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Continent

North America

The third-largest continent, extending from the Arctic islands of Canada through the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains to the isthmus of Central America, bounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It carries the Mississippi and Colorado river systems, the Great Lakes, the largest group of connected fresh water lakes on Earth, and the Grand Canyon, one of the deepest river-cut canyons in the world. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Area (sq km)
24,709,000 1
National Geographic Atlas of the World figure, including Central America and Greenland.
Population
592,296,233 1
2021 estimate, Wikipedia infobox (4th most populous continent).
Highest Point
Denali 2
Highest Elevation (m)
6190 2
Lowest Point
Badwater Basin, Death Valley 3
Country Count
23 1
Tectonic Plate Context
North American Plate 1
North America

Countries

Territories

Regions

Connections

Associated With

Asia, Continents

During glacial periods of the late Pleistocene, falling sea levels exposed Beringia, a land bridge across the present Bering Strait joining Siberia and Alaska. It existed intermittently until around 11,000 years ago, when rising seas submerged it and separated the two continents, closing the route early humans and animals had used to cross between them.

Source United States Geological Survey
Source North America (Wikipedia)

This source names North America directly: "A continent joined to North America by the isthmus of Panama and otherwise bounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, dominated along its western edge by the Andes, the world's longest continental..."

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source North America (Wikipedia)
Source North America (Wikipedia)
The Caribbean, Regions
Source North America (Wikipedia)
Source North America (Wikipedia)

Open Questions

In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. North America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • infobox, Countries
    Countries: 23 sovereign states
  • Geography section, plate description
    The vast majority of North America is on the North American Plate.
  • Introduction, continent overview
    North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres.
  • Lead paragraph, opening sentences
    North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean.
  • Infobox, Area
    24.709 million km2 (9.54 million sq mi)
  • Infobox, Population (2021 estimate)
    592,296,233 (2021; 4th)
  • Associated With: The Arctic Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
    It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean.
  • Associated With: The Atlantic Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
    It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean.
  • Associated With: The Pacific Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
    It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean.
  • Associated With: Central America, Opening section, subregions
    The continent includes the subregions of Northern America (comprising Canada, Greenland, and the continental United States as well as the insular territories of Bermuda and Saint Pierre and Miquelon) and Middle America (comprising Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean).
  • Associated With: The Caribbean, Opening section, subregions
    The continent includes the subregions of Northern America (comprising Canada, Greenland, and the continental United States as well as the insular territories of Bermuda and Saint Pierre and Miquelon) and Middle America (comprising Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean).
View the Source
2. Denali (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • opening paragraph, summit status
    Denali...is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190 m) above sea level.
  • Home To: Denali, Lead section
    the highest mountain peak in North America
View the Source
3. Extremes of North America (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLowest point entry
Quote, Lowest point entry
Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California, United States, lowest land surface of North America at -282 ft (-86 m)
View the Source
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
  • britannica.com/place/North-America, main article body (opening definitional paragraph)
    North America, third largest of the world’s continents, lying for the most part between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer. It extends for more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) to within 500 miles (800 km) of both the North Pole and the Equator and has an east-west extent of 5,000 miles. It covers an area of 9,355,000 square miles (24,230,000 square km).
  • Home To: Central America, Central America
  • Home To: Colorado River
  • Home To: The Great Lakes
  • Home To: United States
View the Source
The World Factbook
Central Intelligence AgencyNorth America, population summaryView the Source
National Geographic Atlas of the World
National Geographic Society, 2019World continents area table
Wikidata: North America
Wikidata Q49, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
  • Home To: The Grand Canyon
  • Associated With: Asia
View the Source
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Home To: The Pacific Ocean
  • Home To: The Atlantic Ocean
View the Source
Wikipedia: Montreal
WikipediaHome To: MontrealView the Source
Saint Lawrence River (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Home To: Saint Lawrence River, Lead section, opening sentence
    is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes with the North Atlantic Ocean
  • Home To: Saint Lawrence River, Infobox, Country field
    Canada, United States
View the Source
Mauna Kea (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Mauna Kea, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Mauna Kea, Lead section
Mauna Kea is a dormant shield volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is 13,803 feet (4,207 m) above sea level, making it the highest point in Hawaii and the island with the second highest high point, behind New Guinea. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, Mauna Kea rises over 10,000 metres, taller than Mount Everest measured from sea level.
View the Source
The Rocky Mountains (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: The Rocky Mountains, Lead section
Quote, Home To: The Rocky Mountains, Lead section
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch 3,000 mi (4,800 km) in a straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Canada, to New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. Being the easternmost portion of the North American Cordillera, the Rockies are distinct from the tectonically younger Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada, which both lie farther to its west. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert in Colorado at 4,401 metres (14,440 ft) above sea level.
View the Source
Waimea Canyon (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Waimea Canyon, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Waimea Canyon, Lead section
Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles (16 km) long and up to 3,000 feet (910 m) deep, located on the western side of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands of the United States. Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water," a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil. The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Waialeale, among the wettest places on earth.
View the Source
Death Valley (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Death Valley, Lead section and infobox
Quote, Home To: Death Valley, Lead section and infobox
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, United States, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. It is the site of the lowest, driest, and hottest location in North America, with the lowest elevation at −86 m (−282 ft) at Badwater Basin. The World Meteorological Organization lists Death Valley as the site of the hottest surface temperature recorded on Earth. It has an area of about 3,000 sq mi (7,800 km2).
View the Source
Yosemite Valley (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Yosemite Valley, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Yosemite Valley, Lead section
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California, United States. The valley is about 7.5 mi (12.1 km) long and 3,000-3,500 ft (910-1,070 m) deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines. The valley is drained by the Merced River, and a multitude of streams and waterfalls flow into it, including Tenaya, Illilouette, Yosemite and Bridalveil Creeks. Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America, is a major attraction, especially in spring when water flow is at its peak.
View the Source
The Mojave Desert (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: The Mojave Desert, Lead section
Quote, Home To: The Mojave Desert, Lead section
The Mojave Desert is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named after the indigenous Mohave people, it is located primarily in southeastern California and southwestern Nevada, with small portions extending into Arizona and Utah. The 54,000-square-mile (140,000 km2) desert supports a number of human activities and is home to Death Valley, the lowest and hottest point in North America.
View the Source
The Colorado Plateau (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: The Colorado Plateau, Lead section
Quote, Home To: The Colorado Plateau, Lead section
The Colorado Plateau is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States. It covers an area of 130,000 sq mi (340,000 km2) within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico, southern and eastern Utah, northern Arizona and a small region in the extreme southeast of Nevada. About 90% of the area is drained by the Colorado River and its main tributaries: the Green, San Juan and Little Colorado.
View the Source
Appalachian Mountains (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Appalachian Mountains, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Appalachian Mountains, Lead section
The Appalachian Mountains are a vast mountain range situated in eastern North America, extending roughly 2,050 mi (3,300 km) from central Alabama to Newfoundland.
View the Source
Alaska Peninsula (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Alaska Peninsula, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Alaska Peninsula, Lead section
extends about 497 mi (800 km) to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands.
View the Source
Baja California Peninsula (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Baja California Peninsula, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Baja California Peninsula, Lead section
is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico.
View the Source
Devils Tower (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Devils Tower, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Devils Tower, Lead section
in the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills, near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming.
View the Source
Great Plains (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Great Plains, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Great Plains, Lead section
The Great Plains lie across both the Central United States and Western Canada.
View the Source
Greenland Ice Sheet (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Greenland Ice Sheet, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Greenland Ice Sheet, Lead section
covers 1,710,000 square kilometres (660,000 sq mi), around 80% of the surface of Greenland.
View the Source
Lake Erie (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Lake Erie, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Lake Erie, Lead section
Located on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States, Lake Erie's northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario
View the Source
Great Salt Lake (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Great Salt Lake, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Great Salt Lake, Lead section
It lies in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah and has a substantial impact upon the local climate.
View the Source
Gulf of Alaska (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Gulf of Alaska, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Gulf of Alaska, Lead section
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska
View the Source
Tucson, Arizona (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Tucson, Arizona, Infobox, subdivision_name
Quote, Home To: Tucson, Arizona, Infobox, subdivision_name
subdivision_name = USA
View the Source
Virginia Beach, Virginia (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Virginia Beach, Virginia, Infobox, subdivision_name
Quote, Home To: Virginia Beach, Virginia, Infobox, subdivision_name
subdivision_name = United States
View the Source
Turks and Caicos Islands (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Turks and Caicos Islands, Geography and environment section
Quote, Home To: Turks and Caicos Islands, Geography and environment section
part of the Lucayan Archipelago
View the Source
Anguilla (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Anguilla, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Anguilla, Lead section
Anguilla ... is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean
View the Source
Aruba (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Aruba, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Aruba, Lead section
Aruba is an island country ... in the southern Caribbean Sea
View the Source
British Virgin Islands (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: British Virgin Islands, Geography section
Quote, Home To: British Virgin Islands, Geography section
located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles
View the Source
Cayman Islands (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Cayman Islands, Geography section
Quote, Home To: Cayman Islands, Geography section
The islands are in the western Caribbean Sea
View the Source
Curacao (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Curacao, Geography section
Quote, Home To: Curacao, Geography section
Curacao lies on the continental shelf of South America
View the Source
Greenland (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Greenland, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Greenland, Lead section
lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
View the Source
Guadeloupe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Guadeloupe, Geography section
Quote, Home To: Guadeloupe, Geography section
situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean
View the Source
Martinique (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Martinique, Lead section
Quote, Home To: Martinique, Lead section
Martinique is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies
View the Source
Montserrat (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Montserrat, Geography section
Quote, Home To: Montserrat, Geography section
part of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles chain
View the Source
Puerto Rico (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Puerto Rico, Geography section
Quote, Home To: Puerto Rico, Geography section
Caribbean archipelago located approximately 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida
View the Source
Sint Maarten (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Sint Maarten, Geography section
Quote, Home To: Sint Maarten, Geography section
Sint Maarten occupies the southern part of the island of Saint Martin in the Leeward Islands
View the Source
United States Virgin Islands (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: United States Virgin Islands, Lead section
Quote, Home To: United States Virgin Islands, Lead section
The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago
View the Source
Wikidata: United States
  • Home To: Yellowstone National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Yosemite National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Grand Canyon National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Everglades National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Denali National Park and Preserve, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Devils Tower National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Bob Marshall Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Gates of the Arctic Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Devils Postpile National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Natural Bridges National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Dinosaur National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: John Muir Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Big Bend National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Zion National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Redwood National and State Parks, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Glacier National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Virgin Islands National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Gila Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Ansel Adams Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Great Bear Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Death Valley National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Emigrant Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Noatak National Preserve, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Muir Woods National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Jewel Cave National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: National Bison Range, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Theodore Roosevelt Island, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Malabar Farm State Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Booker T. Washington National Monument, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Leesylvania State Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Blackacre Nature Preserve and Historic Homestead, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Great Basin National Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Santa Lucia Preserve, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Cave Lake State Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Staten Island Greenbelt, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Cascade Head, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Mono Basin National Scenic Area, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Mount Moriah Wilderness, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Arlington, Texas, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Long Beach, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Bakersfield, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Mesa, Arizona, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Wichita, Kansas, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Albuquerque, New Mexico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Colorado Springs, Colorado, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Saipan, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Pago Pago, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Hagåtña, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Charlotte Amalie, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: St. Louis, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Pittsburgh, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Orlando, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Anchorage, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Cleveland, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Buffalo, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: San Jose, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Dededo, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Tamuning, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Las Cruces, New Mexico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Palo Alto, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Bellevue, Washington, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Vicksburg, Mississippi, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Stamford, Connecticut, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Newton, Massachusetts, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Natchitoches, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Carrollton, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Middletown, Connecticut, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Marshall, Texas, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Ruston, Louisiana, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: St. Robert, Missouri, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Ponce, Puerto Rico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Carolina, Puerto Rico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Caguas, Puerto Rico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Garapan, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Tafuna, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Montrose, Arkansas, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: China, Texas, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Frankenmuth, Michigan, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Ely, Nevada, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Fillmore, Utah, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Delta, Utah, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Yuma, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Newark, New Jersey, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Chesapeake, Virginia, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Douglas, Arizona, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Brownsville, Texas, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Laredo, Texas, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Norfolk, Virginia, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Ruth, Nevada, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Fremont, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Livermore, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Napa, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Sonoma, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Anaheim, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Burbank, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Irvine, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Stockton, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Meadow, Utah, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: San Luis, Arizona, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Santa Monica, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Chula Vista, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: St. Helena, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Holden, Utah, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Santa Ana, California, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Hinckley, Utah, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Bayonet Point, Florida, Wikidata item for United States, property P30 (continent)
View the Source
Wikidata: Canada
  • Home To: Banff National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Wood Buffalo National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Jasper National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Waterton Lakes National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Auyuittuq National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Gros Morne National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Kluane National Park and Reserve, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Nahanni National Park Reserve, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Point Pelee National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Riding Mountain National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Prince Edward Island National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Kootenay National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Yoho National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Elk Island National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Torngat Mountains National Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: MacMillan Provincial Park, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)
View the Source
Wikidata: Costa Rica
  • Home To: Corcovado National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Tortuguero National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Arenal Volcano National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Manuel Antonio National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Poas Volcano National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Santa Rosa National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Braulio Carrillo National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Chirripo National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Cahuita National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Palo Verde National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Tenorio Volcano National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Cocos Island National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Irazu Volcano National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Barbilla National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Barra Honda National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Carara National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Juan Castro Blanco National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: La Cangreja National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Las Baulas National Marine Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Los Quetzales National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Miravalles Jorge Manuel Dengo National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Piedras Blancas National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Turrialba Volcano National Park, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Wikidata item for Costa Rica, property P30 (continent)
View the Source
Wikidata: Jamaica
Home To: Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, Wikidata item for Jamaica, property P30 (continent)View the Source
Wikidata: Panama
  • Home To: Darien National Park, Wikidata item for Panama, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: La Amistad International Park, Wikidata item for Panama, property P30 (continent)
View the Source
Wikidata: Greenland
Home To: Northeast Greenland National Park, Wikidata item for Greenland, property P30 (continent)View the Source
Wikidata: Mexico
Home To: Basaseachic Falls National Park, Wikidata item for Mexico, property P30 (continent)View the Source
Wikidata: Belize
  • Home To: Pook's Hill, Wikidata item for Belize, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Wikidata item for Belize, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Wikidata item for Belize, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Sapodilla Cayes, Wikidata item for Belize, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, Wikidata item for Belize, property P30 (continent)
  • Home To: South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Wikidata item for Belize, property P30 (continent)
View the Source
Wikidata: Haiti
Home To: Three Bays Protected Area, Wikidata item for Haiti, property P30 (continent)View the Source
Open Questions (1 open question)
Where does North America end and South America begin: at the Darien Gap on the Panama-Colombia border, or farther north at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico?

The conventional political boundary runs through the Darien Gap on the Panama-Colombia border, which places almost all of Panama within North America. Some geologists instead draw the physiographic line farther north, at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico, treating the rest of Central America as a transitional zone rather than as part of North America proper. The two conventions, political and physiographic, answer different questions and disagree by roughly two thousand kilometers.

What would resolve this A single agreed convention for whether the continental boundary follows political borders or physiographic features would settle which line applies; no new fact discovery is expected to close this on its own, since both conventions already agree on the underlying geography.
Physical geographyNorth America (Wikipedia)
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
In Category: Continents

Many national curricula, most prominently across Latin America and much of Southern and Western Europe, teach a six-continent model that combines North and South America into a single continent, America, joined by the Isthmus of Panama; a further four-continent model (Afro-Eurasia, America, Antarctica, Australia) combines them on the same reasoning. The Olympic movement own five-ring symbol reflects a related five-inhabited-continent convention that also treats the Americas as one.

A dissenting reading, from Geography curricula of Latin America, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece and other six-continent-model traditions, aEncyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest point in North America?

Denali, in Alaska, at 6,190 meters.

Denali, in Alaska, rises 6,190 meters above sea level and is the highest point in North America. The continent's lowest point is Badwater Basin, in Death Valley, California, part of the Mojave Desert, which lies below sea level.

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