Lesson 4 of 8
North America: The climate giant
A continent of extremes
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More on The Seven Continents
Lesson 1 of 8
Africa: The continental giant
Lesson 2 of 8
Asia: The monsoon continent
Lesson 3 of 8
Europe: The land of contrasts
Lesson 4 of 8
North America: The climate giant
Lesson 5 of 8
South America: Where extremes meet
Lesson 6 of 8
Australia: Life on the edge
Lesson 7 of 8
Antarctica: The frozen time capsule
Lesson 8 of 8 • Quiz
Continents face-off
Common questions
How did North America get its name?
North America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator whose surname a German mapmaker borrowed in 1507 to label newly charted land across the Atlantic. That name first covered the southern landmass alone, and only later did cartographers stretch it north, splitting one continent into two.
Is North America a continent or a subcontinent?
North America is classified as its own continent under the widely used seven-continent model, though some geography systems label it a subcontinent of a single combined American landmass instead. Which term applies depends on the classification a school or region follows, not on any change in the land itself.
How many countries are in North America?
Twenty-three independent countries make up North America, including Canada, the United States, and Mexico, plus every nation across Central America and the Caribbean. Canada and the United States hold most of the continent by land area, while the remaining twenty countries sit across Central America and the Caribbean islands.
Why is North America considered the third-largest continent?
North America ranks third among the continents because its land covers roughly 24.7 million square kilometers, or about 16.5 percent of Earth's total land area. Only Asia and Africa cover more ground, while South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia all measure smaller in total size.