Description of North America: list of countries, capitals, cities and resorts. Photo and video, oceans and seas, mountains, rivers and lakes of North America. Tour operators and tours in North America.

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North America is not only the USA, Mexico and Canada: in total, 23 countries are located on the mainland and nearby islands, 16 of which belong to Latin America, and 7 more - to Central America. In addition to independent states, this region has the so-called dependent territories - modern colonies of the countries of Europe and both Americas. North America is a continent unique in its ethnic, natural, climatic and cultural composition, which can be studied endlessly.

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Tourism in North America

America is the second destination after Europe in terms of the number of foreign tourists. Half of international flights are to the USA and Canada, the second place is occupied by the Caribbean Islands, which receive 12 million tourists a year. The main types of tourism are beach, sports, sightseeing, business tourism.

There are 5 tourist zones:

  1. Eastern (northeastern United States and southern Canada) attracts travelers with architectural and historical monuments and the culture of local peoples.
  2. The western zone is untouched wilderness, National parks USA and Canada, famous ski resorts.
  3. The central zone is occupied by agricultural crops, there are no bright sights here, so the flow of travelers is small.
  4. The northern (Alaska and northern Canada) zone is the choice of those who admire the harsh nature, love ski resorts, exotic and are interested in historical heritage and modern development region.
  5. The southern zone is the coast of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Here the climate is mild, the sun is bright, warm water in the seas and oceans, so tourists come here who prefer beach holidays, exoticism and traditional cordiality and hospitality.

National parks of America

Geography

North America is washed by three oceans - Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic; It is separated from Eurasia by the Bering Strait, and from South America by the Isthmus of Panama. The western part of the mainland is occupied by the Cordillera mountain system, where highest point mainland - Mount McKinley (6194 m). The lowest point is Death Valley (86 m below sea level). The most famous natural monuments of North America are the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, Yellowstone Park, Niagara Falls, Great Lakes.

The total territory of North America is 24.25 million km², the population is about 579 million people (8% of the world's population). The majority are immigrants, immigrants from Europe. Also, a significant part of the inhabitants of the mainland is occupied by representatives Mongoloid races s - both immigrants from Asia and the indigenous population - Indians, Aleuts and Eskimos. African Americans make up another 20 million of the population, many mulattoes.

As before, significant territories remain uninhabited - this applies to both mountainous areas in the west of the continent and the northern lands of Alaska. The southern part of the mainland, the islands of the Caribbean, the Great Lakes region and the Pacific coast are more densely populated.

North American countries

Continental States

It is North America that includes independent states on exotic Caribbean islands: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Grenada, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis , Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica.

One of the most interesting (and largest) countries on this mainland is USA. Here is the mass national parks, many directions of domestic tourism and world-famous resorts in Florida, Hawaii, California. Alaska and the northern states attract lovers of ski slopes. Those who come to the USA for the first time cannot deny themselves the pleasure of visiting Las Vegas casinos, Hollywood and Disneyland in California or Florida. Popular tourist cities in the USA are New York, Washington, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas.

Canada- the center of ethnographic and ecological tourism: the country's coasts are not very suitable for a beach holiday. But there are a lot of national parks, forests, lakes that attract nature lovers, and many slopes await lovers of skiing. Here is the famous Niagara Falls, a fantastically beautiful archipelago of the Thousand Islands at the head of the St. Lawrence River - a famous resort of the early 20th century. And lovers of antiquity are attracted by the historical sights of Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto.

Mexico can be called an ideal tourist destination: here are some of the best beaches in the world, beautiful national parks, three thousand years of cultural and spiritual heritage of the Mayans, Aztecs and Olmecs. And Mexico is also known for excellent service, hospitality and many opportunities for ecotourism, rafting, diving, etc.

America is the second destination after Europe in terms of the number of foreign tourists. Half of international flights are to the United States and Canada, the second place is occupied by the Caribbean Islands, which receive 12 million tourists a year.

island states

Cuba famous for its beaches, the best of which are located in the vicinity of the country's capital Havana and the resort center of Varadero. There are many caves on the island, the most interesting of which is located near the city of Matanzas. Those interested in history will be attracted by a variety of attractions: Trotsky's house, Chapultepec Palace, which looks like a castle, the San Francisco Monastery, and connoisseurs of American literature will certainly visit the Ernest Hemingway Museum near Havana.

Jamaica- one of the largest islands of the Caribbean archipelago, located in the very center caribbean, at a distance of 145 km south of Cuba. Once a famous island of pirates, Jamaica is now a beach paradise. Especially popular with tourists are the recreation area near Montego Bay, the resorts of Negril, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio. The local underwater park attracts fans of deep-sea swimming.

Bahamas located north of Cuba, not far from the United States. This is no less famous tourist area. The capital of the Nassau archipelago is a resort center, one of the largest casinos operates here. In addition, the Bahamas are famous for their national parks and historical museums, where monuments of ancient Indian culture are exhibited. The underwater observatory "Coral World" was recently opened.

Dominican Republic- a very fashionable resort in the last decade, located in the eastern part of the island of Haiti. Mountains, evergreen forests, beaches, always fresh tropical fruits and clear waters of the Caribbean Sea attract more than 2 million tourists every year. It was this island that Columbus saw at the end of his famous journey. In honor of him, a grandiose memorial was built on the coast - a monument and a museum in the form of a truncated pyramid.

Haiti- a state in the western part of the island of the same name in the Caribbean. It is the most mountainous country in the Caribbean and is known for its magnificent landscapes and fantastic beaches.

Barbados combines the beauty of nature, the romance of beaches, secluded relaxation and exciting adventures. The island is famous for its rum and the architecture of Bridgetown, on one of the streets of which there is a monument to Admiral Nelson. In the national parks of the island in conditions wildlife unique species of tropical plants and animals have been preserved, and not far from the coast, divers can admire coral reefs. However, even if you are reluctant to leave the beach, you will still appreciate the uniqueness of the local landscape: the sand on the coast of Barbados is pink!

Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Curaçao, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos. Most of them are islands of volcanic origin, most often dormant volcanoes. Thanks to them, there are many geysers, hot springs and small lakes with "boiling" water. The coastline has black and yellow sand beaches. The resorts of Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Saint Lucia, Curacao and others are considered the most fashionable.

America, consisting of two continents and thus forming one part of the world, is located in two hemispheres at once.

North America, respectively, is located in the northern hemisphere, South America - in the southern. Relative to the zero meridian, the continent of America is located in the west.

Geographical position

America is called absolutely all the lands that are located between the western part of the Atlantic Ocean and the coast Pacific Ocean. total area this part of the world, entirely located in the western hemisphere, is 42. million km 2, which, in percentage terms, occupies 28.5% of the entire land area on planet Earth.

In addition to the two continents, part of the world also combines small islands located next to them (for example, the island of Greenland). In the North, the coast of America is washed by the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific is on the right, the Atlantic is on the left. South and North America are at different latitudes and have the same longitude.

Geographic characteristics

In this case, it makes sense to talk about North and South America separately, since the relief of the continents differs significantly from each other.

Relief of North America:

  • Central plains with a slightly undulating relief, which transforms into a glacial one to the north;
  • the Great Plains, which are a huge foothill plateau in front of the Cordillera;
  • the Laurentian Upland, gently undulating, reaching up to 6100 meters above sea level;
  • Coastal lowlands in the southern part of the mainland;
  • Mountains: Cascade, Sierra Nevada, Rocky, etc.

Relief of South America:

  • Plains East;
  • Mountainous west with the Andes system;
  • Amazonian lowland;
  • Brazilian and Guiana plateaus.

There are many climatic zones on the territory of North America, including both oceanic and continental, and subequatorial climates. The average monthly temperature in January varies from -36 degrees to +20 (at the extreme points of the mainland). In July it can be from -4 to +32. Most precipitation falls on the Pacific coast (about 3 thousand mm annually), the least - in the Cordillera (up to 200 mm). Summers are usually warm throughout the mainland. It is accompanied by rare dry winds or, on the contrary, showers.

South America includes 6 climatic zones at once, of which the subequatorial is repeated twice (in different territories), and once - tropical, temperate, subtropical and equatorial. At the same time, the tropics and subtropics reign over the vast majority of the territory, which means that dry and wet seasons are clearly expressed in South America. It is warm on the mainland: in summer (summer in the hemisphere begins in January), the temperature varies from 10 to 35 degrees, in winter - from 0 to 16. There is a lot of precipitation, especially in Chile and Colombia. There falls up to 10 thousand mm per year.

Americas

In this part of the world, especially in the northern part, the population density is very high. America unites on its territory a huge number of independent states and dependent zones, differing from each other in terms of population, economic well-being, level of development, etc.

Historically, North America, called the "New World" by Europeans, has become more prosperous. It is on this continent that two countries are located, which are considered a symbol of prosperity and financial prosperity of the 20th-21st centuries: Canada and the United States of America. In total, about 500 million people live in North America, which is approximately 7% of the world's population.

South America is also quite densely populated - the figure is approaching 380 million - but the region is incomparably poorer. South America - the mainland, where the countries are located, which were once colonies of more ancient European states; in addition, the stratification into rich and poor is more pronounced here.

List of countries in North America

The largest country is, of course, the United States. More than 300 million people, 9.5 million square kilometers, the largest industrial and commercial centers around the world allow the United States to confidently represent North America on the map.

Major countries in North America:

(with detailed description)

List of South American countries

In South America, the two leading countries are Brazil and Argentina. They are leading in terms of area, population, and economic success. It is these countries that can be called developing.

Major countries in South America:

(with detailed description)

Nature

North America is very rich water resources: lakes and rivers occupy most of the area, and the Mississippi and Miussuri are the longest river systems on earth. On the southern mainland, however, there is no shortage of water either - the Amazon flows through it, which is one of the largest sources fresh water worldwide.

Nature, plants and animals of North America

North America is similar in flora and fauna to Eurasia - there are both coniferous and deciduous forests, the famous oaks and cedars. Animals are also typical: moose, bears, squirrels, foxes. Toward the south, the landscape becomes deserted, dry, and the flora and fauna change...

Nature, plants and animals of South America

The southern mainland is occupied by plants and animals characteristic of equatorial forests and savannahs. There are large predators, crocodiles, many birds - especially parrots. A significant part of the territory is covered with tropical forests. There are many fish in the rivers, including piranhas. An extensive population of insects...

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of the Americas

North America - more precisely, most of it - is located in a temperate and cold thermal zone, which is characterized by cold (down to -32 at the extreme point) winters and warm (about 25-28 degrees) summers. There are no special weather disasters here - with the possible exception of the Pacific coast, which periodically suffers from hurricanes.

South America, located in the zone of savannahs and equatorial forests, leans towards the tropics and subtropics according to the climatic type. Extremely humid, hot summer reigns here in December-February, but the "summer" months familiar to the inhabitants of the other hemisphere, on the contrary, are the coldest. The temperature in July drops to zero here and there...

Peoples of America

America is a part of the world with a very diverse population. Even the tribes of the Indians, who are considered the indigenous population of America, differ so much from each other that they consider each other to belong to different nationalities.

Peoples of North America: culture and traditions

North America is the third largest continent on our planet. On its territory today there are ten independent North America (the list of which is presented in this article) differ in area, population and economic development. There are many differences between them on other grounds, including ethnic, cultural and linguistic.

North American countries and their capitals

America is one of the six parts of the world, consisting of two continents: North and South America. Ten independent states are located on the territory of North America. Another 13 island countries are located within the Caribbean region. Sometimes they are also ranked among the states of the North American region.

The countries of North America and their capital cities vary in size and population. Here is one of the largest countries on the planet - Canada. On the same mainland there is an area which is 500 times smaller!

The countries of North America and their capitals differ greatly in terms of economic development well-being of its citizens. Thus, one of the world's leading economies is located on the continent, the country No. 1 in terms of GDP per capita (we are talking about the United States). At the same time, poor, developing states (such as Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala) are located in North America.

All the continental countries of North America are listed below, the list also includes the capitals of these states:

  1. Canada (Ottawa).
  2. USA (Washington).
  3. Mexico (Mexico City).
  4. Belize (Belmopan).
  5. Honduras (Tegucigalpa).
  6. Nicaragua (Managua).
  7. Guatemala (Guatemala).
  8. Salvador (San Salvador).
  9. Costa Rica (San Jose).

Near the mainland is also located the largest island of the planet Earth - Greenland, which is an overseas possession of the European state of Denmark.

Largest countries in North America: USA

The United States of America is the fourth largest country on the planet with a population of 325 million people. The territory of the state is divided into 50 states, each of which has its own laws. Some of them amaze with their curiosities and senseless norms. The United States has a powerful diversified economy and the strongest military in the world.

It is curious that the States, despite their vast expanses, border (on land) with only two states - Canada and Mexico. USA - Settlers began to come here since late XIX century, from different parts of the world. Some came to the States in search of a better life, others fled from repression from former USSR, Yugoslavia, etc. As a rule, migrants settled compactly in the USA. This is how Italian, Jewish, Russian, Chinese quarters were formed here, which managed to preserve the culture and traditions of their countries.

Canada is a country of mountains, lakes and maple syrup

Canada is second in the world. Although only 35 million people live here. Canada is washed by three oceans and is famous primarily for its nature. Beautiful mountain ranges, waterfalls, huge national parks - it's all about Canada! In addition, the country can boast of three powerful megacities, in which almost all the financial, intellectual and labor resources of the state are concentrated. These are Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Canada is 20% of the planet's fresh water, 50% of the world's polar bear population, and about 80% of the world's maple syrup. And the maple leaf on the flag of this state is not at all accidental. And it was the Canadians (and not the Americans, as many people think) who invented basketball.

Mexico - a country of cacti and contrasts

Mexico is another large state in North America, located entirely within the tropical and subtropical climate. Known and loved by all products - corn and chocolate - were presented to the world by this particular country.

The capital is the oldest city throughout the continent. It was built on the ruins ancient city Tenochtitlan, once inhabited by the Aztecs. Modern Mexicans are the descendants of at least five ancient civilizations planets.

The Mexican economy is one of the most powerful on the continent. Oil, gas, iron ore are extracted here, corn, rice, wheat and soybeans are grown. Mechanical engineering, metallurgy and the chemical industry are very developed in Mexico.

Finally...

Now you know all the countries of North America and their capitals. They radically differ from each other in terms of population, area, as well as the level of economic development.

North American countries (from north to south): Canada, USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama.

The history of North America began long before the travels of Columbus, and even long before the Maya. On this continent, life appeared a very long time ago. In North America, scientists find the remains of a wide variety of dinosaur species that are not found anywhere else in the world.

The indigenous population of North America (Indians and Eskimos) left a noticeable mark in the history of this continent. However, real story North America began, as many believe, only after the Europeans sailed there.

Now in North America, along with the United States and Canada, the developed capitalist states, there are also Mexico, El Salvador and Nicaragua. It is difficult to suspect these countries of a high market economy. But they have thousands historical monuments telling the story of pre-Columbian America...

Geography

The continent of North America is located in the north of the Western Hemisphere of the Earth. From the west, North America is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, from the east by the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Caribbean and Labrador Seas, and in the north by the Arctic Ocean. In the south, the Isthmus of Panama separates North America from South America. In the West, the Bering Strait separates North America from Eurasia.

North America includes numerous islands and archipelagos (eg Greenland, Aleutian Islands, Vancouver Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago). The total area of ​​North America is 24.2 million square meters. km, including the islands (this is 4.8% of the Earth's territory).

All types of climate are represented in North America, ranging from subequatorial in the south to arctic in the north. However, most of this continent is in a temperate continental climate.

The most long river North American continent - Mississippi (6,019 km), which flows through the United States. The largest North American rivers also include the Mackenzie (4,241 km), the St. Lawrence (3,058 km), the Rio Grande (3,034 km), and the Yukon (2,829 km).

On the territory of Canada and the United States is Lake Superior - the largest lake in North America (its area is 82 thousand square kilometers).

Almost 36% of the territory of North America is occupied by mountain systems. The largest of them are the Cordilleras and the Appalachians. The highest mountain of this continent is McKinley in Alaska, its height is 6,194 meters.

In the western part of North America there are several large deserts and semi-deserts - Sonora, Chihuahua and Mojave.

Population of North America

On the this moment The population of North America already reaches 530 million people. This is almost 13% of the total population of the Earth.

Representatives of the Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid races, as well as mixed racial groups (mestizos, mulattoes, sambo, etc.) live in North America. North American natives (Indians and Eskimos) belong to the Mongoloid race.

In Mexico and in the countries of Central America, the population speaks Spanish, in the US in English and Spanish, and in Canada in English and French.

North American countries

Now there are 23 independent states in North America. The largest North American country is Canada (its territory covers 9,976,140 sq. km), and the smallest is St. Christopher and Nevis (261 sq. km). The territory of the USA is 9,363,00 sq. km.

Regions of North America

North America as a whole can be divided into 3 main regions:

  • Anglo-America (Canada and USA);
  • Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Belize, El Salvador and Mexico);
  • Caribbean (Cuba, Jamaica, Antigua, Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Dominica and Haiti).

Some cities in North America appeared before our era (they were formed by the Maya Indians). Now the most populous North American city is Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, which is home to more than 8.9 million people.