Discover fascinating fun facts about North America, it's geography, animals and much more below...
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Population: 579 million +
No. Countries: 23
Highest point: Denali 6190m
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Lowest point: Death Valley -86m
Longest river: Missouri 3767km
Biggest country: Canada
Smallest country: Saint Kitts & Nevis
DID YOU KNOW
North America includes the majority of the Arctic Circle where you can find Polar Bears and the indigenous Inuit population.
THE COUNTRIES OF NORTH AMERICA
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United States of America
DEPENDANT TERRITORIES THAT MAKE UP SOUTH AMERICA
Anguilla • Aruba • Bermuda • Bonaire • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands • Clipperton Island • Curacao • Greenland • Guadeloupe • Martinique • Montserrat • Navassa Island • Puerto Rico • Saba • Saint Barthelemy • Saint Martin • Saint Pierre and Miquelon • Sint Eustatius • Sint Maarten • Turks and Caicos Islands • US Virgin Islands
QUICK FACTS ABOUT NORTH AMERICA
THE LAND OF THE GIANTS
North America doesn't do things on the smaller end of the scale. There are so many giant sites to see that will simply leave you breathless!
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Visit the jaw dropping Niagara Falls in Canada, the mighty Grand Canyon in the USA or why not head to Ecuador and climb one of its towering volcanoes! We haven't even mentioned the man made wonders including the sky-scrapers of New York city and the incredible Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico.
All of North America is in the Northern Hemisphere trailing down towards the Equator but never quite reaching it. The North of the continent is colder in temperature with some areas of Canada and Greenland stretching into the Arctic Circle. As you continue down to the South you reach Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean where temperatures are a lot warmer and islands are in abundance.
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Due to the climate change from North to South there are many varying environments in North America. Read more about different countries environments and weather below:
United States of America - This vast nation is divided into 50 states. Each state has its own unique traditions and varying environments. There are the alligator swamps of Florida, the mighty Grand Canyon in California and the bustling cities of New York and Chicago.
Greenland - The 2nd largest island in the world after Australia, Greenland is anything but green. Most of the country sits within the Arctic circle which means for most of the year it is covered in ice. As it is so high up in the Northern Hemisphere in the height of summer it is daylight for 24 hours a day and in winter it can be dark for 24 hours!
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El Salvador - Nicknamed the land of volcanoes, this small nation has 20 to its name. The largest is Santa Ana which is still active along with many others. Because it is situated under the Tropic of Cancer the weather is very hot and humid with only Wet and Dry seasons.
Haiti - This country is part of an island that is split into 2 nations. Its neighbouring country is the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately Haiti's climate of humidity and high winds cause hurricanes nearly every year in late summer. This can be devastating and effect a lot of other countries nearby.
St Kitts and Nevis- Part of a chain of islands called the Caribbean, St Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country in North America. It is well known for its towering volcano that sits in the middle of the St Kitts island and Mt Nevis that takes up the entirety of Nevis island. Due to it's volcanic activity there are actually black sandy beaches as well as white.
ACTIVITY
1. Take a look at the map of the Caribbean.
2. How many islands can you spot?
3. Choose one and find out what animals live there, what religion they are and what the best thing to see and do is.
Brown Bear
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 2.8m
Region - USA and Canada
Diet - Grasses
Roufus-tailed Hummingbird
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Wingspan - 11cm
Region - Costa Rica
Diet - Nectar
Three-toed Sloth
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 80cm (including tail)
Region - Costa Rica
Diet - Leaves
Alligator
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 3.4m
Region - South USA
Diet - Reptiles, Mammals and Birds
Polar Bear
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 2.8m
Region - Arctic Circle
Diet - Seals
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Bison
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 4m
Region - USA
Diet - Grasses
The highest ever air temperature was recorded in Death Valley in the USA, a sweltering 134 degrees Fahrenheit!
Inuit cultures and ways of living are still practiced today in the far north of Canada in a homeland called Nunavut.
Niagara Falls is in 2 countries, the USA and Canada. 3,160 tons of water falls every second helping to generate electricity for both countries
In the south below Mexico are the Caribbean Islands. Their isolation and tranquility is famed due to only 2% of the 7000 islands being inhabited!
The USA and Canada are the birthplace of sports such as Baseball, Basketball and Ice Hockey.
Panama is home to the man-made Panama Canal. This is the only stretch of water to pass through both North and South America. It flows from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and is used by ships and ferries to carry goods and people.
The Narwhal with it's Unicorn horn sounds like a mythical creature but it's REAL and found in the Arctic Circle.
North America is thought to have been first settled 15,000 years ago by the Native Americans.
NORTH AMERICA ON FILM
ACTIVITY
1. Take a look and read about my travels in North America below.
2. Put some of the interesting information into a search engine and see if you can find which country the image is from!
Fig. 34
Sharing a yarn with with some Texan cowboys after a (very strenuous!) days cattle wrangling. Nothing beats the stars of the desert.
Fig. 33
Beans doesn’t quite make the right impression with the local Inuits in the Arctic Circle. The Inuits build igloos for insulated shelter against the -45C degree temperatures.
Fig. 135
A bubbling pot of gumbo being made for eagerly waiting customers in New Orleans, Louisiana. Gumbo is a heavily seasoned stew, traditionally classified by its thickener, okra, sassafras or roux.
Fig. 76
The territorial Roufus-tailed Hummingbird. I wasn’t quite expecting it to land on me.
Fig. 72
A New York city cop directing traffic on 43rd and 6th. Nicknamed ‘New York’s Finest’ there are over 35,000 officers in the NYPD.
Fig. 122
Open mic night at a late night jazz bar in Havana. A chance to whip out my very basic guitar skills!
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Explore what life is like in the very Northern and very cold Nunavut, Canada: www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30lPvBuFA4
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Discover more about North Americas animals: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/
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Learn more about the Incas, the indigenous people of Central America: www.ancient.eu/Inca_Civilization/
