We explain what North America is, its characteristics and its history. Also, how is its economy, geography, climate, fauna and more.
North America borders the Arctic Glacial Ocean to the north, the Gulf of Mexico and Central America to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It has a population of 600 million inhabitants, which is equivalent to 5% of the world's population.
The origin of the name America comes from one of the European colonizers. Christopher Columbus arrived in America in 1492 but believed that he had reached a new territory in the Indies of the now known Asian continent. But in 1501 the Italian merchant and navigator Americo Vespucci arrived in the New World and recognized that it was not the Indies, but another continent hitherto unknown to the Old World.
The division of North America, Central America and South America was promoted by various French authors who, over time, managed to establish itself in international literature. It is also accepted to consider Central America as part of South America because of the family of languages that they have in common, mostly derived from Latin.
The great pre-Columbian civilizations, that is, before the arrival of Columbus and other Europeans, originated in the regions of Mesoamerica and South America, such as the Mayans , Incas , Toltecs and Mexica, among others, but not so much in North America.
Among the main advances of civilizations were the sophisticated work of stone, architecture with the construction of imposing temples, the irrigation system for large-scale crops and the calendar , among others. Its economy was based on agriculture and trade with nearby towns.
The first to arrive in the New World were the Spanish who continued their colonization to the south, in the regions that currently make up Latin America. Then came the French and, last, the English who conquered the territories of North America.
The colonizers imposed their customs and culture on the populations of the New World. That is why, today, the underdeveloped cultures and economies of Central America and South America are so contrasting with that of North America, which is one of the great world powers.
Its currency varies according to the country: in the United States and Canada the dollar and the euro are used, while in Mexico the Mexican peso is used, which has the dollar as a reference value.
North America has abundant natural resources , such as great mineral wealth, vast forests , vast bodies of fresh water, and various fertile terrains. Due to these resources and an administration influenced by the English conquerors, the continent became one of the most developed regions in the world at an economic level, with the exception of Mexico.
One of the most prominent forests is the one that extends from central and southern Canada to Alaska. In that forest there are conifers, firs, larches, tsugas and spruces. In the eastern United States there are forests of yellow pine and deciduous.
The western part of the continent that corresponds to Alaska is characterized by the mountain system in which the Brooks range extends to the north and the Alaska range to the south. Tropical and mixed forests unfold in the region of present-day Mexico.
In the central regions of the continent the fauna is more varied , with deer, goats, foxes , wolves , bears, pumas, owls , beavers, deer, eagles and a great variety of species of aquatic animals that live in rivers and lakes .
In the southern regions of North America, skunks, black bears, bison, elk, otters, squirrels, and beavers are prominent. Reptiles , such as snakes and lizards , abound in the regions closest to the southeastern coasts .
The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational and educational purposes only and has been developed by referring reliable sources and recommendations from technology experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.