North, Central and South America: area, population, location

At the end of the XV century, the world opened a new, previously unknown continent, later called America. Its area is more than 40 million square meters. Km. The discoverers nicknamed this continent the New World.

A few words about the continent

Officially, the date of the discovery of the mainland is considered October 12, 1492. It was on this day that the sailors Christopher Columbus noticed the land that was America. Although the history of this part of the world began long before the discovery. There is a version that the name of the continent was received on behalf of seafarer Amerigo Vespucci (navigator in the expedition of Admiral Alonso de Ojeda).

In modern terms, America is part of the world, which includes two continents (southern and northern) and the surrounding islands. Previously, they belonged to different continents. The population of America is more than 950 million people, according to the 2015 census. For the first time, people from Asia settled there. It is because of the numerous migration of the Eskimos that they are now considered to be the indigenous inhabitants of the continent.

Regional division of the territory

Allocate such regions:

• North America - includes states: the United States (USA), Canada, Mexico, as well as the islands, located on the east coast.
• South America unites independent countries on the mainland.
• Central America is a region that includes states on the northern mainland south of Mexico.
• The Caribbean (another name of the West Indies) - consists of the islands of the Caribbean Sea.

Separation by language

The territory of America is still classified by division according to linguistic and historical features:

• 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 of the planet is in the Northern Hemisphere. This is North America. The area of the mainland - more than 20 million square meters. Km. With the adjacent islands - more than 24 million square meters. Km. The largest islands of North America are Greenland, the Aleutian, the West Indies and the Canadian Islands. This region includes such countries as the 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 connects with South America with the Panama Isthmus.

The relief of North America is quite diverse. In the west stretched one of the largest mountain systems of the planet - the Cordillera mountains, in the east the plains and low hills prevail. The highest point of the mainland is the city of Denali (the former McKinley) - 6,193 m.

The climate of the region is changing, from the Arctic in the north to the subequatorial in the south. Such a variety is easy to explain by a large area. Air masses come to the mainland from the west, and only in the south of the region warm trade winds predominate. The region is rich in precipitation. In the north-west, they can reach 6,000 mm / year. In North America is the largest river system of the planet - p. Mississippi and Missouri, as well as the largest concentration of fresh water in the Great Canadian Lakes.

South America

The area of the mainland is 17.8 million square meters. Km occupies the 4th place among other continents. It is washed by the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In the south, the Straits of Magellan detached from Antarctica, but in the north a narrow isthmus separates the continent from North America. The coastline of the continent is smooth, has a few bays. The border of America of the South (namely the coastline) stretches for more than 30,000 km. The relief of the region is asymmetric: in the west half of the continent is occupied by a high mountain range - the Andes, in the east plains and lowlands prevail. The highest point is Aconcagua (6,960 m). South America crosses the equator.

The population of this region is 387 million people. It is placed unevenly over the continent. The most populated regions are the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, and the largest cities of the continent are also located there.

On the political map of the mainland, there are 12 independent states and one colony - the French overseas department - Guiana. According to the level of development, the states belong to the agrarian-industrial type. That is, these are the countries that are developing. The most industrialized are Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In other countries, agriculture and mining prevail.

Central America (description)

The central part is the region of America, conditionally located between the Southern and Northern continents. But it belongs territorially to the northern mainland. The region includes 7 small states. Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama and Honduras - these are Central America. The area of land is 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 agriculture. Another popular name for the region is "banana republics". It stuck with the fact that more than 90% of all imports of bananas fall on these countries.

West Indies

The Caribbean (West Indies) is an island region of America. Includes the islands: Caribbean, Bahamas and Antilles. The population of the region is 42 million people. It consists of 5 states: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Almost all large islands have rugged banks and convenient bays. In addition, the region has a fairly even, warm tropical climate. This makes the West Indies a very popular tourist destination for recreation.