The Geography of North America

North America is the planet’s third largest continent. It is home to Canada, the United States, Greenland, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and a number of island countries in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

The continent stretches from the polar regions in northern Canada and Alaska to the tropical areas of Central America and Mexico. It is a land of contrasts: frigid type E climates abound in the Arctic; temperate type C and D climates in most of the continental United States, Canada, and the northeastern part of Brazil; and arid type B climates in the Southwest and Great Plains.

Mountains range up from the coasts in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The Great Plains sprawl across the center of the continent. Deep, rich soil in these flatlands supports a vast agricultural industry. The United States and Canada are the world’s largest grain producers. The region is also rich in oil and natural gas deposits.

Indigenous peoples inhabited North America for thousands of years before European colonization. These early cultures shaped their environment and used the land to their advantage. They developed agrarian societies that relied on regular planting and harvesting cycles. They also created advanced cities, such as Tenochtitlan and Texcoco in present-day Mexico, which boasted sophisticated buildings and systems of governance.

Modern North American cultures are greatly influenced by the continent’s varied environment. Their economies depend on the extraction, development, and trading of natural resources. Local communities, as well as national and regional organizations, have developed ways to protect and sustain natural resources. They have also adapted to changing weather patterns, and they make use of natural resources that have been traditionally considered harmful.

Political geography in North America is complicated. Many of the nation-states of the continent are highly developed and populated, but they have long histories of conflict and rivalry with each other as well as with other parts of the world. Many of these conflicts are rooted in economic interests. The United States has a particularly complex relationship with Mexico and with the countries of Central America.

Immigration is another key aspect of North America’s political geography. People from low- and middle-income countries such as Haiti frequently seek opportunities in high-income countries like the United States. These migrants have a major impact on social and cultural life in the United States and other countries of North America. They also influence the emergence of a global economy and shape North America’s demographic future.