Countries by Continent: American Countries – Nations Online Project

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Strictly speaking, the American continent consists of two continents and the largest island in the world, North America, South America and Greenland. Central America and the Caribbean are usually considered part of North America.Theis situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere, bounded by the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Arctic Ocean in the north, and the Southern Ocean in the south.Measured from the northernmost point of Greenland to the southernmost point of South America, it is 15,600 km as the crow flies, making America the most elongated landmass in the world.With an area of 42.55 million km² (16,428,000 sq mi), the Americas cover 8.3 percent of Earth’s surface area and 28.5 percent of its total land area.The largest countries by area are Canada with 9,984,670 km², the United States with 9,833,517 km², followed by Brazil with 8,515,770 km² and Argentina with 2,780,400 km².In terms of land area, the(9,147,593 km²) is the largest country in the Americas, followed by(9,093,507 km²).The smallest independent country in the Americas is the island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis with 261 km².America is shared by 35 countries (sovereign states) and several dependent territories (see the list below).

Four antennas of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) on the Chajnantor plain of the Atacama Desert in Chile, with the Milky Way in the background.

Population

An estimated 998 million people live in the Americas; about 13% of the
The most populous countries in the Americas are the

Largest Metropolitan Areas

The largest cities in the Americas are:
São Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles.

Aconcagua in the Andes mountain range is the highest mountain in the Americas at 6,960.8 m (22,837 ft).

Image: Roberto Castillo

Highest Point

Aconcagua in Argentina is the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere at 6,960.8 meters (22,837 ft).
Denali in

Largest Lake

The largest lake in the Americas is Lake Superior. It is the largest of the Great Lakes and is shared by Canada and the US. With a surface area of 82,000 km² (32,000 sq mi), it is also the largest freshwater lake in the world.

Longest Rivers

The longest river in the Americas is the Rio Amazonas (Amazon river), with a length of “at least” 6,400 km (4,000 mi). The source of the Amazon lies in the Peruvian part of the Andes mountain range.

The second longest river in the Americas is the Paraná, at 4,880 km (3,030 mi); it flows through three countries, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, before entering the Rio de la Plata, an estuary in the Atlantic Ocean.

There is much discussion about the longest river in North America, as the name of the “main river” varies.

Anyway, the Missouri is the longest river in North America with a length of 4,087 km (2,540 mi); it originates in the Rocky Mountains in western

At 3,766 km (2,340 mi), the Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America, rising at Lake Itasca in

Major Geographical Features of the Americas

Major physiographic regions of the Americas.

Major Subregions

North America, South America,

Mountains

The Pacific Coast Ranges, the Rocky Mountains, and the Andes all belong to the mountain system of the American Cordillera, a series of mountain ranges running through North and South America and West Antarctica.

Lightning over Salar de Uyuni. The Salar de Uyuni is the largest and highest salt desert in the world. It is located in the southwest of Bolivia.

Image: Soumei Baba

Shields and Plateaus

North America
Allegheny Plateau, the Appalachian Highlands and the Appalachian Plateau, the Intermontane Plateaus with the Colorado Plateau and the Columbia Plateau, the Coteau des Prairies (in parts of

South America
Major plateaus are the Altiplano (High Plateau in Bolivia) and the Atacama Plateau (mainly in Argentina), the Brazilian Highlands and the Mato Grosso Plateau (central Brazil), the Guiana Shield (one of the three cratons of the South American Plate) and the Guiana Highlands, the Pakaraima Mountains (mainly in southwestern Guyana) with Mount Roraima (at the tripoint of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil).

Lowlands

There are several major lowlands in the Americas, such as the

Atlantic coastal plain

along the East Coast of the United States and the

Great Plains

(part of the Interior Plains of North America), located in the US and Canada. South American lowlands are the vast

Amazon basin

(the Amazon drainage basin covers an area of more than 35% of the South American continent). The

Pampas

are fertile plains shared by Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The

Gran Sabana

(Great Savanna) is an enormous savanna region in Venezuela, and

Los Llanos

(The Plains), an extensive tropical grassland plain in Colombia and Venezuela.

Deserts

The

Atacama

, a desert in Chile and Peru, is one of the driest places in the world. The

Salar de Uyuni

(or Salar de Tunupa) in Bolivia is the world’s largest and highest salt desert. The

Patagonian Desert

is the largest in the Americas, whereas the Great Basin Desert is one of the largest deserts in North America. The

Chihuahuan Desert

extends over a large area of northern Mexico and the southern part of the USA. The Sonoran Desert, the hottest desert in Mexico and the United States, covers part of the southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur.

Lakes

Superior, Huron, and Michigan are three of the

Great Lakes

of North America; they are among the largest freshwater lakes on Earth. With a surface area of 8,372 km². Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America.

Islands

The largest islands in the Americas are

Greenland

, Baffin Island, Victoria Island, Ellesmere Island, Newfoundland, Cuba, and Hispaniola.

Languages of Americas:
Thousands of languages were spoken in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans. The major languages spoken today in the Americas are based on Spanish, English, Portuguese, some French and French-based creole, and a few Amerindian languages.

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An estimated 998 million people live in the Americas;about 13% of the world population The most populous countries in the Americas are the United States , with 329 million people, and Brazil , with 212 million (in 2019).The largest cities in the Americas are:in Argentina is the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere at 6,960.8 meters (22,837 ft).in Alaska (also known as Mount McKinley) is the highest mountain in North America at 6,168 meters (20,239 ft).The largest lake in the Americas is Lake Superior. It is the largest of the Great Lakes and is shared by Canada and the US. With a surface area of 82,000 km² (32,000 sq mi), it is also the largest freshwater lake in the world.The longest river in the Americas is the(Amazon river), with a length of “at least” 6,400 km (4,000 mi). The source of the Amazon lies in the Peruvian part of the Andes mountain range.The second longest river in the Americas is the, at 4,880 km (3,030 mi); it flows through three countries, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, before entering the, an estuary in the Atlantic Ocean.There is much discussion about the longest river in North America, as the name of the “main river” varies.Anyway, theis the longest river in North America with a length of 4,087 km (2,540 mi); it originates in thein western Montana At 3,766 km (2,340 mi), theis the second longest river in North America, rising atin Minnesota , USA.Major physiographic regions of the Americas. Central America , and the Caribbean The, the, and theall belong to the mountain system of the, a series of mountain ranges running through North and South America and West Antarctica.North AmericaAllegheny Plateau, the Appalachian Highlands and the Appalachian Plateau, the Intermontane Plateaus with the Colorado Plateau and the Columbia Plateau, the Coteau des Prairies (in parts of South Dakota Minnesota , and Iowa ), the Missouri Plateau, the Ozarks, and the Yukon Plateau (Yukon Territory, Canada).South AmericaMajor plateaus are the Altiplano (High Plateau in Bolivia) and the Atacama Plateau (mainly in Argentina), the Brazilian Highlands and the Mato Grosso Plateau (central Brazil), the Guiana Shield (one of the three cratons of the South American Plate) and the Guiana Highlands, the Pakaraima Mountains (mainly in southwestern Guyana) with Mount Roraima (at the tripoint of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil).There are several major lowlands in the Americas, such as thealong the East Coast of the United States and the(part of the Interior Plains of North America), located in the US and Canada. South American lowlands are the vast(the Amazon drainage basin covers an area of more than 35% of the South American continent). Theare fertile plains shared by Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The(Great Savanna) is an enormous savanna region in Venezuela, and(The Plains), an extensive tropical grassland plain in Colombia and Venezuela.The, a desert in Chile and Peru, is one of the driest places in the world. The(or Salar de Tunupa) in Bolivia is the world’s largest and highest salt desert. Theis the largest in the Americas, whereas theis one of the largest deserts in North America. Theextends over a large area of northern Mexico and the southern part of the USA. The, the hottest desert in Mexico and the United States, covers part of the southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur.Superior, Huron, and Michigan are three of theof North America; they are among the largest freshwater lakes on Earth. With a surface area of 8,372 km². Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America.The largest islands in the Americas are, Baffin Island, Victoria Island, Ellesmere Island, Newfoundland, Cuba, and Hispaniola.Thousands of languages were spoken in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans. The major languages spoken today in the Americas are based on Spanish, English, Portuguese, some French and French-based creole, and a few Amerindian languages.