North America is usually associated with the US and Canada, but there are 21 other states on the mainland. It is the third largest continent on our planet. It has a diverse relief, unique fauna and flora in its own way. There are the high mountains of the Cordillera, the deep Grand Canyon and much more. We will talk more about this in the article.
Geographic location of North America
The continent lies entirely within the Western Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Northern Hemisphere. It is washed by the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. In the northern and southern parts of its shores, it is indented by seas (Greenland, Caribbean, Baffin, etc.) and bays (Hudson, Mexican, California, etc.).
North America covers 20.4 million km2. In addition to the continental part, it includes some nearby islands, for example, the Canadian archipelago, Vancouver or the Aleutian Islands. The largest of them is Greenland,which is an overseas territory of Denmark. Together with the islands, the area is 24.2 million km2.
The mainland is elongated in the meridional direction and is 7,326 km long. It is quite wide in the northern and central parts and narrows strongly towards the south, where its width is barely 70 km. The Isthmus of Panama connects the continent to South America. It is separated from Eurasia by the Bering Strait.
Relief of North America
The Cordillera mountains stretch along the western coast of the mainland, covered with glaciers and perennial snows. Together with the Aleutian Islands, they are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and are a seismically active zone, where earthquakes and eruptions occur from time to time. In total, there are about 17 volcanoes on the mainland, some of which are active.
The Cordilleras cross all climatic zones of the mainland, except for the arctic and subarctic. Their picturesque sharp ridges rise to 6 km in height and are densely dissected by deep valleys. The highest point is Denali Peak or McKinley (6193 meters). On the east coast of the mainland is the older and lower Appalachian mountain range, reaching a maximum of 2,037 meters (Mount Mitchell). Above them is the Laurentian Upland and the low mountains of the same name.
In the center and east, the relief of North America is represented by the Central and Great Plains. Coastal lowlands up to 300 km wide are located along the Atlantic coast. They arerepresented by wetlands, terraces and ledges. Near the ocean, they are dotted with lagoons and spits, covered with sandy beaches and swamps.
Climate
The relief and geographical position of North America are very strongly reflected in its climate. The mainland comes closest to the pole and crosses all geographic zones, except for the equatorial one. The American North experiences very low temperatures (-20 to -40°C), snowstorms in winter and polar nights that last for several months.
The most extensive territory in the center covers the temperate zone. Thanks to mountain systems on both sides, air masses cannot penetrate deep into the mainland, which is why a dry, sharply continental climate has formed there. On the coasts, it is oceanic, softened by the winds from the sea. In the south of Mexico and in the countries of Central America, there is a hot tropical climate with warm summers (up to +35 °C) and winters (up to +25 °C).
The large temperature difference between the mainland and the influence of the ocean creates numerous hurricanes, heavy rains and tornadoes on the shores of North America. The epicenters of disasters often become regions near the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Inland waters
The rivers of North America belong to the basins of the three oceans surrounding it. The main watershed between them is the Cordillera. Irrigation of the mainland is uneven, most of the significant reservoirs are located in its northern part.
The largest rivers in America are Mississippi, Missouri, Yellowstone, Kansas, Arkansas. The longest onthe mainland is the Mississippi. It stretches for 3900 meters from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. The Colorado is the largest river in the Cordillera. With its strong current, it created the Grand Canyon - one of the deepest canyons in the world.
On the border between Canada and the United States are the famous Great Lakes of North America. They represent a whole system of reservoirs connected to each other by a number of straits and rivers. The lakes cover an area of 244,106 kilometers, and some of them are about 200 meters deep.
Plant world
Many islands north of the mainland are not occupied by vegetation at all. They are located in the Arctic desert zone and are covered with perennial ice. Below is a vast tundra zone dominated by dwarf trees, grasses, mosses and lichens.
From Alaska and the Hudson Bay to the Great Lakes, the taiga stretches. Here, in addition to pines, spruces and larches, plants typical of North America grow - Canadian hemlock, Douglas firs and giant sequoias. Deciduous forests gradually begin with alder, oak, birch, beech, maple and tulip trees.
Below the natural zones are distributed meridionally. Vast areas in the center of North America (Great Plains) are covered with prairies that stretch from north to south of the United States. Here you can find low and tall grasses, agaves, cacti and other steppe and desert plants. Evergreen forests and mangroves are common in the south.
Animals
The fauna of North America is closely related to climate and natural areasmainland. The harsh Arctic desert and tundra are inhabited by polar bears, arctic foxes, rodents, lemmings, reindeer and caribou. Whales, seals, walruses are found in coastal waters.
Brown bears, martens, wolverines, red lynxes, ferrets, foxes and wolves live in the forests of the mainland. In the southern tropical regions, alligators are exotic to us, as well as turtles, a variety of herons, frogs and snakes. Specific animals of North America are bison and prairie pronghorn, steppe sheep and wolves, ground squirrels, opossums and tree-dwelling porcupines.
