Geographical Facts About North America

North America is the third-largest continent in the world, extending from the Aleutian Islands to the Isthmus of Panama in the south!

Based on the type of terrain, North America can be divided into five regions - the lowlands and coastal plains i.e. Atlantic Coastal Plain and Interior Lowlands make up the eastern region, the Appalachian mountainous west, the Great Plains, the Canadian Shield, and the North American Cordillera.

North America is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east!

Connected to South America through the Isthmus of Panama whereas the Bering Strait separates the continent from Asia, while the St. Lawrence River separates USA and Canada!

The active volcano, Mt Mackenzie, is situated in Alaska. It is the highest peak in North America.

The Rocky Mountains are the continent's largest chain of young mountains in the west, that stretch from British Columbia in Canada to New Mexico in the USA.

Towards the southwest and northern Mexico region, North America's three main desert regions - the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan - are located.

The continent's deserts are rain shadow regions of the nearby mountains. The Chihuahuan is the rain shadow of the Sierra Madre, the Sonoran is the rain shadow of the Coast Ranges while the Mojave is the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada.

The desert species of animals - roadrunner, rattlesnake and Gila monster alongside desert plant species - saguaro cactus, mesquite, and the Joshua tree are found here!

The Great Plains are known as the 'Breadbasket of North America' as it feeds a large part of the world. Due to the rich soil blankets, the Great Plains are rich in the grains grown here!

The grasslands of the Great Plains are known to be the largest biome in North America.

The largest wetland system in the US is the Florida Everglades that covers more than 11,137 square kilometers of area in South Florida.

The sawgrass marshes that grow on slow-moving water is found in the Everglades region. These are the most-iconic plant species found in the region!

The largest freshwater lake, the Lake Superior, is in North America.

Comprising of three waterfalls, the Horseshoe Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the American Falls, the magnanimous Niagara Falls is located in the region between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario!

The Colorado plateau is the largest plateau of North America which is bisected by the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon.

The world's most active geysers can be found in the Yellowstone National Park.

The continent's highest peak, Denali, is about 20,320 feet high. It is located in the Denali National Park in the state of Alaska.

The Death Valley is the lowest point in the continent, with an elevation of 86 m below sea level.

The Mt Thor standing at a height of 4,101 ft is said to have Earth's greatest sheer vertical drop. Located on Baffin Island in Canada, it is believed that anyone who falls off the peak will travel one mile before they hit something!

The Bay of Fundy in Canada is the greatest tidal range in the world.

The Mississippi River is one of the longest rivers in the world that drains into the 31 states of the United States. It is about 3730 kilometers long.

The Sugar Bowl of the World, Cuba, is located in the continent.

The second-largest country in the world, Canada, extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west!

The world's largest national park, the Wood Buffalo Park, is located in Alberta province of Canada.

The continent is home to endangered species such as the American bison, the cougar or the mountain lions and the banana bat.

Coal, copper, zinc, iron ore, nickel apart from gold and silver are the minerals found in the continent.