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Name North Asia America, referred to as North America.

Location: Located in the northern part of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and is separated from South America by the Panama Canal to the south.

Range: Mainland east to Cape St. Charles (55°40′W, 52°13′N), south to Cape Mariato (81°05′W, 7°12′N) , to Prince of Wales Cape in the west (168°05′W, 65°37′N), and to Murchison Point on the Busia Peninsula in the north (94°26′W, 71°59′N). In addition to the Americas north of the Panama Canal, North America also includes the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea.

Area: 24.228 million square kilometers (including nearby islands), accounting for approximately 16.2% of the world's total land area, and is the third largest continent in the world.

The geographical region is divided into the eastern region (the area east of the Appalachian Mountains in Labrador Plateau) and the central region (between the Appalachian Mountains in Labrador Plateau and the Rocky Mountains). (between), the Western Region (belonging to the northern section of the American Cordillera Mountains, the Rocky Mountains are the framework of this region), Alaska, the Canadian Arctic Islands, Greenland, Mexico, Central America and the West Indies nine regions.

Inhabitants

Population 462 million, accounting for approximately 8% of the world's total population. The population distribution across the continent is very uneven. Most of the population is distributed in the southeastern region. Among them, the population density near New York and around Lake Erie is the highest, with more than 200 people per square kilometer. The vast northern region and the inland western United States The area is sparsely populated, with less than 1 person per square kilometer.

Ethnicity: Most of the residents are descendants of European immigrants, with Anglo-Saxons being the largest; followed by Indians, blacks, and mixed-race people. In addition, there are Inuit, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Japanese and Chinese. Language: Common English, Spanish, followed by French, Dutch, Indian, etc.

Religion: Residents mainly believe in Christianity and Catholicism.

Natural environment

Coastline The mainland coastline is about 60,000 kilometers long. The northern, northern and eastern coasts of the west are more tortuous, with many islands and fjords; the southern half of the coast is relatively straight.

Peninsulas and islands: The total area of ??the peninsula is approximately 2.1 million square kilometers. The total area of ??the islands is about 4 million square kilometers, ranking first among all continents. Greenland is the largest island in the world.

Topography: About 20% of the continent's plains are below 200 meters above sea level, about 22% are plains and hills above 200?00 meters above sea level, and about 58% are plateaus and mountains above 500 meters above sea level. The average altitude of the continent is 700 meters. The basic characteristics of the continent's terrain are north-south mountains running parallel to the coast on the east and west sides, and great plains in the middle. The terrain is clearly divided into three zones. Eastern mountains and plateaus: To the north of the St. Lawrence River is the Labrador Plateau, and to the south are the Appalachian Mountains. The terrain is higher in the south and lower in the north, with an altitude of generally 300-500 meters. There is a narrow coastal plain along the Atlantic Ocean on the east side of the Appalachian Mountains, which gradually drops to the central plain on the west side. Central Plains: Located between the Labrador Plateau, the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains, stretching from the Hudson Bay in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south, running through the middle of the continent. The northern half of the plain is filled with lakes and rapids, and the southern half is the Mississippi River plain. The western part of the plain is the world-famous Great Plains. Western Mountains and Plateau: It belongs to the northern section of the Cordillera Mountains, stretching from Alaska to the south of Mexico. It mainly includes three parallel mountains. The eastern belt is the Rocky Mountains with an altitude of more than 2,000 meters, extending 5,000 kilometers from north to south. It is an important dividing line in the climate of North America; the western zone starts from the coastal mountains of the United States in the south and flows into the sea in the north, forming the coastal islands of western Canada, with an altitude of generally 1,000-1,500 meters; the middle zone includes the Alaska Mountains in the north, Canada's The Coast Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains of the United States, and the Cascade Ridge, among others. Mount McKinley in Alaska, with an altitude of 6,194 meters, is the highest peak in North America.

Between the eastern belt and the middle belt are plateaus and basins. The bottom of the Great Basin is 1,300-1,800 meters above sea level. The Death Valley in the southern part of the basin is 86 meters below sea level, making it the lowest point of land in the Western Hemisphere.

Volcanoes and Earthquakes: The western coast of North America is part of the Pacific Coast Ring of Fire. There are more than 90 active volcanoes in North America, including 28 in the Aleutian Islands, 20 in Alaska, and more than 40 in Central America. Western North America is also a region with frequent and strong earthquakes in the world.

Water system: The outflow area of ??North America accounts for about 88% of the continent's area, of which the area belonging to the Atlantic basin accounts for about 48% of the continent, and the area belonging to the Pacific basin accounts for about 20% each. With the exception of the St. Lawrence, all major rivers originate in the Rocky Mountains. Rivers east of the Rocky Mountains flow into the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans respectively, and rivers west of them flow into the Pacific Ocean. The internal flow area (including the no-flow area) accounts for about 12% of the continental area and is mainly distributed in the Great Basin of the western United States and Greenland. The Mississippi River is the largest river in North America and the fourth largest river in the world by length. Followed by the Mackenzie River, Yukon River, St. Lawrence River and Rio Grande River. There are many waterfalls on rivers in North America. The waterfall with the largest drop is Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park in the western United States, with a drop of 700 meters. Niagara Falls has a height of 51 meters and a width of 1,240 meters. North America is a continent with many lakes. The total area of ??freshwater lakes is about 400,000 square kilometers, ranking first among all continents. Lakes are mainly found in the northern half of the continent. The five Great Lakes in the central plateau area: Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, with a total area of ??245,273 square kilometers, are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world and are known as the "North American Mediterranean". Among them, Lake Superior is the largest and the largest freshwater lake in the world.

Climate: North America spans tropical, temperate and cold zones, with complex and diverse climates. The north is within the Arctic Circle, a world of ice and snow. The southern Caribbean is benefited by the warm equatorial current, but is subject to tropical hurricanes. The vast area in the central part of the continent is located in the northern temperate zone. Since all mountains run north-south or approximately north-south, the moist air from the Pacific Ocean only reaches the western coastal areas; the cold air from the Arctic Ocean can drive southward through the central plains; the moist air blowing from the tropical Atlantic can also pass through the central The plains penetrate deep into the north, so the climate in North America is very unstable. Winters are sometimes cold and sometimes thawing. Severe cold and snow can also occur in the subtropical areas along the Gulf Coast in winter. The areas with average temperatures below 0°C in the coldest month of North America (January) account for about 3/4 of the entire continent; the entire Arctic Archipelago (the collective name for many islands north of the North American continent and west of Greenland) and the vast majority of Greenland Some areas are below -32°C, and central Greenland is as low as 0°C, making it the coldest polar region in the Western Hemisphere. In summer, temperatures generally increase across the continent. The average temperature in the hottest month (July, mostly August along the coast) is 0-3°C in central Greenland, making it the coolest region in the northern hemisphere in summer; the rest of the vast areas are between 0-32°C. , among which the areas above 20℃ account for more than half of the continent's area, and the areas above 30℃ are smaller. Death Valley in the southwestern United States has an extreme maximum temperature of 56.7°C, making it the hottest area in the continent. Eastern North America receives more precipitation. The annual precipitation in the southeastern parts of Canada and Greenland, the eastern United States, and the Pacific coast of Canada and Alaska is about 500-300 mm; the Pacific coast of Canada and Alaska has an annual precipitation of more than 2,000 mm, making it the region with the most precipitation in North America; Florida The annual precipitation in the peninsula, the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Yukon Plateau is 250 mm; the Caribbean region has a tropical rainforest climate, with high temperatures and rain all year round. The areas with the least precipitation are the southwestern United States Great Basin, the lower Colorado River, and the Arctic Islands and northern Greenland, with average annual precipitation of less than 100 millimeters. From May to October every year, southeastern North America is often hit by hurricanes, often causing serious disasters. Cold and strong storms and land tornadoes often blow in central and northern North America in winter. After the west wind crosses the Rocky Mountains, it forms the Chinnock Foehn Wind in the eastern foothills.

Natural Resources

Much of North America has been explored. The main minerals are oil, natural gas, coal, iron, copper, nickel, uranium, lead, zinc, etc.

The forest area of ??North America accounts for about 30% of the continent's area and about 18% of the world's total forest area. Mainly distributed in the western mountains, it is rich in Douglas fir, giant golden cypress, Nootka cypress, sugar maple, pine, redwood, hemlock and other forest trees. The grassland area accounts for 14.5% of the continent's area and approximately 11% of the world's grassland area. The exploitable hydropower reserves in North America are about 248 million kilowatts, accounting for 8.9% of the world's water resources reserves. The developed water resources are 53.6 million kilowatts, accounting for 34.7% of the world's.

The area of ??coastal fisheries in North America accounts for about 20% of the total area of ??coastal fisheries in the world. The marginal sea areas in the west and eastern Canada are the main fisheries, rich in salmon, plaice, cod, mackerel, eels, herring, and sardines. , flounder, salamander and other fish species, and whales are also produced in the coastal waters of eastern Canada. There are walruses, seals and polar bears along the northern coast.

Economic Profile

Industry The United States and Canada are economically developed countries with strong industrial foundations, huge production capacity, and advanced science and technology. Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery are also extremely developed. Except for Mexico, which has some industrial base, other countries in North America are mostly single-economy countries. The mining industry in North America is large-scale and mainly mines coal, crude oil, natural gas, iron, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, sulfur, etc., while tin, manganese, chromium, cobalt, bauxite, diamond, saltpeter, antimony, and tantalum Important strategic raw materials such as , niobium and natural rubber are almost all or mostly imported. The proportion of the output of major industrial products in the world's total output is: pig iron, steel, copper, zinc, etc. all account for about 20%, aluminum accounts for more than 40%, and automobiles account for about 37%.

Agriculture: North American agricultural production has a high degree of specialization, commercialization and mechanization. The central plain is one of the world's famous agricultural areas. The main crops are corn, wheat, rice, cotton, soybeans, and tobacco. Its soybean, corn, and wheat production occupy an important position in world agriculture. Countries and regions in Central America and the West Indies mainly produce sugar cane, bananas, coffee, cocoa and other tropical crops.

Transportation: The total length of railways in North America is more than 420,000 kilometers. The navigable mileage of inland rivers is about 55,000 kilometers. Highways extend in all directions. The northeastern United States is the most developed transportation region, followed by the central, southeastern, and western coastal regions of the United States; southeastern Canada; and eastern Mexico, which are dominated by road and rail transportation. Cuba's sugar refinery railway lines are relatively developed. Summer river transport and winter sled transport are also important in central Canada. The northern coastal area is dominated by sleigh transportation.

Overview

Name: South Asia America, referred to as South America.

Location: Located in the southern part of the Western Hemisphere, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and facing Antarctica across the Drake Strait to the south. It is generally separated from North America by the Panama Canal.

Range: The mainland reaches Cape Blanco in the east (34°46′ west longitude, 7°09′ south latitude) and Cape Froude (71°18′ west longitude, 53° south latitude) in the south. 54′), in the west to Cape Parinhas (81°20′W, 4°41′S) and in the north to Cape Gaynas (71°40′W, 12°28′N).

Area: approximately 17.97 million square kilometers (including nearby islands), accounting for approximately 12% of the world's total land area. Geographic region: Geographically divided into: the northern countries of South America, including Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela and Colombia. Countries in the middle Andes, including Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The southern countries of South America, including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Brazil, a country in eastern South America, occupies about half of the continent's total area. The population is 325 million, accounting for approximately 5.6% of the world's total population. The population distribution is uneven. The northwest and eastern coastal areas are densely populated. The vast Amazon plain is one of the least densely populated areas in the world, with less than one person per square kilometer. Another characteristic of population distribution is that the population is highly concentrated in a few large cities.

Ethnicity: The ethnic composition of South America is relatively complex. There are Indians, whites, blacks and various mixed types, with the Indo-European mixed type being the most common. Among the nearly 300 million people, the majority are white, followed by Indo-Europeans and Indians, and the smallest number are black.

Language: Indians use Indian language, the official language of Brazil is Portuguese, the official language of French Guiana is French, the official language of Guyana is English, the official language of Suriname is Dutch, and the official language of other countries is Spanish. is the official language.

Religion: The vast majority of residents believe in Catholicism, while a few believe in Christianity.

Natural environment

Coastline The mainland coastline is about 28,700 kilometers long, relatively straight, and mostly eroded coasts that are aligned with the mountains. Large peninsulas and large bays are missing. There are not many islands, mainly distributed along the southern coast of the mainland.

Topography The terrain of the South American continent can be divided into three north-south longitudinal belts: the long and narrow Andes in the west, the undulating plateau in the east, and the vast and flat plain lowlands in the middle. In South America, the plains below 300 meters above sea level account for about 60% of the continent's area, the plateaus, hills and mountains between 300,000 meters above sea level account for about 33% of the continent's area, and the plateaus and mountains above 3,000 meters above sea level account for about 33% of the continent's area. 7% of continental area. The average altitude of the entire continent is 600 meters. The Andes Mountains are composed of several parallel mountain ridges. The widest part of the mountain is 400 kilometers, and the total length is about 9,000 kilometers. Most of them are above 3,000 meters above sea level. It is the longest mountain range in the world and one of the tallest mountain systems in the world. . There are many peaks in the Andes Mountains with an altitude of more than 6,000 meters. Among them, Mount Aconcagua is 69,600 meters above sea level and is the highest peak in South America. There are vast Brazilian Plateau and Guyana Plateau in the eastern part of South America. The Brazilian Plateau covers an area of ??more than 5 million square kilometers and is the largest plateau in the world. To the south lies the Patagonian Plateau. The South American plains include the Orinoco Plain, the Amazon Plain and the La Plata Plain from north to south. The Amazon Plain covers an area of ??approximately 5.6 million square kilometers and is the largest alluvial plain in the world. It has a broad terrain and is mostly below 200 meters above sea level. Volcanoes and Earthquakes: South America is a continent with many volcanoes, frequent and strong earthquakes in the world. The Cordillera Mountains are the main component of the volcanic belt on the east coast of the Pacific. There are 16 active volcanoes in the northern section of the Andes and more than 30 active volcanoes in the southern section. With an altitude of 6,723 meters, the Ujeaco volcano is the highest active volcano in the world. Earthquakes are most frequent along the Pacific coast.

Climate: Most of South America has a tropical rainforest and savanna climate. The climate is characterized by warm and humid climate, mainly tropical and not obviously continental. Except for the mountainous areas across the continent, the average temperature in the coldest month of winter is above 0°C. In the tropical areas, which account for the main part of the continent, the average temperature exceeds 20°C. Winters are much warmer than in North America.

The average temperature in the hottest month of summer in most areas is between 26-28°C, which is far less hot than the tropical areas of Africa and Australia. The annual temperature range in various parts of South America is small and does not change as drastically as in Asia and North America. Precipitation is abundant across the continent. Areas with an annual precipitation of more than 1,000 mm account for more than 70% of the continent's area. It is the continent with the smallest desert area among all continents.

Water system: The South American water system is divided by the Andes Mountains of the Cordillera Mountains, and the east and west are divided into the Atlantic water system and the Pacific water system. The Pacific water system has short sources and rapid flows, and most of them flow alone into the sea. Most of the rivers in the Atlantic system have long origins, numerous tributaries, abundant water, and wide drainage areas. Among them, the Amazon River is one of the longest rivers in the world with the widest drainage area and the largest flow. There are more than 20 tributaries with a length of more than 1,000 kilometers. The inland flow area of ??South American water systems is very small, and inland rivers are mainly distributed in the desert plateaus of west-central South America and northwest Argentina. Except in the southernmost part of South America, rivers never freeze all year round. There are many waterfalls in South America. Angel Falls has a height of 979 meters, which is the largest waterfall in the world. There are not many lakes in South America. There are many tectonic lakes in the desert plateau areas of the Andes, such as Lake Titicaca and Lake Popo; there are many glacial lakes in the southern Patagonia plateau area; and there are many inland salt marshes in the endorheic areas. Lake Maracaibo in northwestern South America is the largest lake.

Natural resources

Mineral resources have not yet been well explored. Currently, it is known that most of the more than 20 most important mineral raw materials needed in modern industry are available, and the reserves are abundant.

Venezuela’s oil reserves and Brazil’s iron ore reserves rank among the top in the world; natural gas is mainly distributed in Venezuela and Argentina; coal is mainly distributed in Colombia and Brazil; bauxite is mainly distributed in Suriname; and the metal reserves of copper mines exceed 100 million tons, ranking first among all countries. Chile ranks first in the world in copper reserves, and Peru ranks fourth in the world; bismuth, antimony, silver, saltpeter, beryllium and sulfur reserves rank among the top in all continents; tin, manganese, mercury, platinum, lithium, uranium, vanadium , zirconium, thorium, diamond and other minerals are also abundant.

Forest: The forest area is about 920 million hectares, accounting for more than 50% of the total area of ??the continent and about 23% of the total forest area of ??the world. It is rich in mahogany, sandalwood, iron tree, kapok tree, and Brazilian wood. , balm wood, rosewood and other valuable forest trees. The grassland area is about 440 million hectares, accounting for about 25% of the total area of ??the continent and more than 14% of the world's total grassland area. Hydropower resources: Hydraulic reserves are estimated to be 467 million kilowatts, accounting for approximately 16.9% of the world's hydropower reserves; developed hydropower resources are 5.6 million kilowatts, accounting for approximately 3.6% of the world's total developed hydropower resources.

Fisheries: The northern coast of Chile and the southeastern coast of Brazil are rich in tuna, the Peruvian coast is rich in fish, and the Chilean coast is rich in sardines, cod and whales. In addition, the coasts of Brazil and Argentina are also rich in fish such as seabass, mullet, anchovies, mackerel, and cod. The coast of Peru and the coast of Brazil are the two largest fishing grounds in South America.

Economic Profile

After the Second World War, the economy of South America developed rapidly and the economic structure changed significantly. However, the economic levels and economic strength of various countries are far apart. Brazil and Argentina have established relatively complete national economic systems, and their GDP accounts for about 2/3 of the continent. Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, and Peru also have relatively developed economies.

Industry and Mining: Mining and manufacturing are the most important industries. The mining industry is the basic sector of South American countries. Most of the minerals are exported, including oil from Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru and other countries; iron from Brazil, Venezuela, and Chile; tin and antimony from Bolivia; copper from Chile and Peru; Guyana and Suriname bauxite; Peru’s lead, zinc, silver, and bismuth; Chile’s saltpeter and molybdenum; Brazil’s niobium production or exports occupy an important position in the world. Light industry is the mainstay of the manufacturing industry in most countries in South America, and sectors such as meat processing, sugar refining, beverages, leather, textiles, and clothing are relatively developed. Heavy industries such as steel, automobiles, chemicals, rubber, electrical appliances, and machinery are concentrated in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Colombia and other countries.

Agriculture: Agriculture plays an important role in the economies of South American countries. Cash crops occupy an absolute advantage in the planting industry. South America is the origin of cultivated plants such as cocoa, sunflowers, pineapples, potatoes, cassava, Hevea brasiliensis, tobacco, cinchona trees, corn, tomatoes, yerba mate, chili peppers, and more. Sugar cane, bananas, and coffee each account for 20.5% of the world's total production, with Brazil's coffee and banana production ranking first in the world; cocoa and citrus each account for about 25% of the world's total production, with Brazil's cocoa production ranking first in the world. Third place; sisal production ranks second among all continents, mainly produced in Brazil; Brazil's cassava production ranks first in the world. South America provides the world with most of the coffee, bananas, and cane sugar it needs, as well as a large amount of cotton, cocoa, sisal, etc. Countries such as Argentina in the southeast export a large amount of meat and grain. The total number of cattle and sheep occupies an important position in the world. The coast is rich in anchovies, sardines, eels, seabass, tuna, etc. Peru and Chile are world-famous fishing countries. Most people in most countries in South America are engaged in agricultural production, but food production is still insufficient to be self-sufficient, and most countries need to import food.

Transportation

Transportation is mainly based on railways and highways. Argentina and Brazil have relatively developed transportation systems. Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Uruguay, Chile and other countries have relatively dense road networks. The total length of roads in South America is about 2,000,000 kilometers, the total length of railways is about 85,000 kilometers, and the length of inland navigation is about 100,000 kilometers.