvador and Nicaragua. It is difficult to suspect these countries of a high market economy. But they have preserved thousands of historical monuments that tell the story of pre-Columbian America...

Geography

The continent of North America is located in the north of the Western Hemisphere of the Earth. From the west, North America is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, from the east - Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Caribbean and Labrador Seas, and in the north - the Arctic Ocean. In the south, the Isthmus of Panama separates North America from South America. In the West, the Bering Strait separates North America from Eurasia.

North America includes numerous islands and archipelagos (eg Greenland, Aleutian Islands, Vancouver Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago). The total area of ​​North America is 24.2 million square meters. km, including the islands (this is 4.8% of the Earth's territory).

All types of climate are represented in North America, ranging from subequatorial in the south to arctic in the north. However, most of this continent is in 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 (3,058 km), the Rio Grande (3,034 km), and the Yukon (2,829 km).

On the territory of Canada and the United States is Lake Superior - the largest lake in North America (its area is 82 thousand square kilometers).

Almost 36% of the territory of North America is occupied by mountain systems. The largest of them are the Cordilleras and the Appalachians. The most high mountain of this continent - 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

On the this moment The population of North America already reaches 530 million people. This is almost 13% of the total population of the Earth.

North America is inhabited by representatives of Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid races, as well as mixed racial groups (mestizos, mulattos, sambo, etc.). North American natives (Indians and Eskimos) belong to the Mongoloid race.

In Mexico and in the countries of Central America, the population speaks Spanish, in the US in English and Spanish, and in Canada in English and French.

North American countries

Now there are 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 St. 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 Maya 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.