For many, North America represents the best of the world as we know it. In part, the economic abundance of the US and Canada, the Caribbean’s vibrant and appealing culture, and Mexico’s romantic holiday-friendly image are top of many lists.
However, there’s much more to North America than just holiday brochures and popular culture. As a region, it boasts several impressive geographic features and anomalies. Because of its size, it has incredibly diverse cultures, people, and even natural phenomena worth exploring.
Let’s explore 19 fun facts about North American that showcase what this diverse region is all about.
1. The Length and Breadth of North America
North America encompasses Canada and Greenland in the North, all the way down to the country of Mexico in the South (and technically, even further South to Panama). In total, the landmass covers 9.5 million square miles. Altogether, the population of the North American region is around 465 million people.
2. Many Countries, Many People
In total, there are 23 countries contained within North America. There are also several territories that are classified as dependencies. When you take these additional territories into account, the total population expands to 590 million people.
3. Twenty-Three Countries Listed
The official list of independent or sovereign countries in North America read as follows:
- Antigua and Barbuda (Carribean)
- Bahamas (Caribbean)
- Barbados (Caribbean)
- Belize (Central America)
- Canada
- Costa Rica (Central America)
- Cuba (Caribbean)
- Dominica (Caribbean)
- Dominican Republic (Caribbean)
- El Salvador (Central America)
- Grenada (Caribbean)
- Guatemala (Central America)
- Haiti (Caribbean)
- Honduras (Central America)
- Jamaica (Caribbean)
- Mexico
- Nicaragua (Central America)
- Panama (Central America)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis (Caribbean)
- Saint Lucia (Caribbean)
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Caribbean)
- Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean)
- United States of America (USA)
4. Canada and the US Dominate the Landmass
Of the 23 countries in North America, Canada is the largest, and the USA is the second-largest. But together, they represent about 79% of the total landmass of the continent. They also happen to be the two economic powerhouses of the continent, but more about that later.
5. America Was Named After an Explore, Probably
The origin of the name “America” is disputed. Most scholars agree that the continent was named after Amerigo Vespucci, an explorer who first declared that the new world was not, in fact, India.
But others suggest that the name became official when named after a Welsh trader named Richard Amerike. Amerike allegedly paid for the expedition that discovered Newfoundland in Canada. Others still insist that it was named for a native American word. In the end, most people feel it doesn’t really matter.
6. The Earliest Civilizations
As far as the best guess, the earliest known civilization can be traced back to the Mexico region in what is today known as Clovis. The Clovis culture, as it is called, dates back to around 13,000 years ago.
The Maya civilization inhabited what is now Mexico from around 2500 BC. They were actually a collection of city-states, much like what we now consider ancient Greece. Other major early civilizations of the area include the Zapotec (500 BC) and the Mississippian (1000 AD).
7. What Cities Are the Biggest in North America?
Most people might guess that New York or Los Angeles is North America’s biggest city. In reality, it’s Mexico City that holds that honor. This huge metropolis has 22 million people residing in or around it and spans more than 570 square miles.
These are the most populous cities on the North American continent:
- Mexico City (Mexico): 21.3 million
- New York (USA): 20.2 million
- Los Angeles (USA): 13.3 million
- Chicago (USA): 9.5 million
- Dallas-Fort Worth (USA): 7.1 million
- Houston (USA): 6.6 million
- Toronto (Canada): 6.1 million
8. Every Country Has a Coast
No country in North America is landlocked. Every single country has some access to a coastline. In addition, every country doesn’t only touch a sea, but a major ocean.
9. Canada is the Biggest Country and has the Smallest Population
The biggest country in the region is Canada. The 3.8 million square miles of the beautiful country also happen to be the second-largest in the world after Russia. Interestingly, Canada is the least populous country in the region, too, at least in terms of density — it ranks at 11 people per square mile.
10. St Kitts is the Smallest Country
By contrast, the smallest country is the Caribbean island of St Kitts and Nevis. The total population is 54,000. As an aside, the territory in North America with the least people in it is the British island of Montserrat, with only 6,000 people who reside there.
11. Greenland is the Largest Island in North America and the World
Yes, Greenland is technically a part of North America (although politically, it’s part of Denmark), and it is the largest island in the world. At 836,300 square miles, it is larger than Alaska. Alaska, for its own part, constitutes around 20% of the landmass of the United States. Ironically, Greenland is very icy.
12. The Highest Mountain is in Alaska
Alaska is home to the highest mountain in North America. Denali (or Mount McKinley) reaches up into the heavens, touching 20,000 feet. Denali also happens to be the third most elevated peak on the planet.
13. Lake Superior is Indeed Superior
The biggest freshwater lake in North America is Lake Superior. It is one of the Great Lakes and is the most northern of those famous bodies of water between Canada and the US. Superior is estimated to hold 10% of the world’s freshwater supply. Superior is 350 miles long and 160 miles wide and has a depth of 1,300 feet.
For perspective, consider that the lake is as big as the country of Austria and larger than several states in the USA.
14. The Continent has Five Regions
North America is divided into five official regions, according to scientists. These are:
- The Canadian Shield – A Plateau that elevates Canada.
- The Great Plains – The central block of the continent, vast and spectacular.
- The Eastern region – The Atlantic coastal plain and the Appalachians.
- The Caribbean – The seven thousand islands of the Caribbean.
- The Mountainous West – characterized by mountain ranges, especially the Rockies.
Each of these has unique and fascinating features, characterized by its own animals and plant life, terrain and relief, and cultural anomalies.
15. The Missouri is the Longest River
The Longest river in North America is the Missouri. At nearly 2,350 miles in length, the river winds from Montana to Missouri. The river runs through seven states in total: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.
It has a storied nickname: The Big Muddy. This is allegedly because of the extraordinary amounts of silt and sand the river carries down its path.
16. Death Valley is a Low Point
The lowest land point in all of North America is Death Valley, which sits at 282 feet below sea level. The valley was named by early settlers, who considered the land very foreboding. Not surprisingly, Death Valley frequently records very high temperatures. In 2018, it recorded 127⁰F for four days in a row. That year, the hottest month averaged 108⁰F.
17. The Continent is Biodiverse
Unlike, say, Antarctica, North America contains all the known biomes on the planet. There are five types of biomes in total: Grassland, aquatic, desert, forest, and tundra.
18. It’s a Corny Continent
Corn is one of the major crops of the region, and it’s used for lots of things. In fact, North America is the biggest corn-producing region on the planet. Aside from food, corn is used in the manufacture of lots of things, including biofuel and textiles. In the region, the US is the top corn producer, also making it the top producer in the world.
19. The National Parks are Huge
There are several massive national parks in North America. For example, you can fit the entire country of Switzerland into The Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada. In the US alone, there are 423 national park systems, in total covering more than 83 million hectares of land and water.
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JayDee Vykoukal is a writer, author, mom, and Doctor of Physical Therapy. She has been writing about everything motherhood and health-related since 2018 when her first daughter was born, and she wanted to stay home. She loves to research new topics and fun facts with her kids to teach them about the world.
