AREA: 21510000 sq. Km
POPULATION: Estimated 2008 population 523155346
GREATEST DISTANCES: East-West: About 7000 km,
North-West: About 8000km
COSTLINE: About 300000 km
HIGHEST POINT: Mount McKinley 6198 m above sea level
LOWEST POINT: Death Valley, California, 86 m below sea level
CHIEF MOUNTAIN RANGES: Alaska, Appalachian, Cascade, Coast, Rocky, Sierra Madre, Sierra Nevada.
CHIEF RIVERS: Missouri, Nelson, Mississippi, Yukon, Rio Grande, Arkansan, Colorado, Red, Columbia, Mackenzie, Peace, Snake, Ohio, Saskatchewan, St. Lawrence.
CHIEF DESERTS: Chihuahuan, Colorado, Great Basin, Mojave, Painted, Sonoran, Vizcaino, Yuma.
CHIEF WATERFALLS: Niagara, Ribbon, Silver Strand, Takakkaw, Yosemite.
NUMBER OF COUNTRIES: 23
The third largest of the world's continents, most areas of the North American landmass is occupied by two of the world's most developed nations, the United States of America and Canada. The third major country occupying this continent is Mexico. The continent of North America is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the south by the Caribbean Sea.
It is connected to the continent of South America by the narrow Isthmus of Panama. Comprising of some of the world's oldest rocks North America is also very rich in mineral and other natural resources. National Parks in this continent contain some of the most spectacular and breath-taking sceneries in the world.
Though North America is the third largest continent, in terms of population, it stands fourth, since very few people live in the cold northern parts of the country or in the western deserts. It has a population which makes up about eight percent of the World’s total population.
It is Greenland which has an area of 2175600 square kilometers. It also has the world’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Superior, which is bounded both by Canada and the United States.
