28. North America

North America

North America is a continent that contains the nations of Canada, the United States of America, Mexico, and the various small nations of Central America.

English is spoken in both the United States and in Canada. Together, they form the cultural region of Anglo-America.

Canada is the northernmost nation of North America. It is covered by coniferous forest and is rich in natural resources.

The United States is one of the largest and most significant nations in the world. It is a federal republic that consists of 50 states. The states have their own laws and governments.

Mexico and its Central American neighbors are Spanish-speaking countries. They are considered to belong to the cultural region of Latin America together with the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations of South America.

North American geography

The western parts of North America are dominated by a long mountain range (the Rocky Mountains). Moving eastwards, the mountains transform into flatlands (prairie), with a few rivers running southwards.

Both the western and the eastern coasts of North America are relatively flat. These regions accommodate some of the largest cities in the world, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

The five Great Lakes are found on the border between Canada and the United States.

The North American continent contains three large peninsulas: the first is Alaska in the northwest, the second is Labrador in the northeast, and the third is Florida in the southeast.

When moving southwards from the Arctic Ocean, the vegetation changes from tundra to coniferous forests, before transforming into broadleaf forest and temperate grassland in the southern parts of the continent.