The New Childrens Encyclopedia

North America

Stretching from the Arctic Circle to the tropics,

North America is the third-largest continent.

Two countries, Canada and the United States,

take up three-quarters of the continent, which also includes

Mexico, seven Central American countries, and the Caribbean Islands.

NORTH AMERICAN FACTS

O

Covers 16.5 percent of Earth’s land area

O

Number of countries 23

O

Biggest country Canada

O

Smallest country St. Kitts and Nevis

O

Languages English, Spanish, French

O

Population of continent Estimated at

529 million

O

Largest North American city Mexico

City, Mexico

O

Highest point Mount McKinley (Denali)

in Alaska, at 20,320 ft (6,194 m)

O

Longest river the Mississippi-Missouri in

the US, at 3,740 miles (6,019 km)

O

Biggest lake Lake Superior, situated

between the US and Canada, is the world’s

largest freshwater lake, with a surface area of

31,820 sq miles (82,400 sq km²)

How many people?

About 529 million people live in North

America, more than half of them in the

United States. Barbados is the most

densely populated country, with

1,658 people per square mile

(640 people per km²).

 INUIT PEOPLE have lived in

the Arctic for centuries, surviving

by hunting fish, seals, walruses,

and whales. Today, most Inuit live

THE POLAR REGION in towns or small settlements.

The climate in the Arctic is harsh—

average winter temperatures can be

as low as -40°F (-40°C), and in

midwinter the Sun never rises.

Parts of the region are permanently

covered by ice. Despite this, the

Arctic is home to many animals,

including polar bears and seals.

CONTINENTS OF

THE WORLD

below 50

50-90

100-149

150-199

200-299

above 300

Population density

People per km²

(0.39 per square mile)

 HAWAII The Hawaiian Islands lie

in the central Pacific Ocean but are

part of the United States.

EXTENT OF THE ARCTIC

The Arctic region includes

Greenland, northern

Canada and Alaska, as

well as the northernmost

parts of Europe and

Asia, and a huge area

of frozen ocean around

the North Pole.

Al

eu

ti

an

Isla

nds

Bering

Sea

Beri

ngStrait

Gulf of

Alaska

Mt. McKinley

20,322ft (6194m)

ASIA

Anchorage

ALASKA

UNITED STATES

OF AMERICA

PACIFIC

OCEAN

HAWAII

Hawai‘i

Haw

aiia

nIs

lan

ds

O‘ahu

Kaua‘i

Maui

Honolulu

UNITED STATES

OF AMERICA

0 km

0 miles 200

200

(c) 2012 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.(c) 2012 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.