North America is a continent located in the western hemisphere of the planet. Due to the fact that it has a great length, its flora and fauna is extremely diverse and interesting. In the central part of the continent is the most economically developed country - the United States of America.
Main characteristics
North America is the third largest continent. The occupied territory makes up about 16.5% of land, the area with islands is more than 24 thousand km and the population is 529 million people. In terms of population, North America is superior to Africa and Eurasia. The mainland is located in the western hemisphere, together with South America they form one of the parts of the world - America, discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
Length
The mainland has a rugged coastline and extends farther to the north. Due to the large extent in all directions, the climate and nature of North America are diverse. In addition to the equatorial, North America covers all climatic zones and almost all natural zones.
Culture
The culture of North America is predominantly European, since the continent has long been a European colony. Indigenous civilizations with their interesting culture disappeared and gave way to immigrants from Europe. The historical peoples of North America were the Mayan and Aztec tribes, as well as other Native American tribes inhabiting the continent.
Countries
Today, North America consists of a number of highly developed countries. The main languages are English and Spanish. Countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba and other states are located on the continent. In the north is the island of Greenland, covered with glaciers and belonging by political affiliation to Denmark, but territorially to North America.
Relief
The relief of the continent is represented by hills (mainly in Canada), central plains on the North American platform and coastal lowlands.
