North America

North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered by some to be a northern subcontinent of the Americas. France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Greece, and the countries of Latin America use a six-continent model, with the Americas viewed as a single continent and North America designating a subcontinent comprising Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and often Greenland, Saint Pierre et Miquelon, and Bermuda.

Ordered from largest in area to smallest, they are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.

It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, and to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea.

It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest.

It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, and to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea.

Located mostly in the Arctic north polar region in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere, besides its surrounding waters the Arctic Ocean is surrounded by Eurasia and North America.

In 2013, its population was estimated at nearly 579 million people in 23 independent states, or about 7.5% of the world's population, if nearby islands (most notably around the Caribbean) are included.

This is an alphabetical list of sovereign states and dependent territories in North America.

The so-called Paleo-Indian period is taken to have lasted until about 10,000 years ago (the beginning of the Archaic or Meso-Indian period).

In the classification of the, the Archaic period in North America, taken to last from around 8500 to 3000 BC in the sequence of North American pre-Columbian cultural stages, is a period defined by the archaic stage of cultural development.

North America is the third largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The European climate is largely affected by warm Atlantic currents that temper winters and summers on much of the continent, even at latitudes along which the climate in Asia and North America is severe.

It is also considered by some to be a northern subcontinent of the Americas. France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Greece, and the countries of Latin America use a six-continent model, with the Americas viewed as a single continent and North America designating a subcontinent comprising Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and often Greenland, Saint Pierre et Miquelon, and Bermuda.

The Americas (also collectively called America; Amérique, Amerika, Spanish and Portuguese: América) comprise the totality of the continents of North and South America.

The United Nations formally recognizes "North America" as comprising three areas: Northern America, Central America, and The Caribbean. "Northern America", as a term distinct from "North America", excludes Central America, which itself may or may not include Mexico (see ).

Central America (América Central, Centroamérica ) is a region found in the southern tip of North America and is sometimes defined as a subcontinent of the Americas.

"Northern America", as a term distinct from "North America", excludes Central America, which itself may or may not include Mexico (see ).

Mexico (México ; Mēxihco), officially the United Mexican States (UMS; Estados Unidos Mexicanos, EUM, ), is a country in the southern portion of North America.

The Pre-Columbian era ended in 1492, with the beginning of the transatlantic migrations—the arrival of European settlers during the Age of Discovery and the Early Modern period.

Transatlantic migration refers to the movement of people across the Atlantic Ocean in order to settle on the continents of North and South America.

In the limited context of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the term covers Canada, the United States, and Mexico, which are the three signatories of that treaty.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA; Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) is an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America.

The so-called Paleo-Indian period is taken to have lasted until about 10,000 years ago (the beginning of the Archaic or Meso-Indian period).

From BCE ( BP), ice-free corridors developed along the Pacific coast and valleys of North America.

The United Nations formally recognizes "North America" as comprising three areas: Northern America, Central America, and The Caribbean. "Northern America", as a term distinct from "North America", excludes Central America, which itself may or may not include Mexico (see ). Spanish North America (New Spain) was often referred to as Northern America, and this was the first official name given to Mexico.

Northern America is the northernmost region of North America.

Spanish North America (New Spain) was often referred to as Northern America, and this was the first official name given to Mexico.

It covered a huge area that included territories in North America, South America, Asia and Oceania.

France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Greece, and the countries of Latin America use a six-continent model, with the Americas viewed as a single continent and North America designating a subcontinent comprising Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and often Greenland, Saint Pierre et Miquelon, and Bermuda.

Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and Denmark, the colonial powers, as well as the nearby island of Iceland) for more than a millennium.

In 2013, its population was estimated at nearly 579 million people in 23 independent states, or about 7.5% of the world's population, if nearby islands (most notably around the Caribbean) are included. The United Nations formally recognizes "North America" as comprising three areas: Northern America, Central America, and The Caribbean.

Geopolitically, the islands of the Caribbean (the West Indies) are often regarded as a region of North America, though sometimes they are included in Central America or left as a region of their own.

North America is the third largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Regions shared between both nations included the Great Lakes Region.

The Great Lakes region of North America is a bi-national Canadian–American region that includes portions of the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian province of Ontario.

Megalopolises have formed between both nations in the case of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes Megaregion.

The Pacific Northwest (PNW), sometimes referred to as Cascadia, is a geographic region in western North America bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and (loosely) by the Rocky Mountains on the east.

France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Greece, and the countries of Latin America use a six-continent model, with the Americas viewed as a single continent and North America designating a subcontinent comprising Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and often Greenland, Saint Pierre et Miquelon, and Bermuda.

If defined as all of the Americas south of the United States, the basic geographical subregions are North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America; the latter contains further politico-geographical subdivisions such as the Southern Cone, the Guianas and the Andean states.

Megalopolises have formed between both nations in the case of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes Megaregion.

The Great Lakes Megalopolis consists of the group of metropolitan areas in North America largely in the Great Lakes region and along the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

Although the term does not refer to a unified region, Middle America—not to be confused with the Midwestern United States—groups the regions of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

In southern North America, it usually comprises Mexico, the nations of Central America, and the Caribbean.

Barbados ( or ) is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of North America.

Canada was formed from the unification of northern territories controlled by Britain and France.

Canada is a country in the northern part of North America.

Present-day cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between European colonists, indigenous peoples, African slaves and their descendants.

As a result, by the mid-16th century, the Spanish Crown had gained control of much of western South America, and southern North America, in addition to its earlier Caribbean territories.