What makes north america so unique

You cannot download interactives. Search through these resources to discover more about unique landforms and landscapes around the world. Landforms are natural and distinctive features. Explore how they show up in various landscapes. These resources can be used to teach middle schoolers more about the natural world, its distinctive features, and landscapes.

In geography, boundaries separate different regions of Earth. A physical boundary is a naturally occurring barrier between two or more areas. Physical boundaries include oceans, cliffs, or valleys.

Select from these educational resources to teach middle school students more about physical boundaries. A terrestrial ecosystem is a land-based community of organisms and the interactions of biotic and abiotic components in a given area.

Examples of terrestrial ecosystems include the tundra, taigas, temperate deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, grasslands, and deserts. The type of terrestrial ecosystem found in a particular place is dependent on the temperature range, the average amount of precipitation received, the soil type, and amount of light it receives. Use these resources to spark student curiosity in terrestrial ecosystems and discover how different abiotic and biotic factors determine the plants and animals found in a particular place.

Encyclopedic entry. North America benefits greatly from its fertile soils, plentiful freshwater, oil and mineral deposits, and forests. South America is a continent of extremes. It is home to the world's largest river the Amazon as well as the world's driest place the Atacama Desert. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.

Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Map by the National Geographic Society. Most Renewable Electricity Produced Belize Population Density 57 people per square kilometer.

Canadian shield. Also called a key. Also known as an ice age. Great Plains. Resources can be natural or human. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

Last Updated Jan. Mexico in particular has suffered from some of the most devastating effects of this, since, as a poorer nation than its neighbor the United States, buildings have been less well-designed, less money has been invested in earthquake preparation schemes and so on.

In , a 7. But in the summer, when they need to feed, they prefer the cold waters of the Arctic sea. Getting there is no mean feat! The gray whales have the longest migration of any mammal, making an annual 12,, mile round-trip which stretches almost the entire length of the North American continent. The region that receives the least rainfall per year is Death Valley , located in the Mojave Desert, California.

It is so dry that the average annual rainfall, around 2. Thinking of relocating on the North American continent? In the Mercer Quality of Living Survey aggregated many North America facts and concluded that Vancouver , Canada, was the best place to live on the continent. Factors that helped Vancouver win the title included its high quality medical care, cultural diversity, and over parks. If asked for North America facts about mountains, many of us would think of famous mountain ranges in the United States, such as the Rockies or the Appalachians.

Mount McKinley has its summit at 20, feet above sea level. There are many fascinating North America facts about this vast and diverse continent. North America is the third largest continent in the world, and contains 23 different countries.

The continent has an incredibly diverse range of climates, geographies, wildlife, cultures and more. It has been populated by humans for 15, years at least; at first primarily by indigenous peoples but afterwards by the period of European colonization which dramatically affected the societal structure on the continent, and led to the formation of separate countries.

Privacy Policy. Home World. Quick Facts. Essential Facts. Interesting Facts. Table of Contents. North America Facts Infographics. The Core of the Continent Is The 7 Countries of Central America Use 6 Different Currencies Although Central America is technically part of the North American continent, we tend not to mention the region when it comes to North America facts, because many of us think of it as very separate.

John Rut Wrote the First Ever Letter from North America The continent may now have high-functioning international postal services, but these were not always North America facts to be taken for granted. Canada is slightly bigger than the USA and about as big as China. Read more about Canada here. Largest City : Mexico City, which is the capital city of Mexico with a population of about 9 million. With more than 20 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area, this is one of the largest cities in the world.

Read more about Mexico here. Smallest Country : St Kitts and Nevis with only about 54, inhabitants. This island country is located in the Caribbean Sea. The least populated dependency is Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory, with less than 6, inhabitants. Biggest Island : Greenland. This is also the world's largest island that is not a continent! Greenland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Together with the Mississippi River, it forms one of the largest river systems in the world. Until , this mountain was referred to as Mount McKinley. Denali is considered the third most isolated mountain peak in the world of the world's Seven Summits after Mount Everest in Asia and Aconcagua in South America.

The Seven Summits are the highest mountain peaks or summits of each continent. Biggest Lake : Lake Superior. Lake Superior is shared by Canada to the north and the United States to the east, south and west.

Lake Superior is also considered the largest freshwater lake by area in the world. Lowest Point : Death Valley. History: North America was first populated about 10, years ago when people moved across the Bering Sea between Siberia and Alaska. Although it is an autonomous territory, it is technically part of North America. And another fun fact, despite its name, Greenland is actually covered in ice.

When broken down into the basic regions, you can find five in North America. The different climates range from tropical to icy. Mexico City takes that title. This massive epicenter of North America is square miles and has an estimated population of nearly 22 million. While all but one lived, they assumed this foreboding desert would be their final resting place. If you thought the United States was the largest country in North America, you are wrong.

The largest country in North America is Canada at 3. Additionally, Canada is also the second-largest country in the world, second only to Russia. The United States comes in third. Coming in at a whopping 2, miles, the Missouri River is the longest river in North America. Nicknamed Big Muddy, it travels from Montana to Missouri, eventually joining with the Mississippi River, the second-longest river on the continent.

When it comes to the highest mountain in North America , it can be found in Alaska. Formerly named Mt. McKinley, Denali is more than 20, feet above sea level.

The largest freshwater lake in North America is Lake Superior.