A map of North America's physical, political, and population characteristics as of 2024

North America is a continent[b] in the Northern ❤️ and Western Hemispheres.[c] North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic ❤️ Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific ❤️ Ocean. Greater North America includes the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Île Clipperton, Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), México, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, ❤️ the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States of America.

Continental North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square ❤️ kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), representing approximately 16.5% of the Earth's land area and 4.8% of its total surface area. It ❤️ is the third-largest continent by size after Asia and Africa, and the fourth-largest continent by population after Asia, Africa, and ❤️ Europe. As of 2013 , North America's population was estimated at nearly 579 million people in 23 independent states, or ❤️ about 7.5% of the world's population. In human geography and in the English-speaking world outside the United States, particularly in ❤️ Canada, the terms "North America" and "North American" are typically defined as including just Canada and the United States.[7][8][9][10][11]

It is ❤️ unknown how and when first human populations reached North America. At present, people were known to live in the Americas ❤️ at least 20,000 years ago[12] but various evidence points to possibly earlier dates.[13][14] The Paleo-Indian period in North America followed ❤️ the Last Glacial Period, and lasted until about 10,000 years ago when the Archaic period began. The classic stage followed ❤️ the Archaic period, and lasted from approximately the 6th to 13th centuries. Beginning in 1000 AD, the Norse were the ❤️ first Europeans to begin exploring and ultimately colonizing areas of North America.

In 1492, the exploratory voyages of Christopher Columbus led ❤️ to a transatlantic exchange, including migrations of European settlers during the Age of Discovery and the early modern period. Present-day ❤️ cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between European colonists, indigenous peoples, African slaves, immigrants from Europe, Asia, and descendants of ❤️ these respective groups.