250p|desno|mini|Sjeverna Amerika u svijetu

'''Sjeverna Amerika''' je po veličini treći, a po broju stanovnika četvrti kontinent na Zemlji. Na sjeveru joj se nalazi Arktički okean, na istoku Atlantski okean, na jugu Karipsko more i na zapadu Tihi okean. Ukupna površina Sjeverne Amerike je 24,230,000 kvadratnih kilometara. Procijenjeno je da je 2001. godine imala 454,225,000 stanovnika.

Kategorija:Kontinenti
Kategorija:Sjeverna Amerika

als:Nordamerika

ang:Norþ America

arc:ܐܡܪܝܩܐ ܕܓܪܒܝܐ

bat-smg:Šiaurės Amerėka
bcl:Amerika Norte

be-x-old:Паўночная Амэрыка

crh:Şimaliy Amerika

csb:Nordowô Amerika
cu:Сѣверьна Амерїка
cv:Çурçĕр Америка

dsb:Pódpołnocna Amerika

eo:Nordameriko
es:América del Norte

ext:América el Norti

fiu-vro:Põh'a-Ameeriga
fo:Norðuramerika

frp:Amèrica du Nord
fur:Americhe dal Nord
fy:Noard-Amearika
ga:Meiriceá Thuaidh
gan:北美洲
gd:Aimearaga-a-Tuath

gn:Yvateamérika
gu:ઉત્તર અમેરિકા
gv:Yn Americkey Hwoaie
hak:Pet-mî-chû
haw:‘Amelika ‘Ākau

hsb:Sewjerna Amerika

ia:America del Nord

ie:America del Nord

<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 2em; width: 20em; text-align: right; font-size: 0.86em; line-height: normal;"><!-- start of floated right section -->
<div style="border: 1px solid #ccd2d9; background: #f0f6fa; text-align: left; padding: 0.5em 1em; text-align: center;"><!-- start of slate grey box -->
<big>'''North America'''</big>
<div align=center>
190px
</div>
{| style="background: transparent; text-align: left; table-layout: auto; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; font-size: 100%;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
! style="1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Area
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Population
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 523,736,000 (est. July 2007)
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Density
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 21.2/km² (54.9/sq mi)
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Countries
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 23
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Dependencies
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 18
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Demonym
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | North American
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Languages
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | English, Spanish,  French, and many others
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Time Zones
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | UTC (Danmarkshavn, Greenland) to UTC -10:00 (west Aleutians)
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" |Largest<br />urban<br />agglomerations<br />(2005)
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | ''more''&hellip;<ref>List based on 2005 figures in [http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WUP2005/2005WUP_DataTables12.pdf Table A.12], [http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WUP2005/2005wup.htm ''World Urbanization Prospects: The 2005 Revision''], Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, United Nations.  Accessed on line January 1, 2008.</ref>
|}
</div><!-- --> </div>

'''North America''' is a sq&nbsp;mi), about 4.8% of the planet's surface or about 16.5% of its land area. As of July 2007, its third-largest continent in area, following Asia and Africa, and is fourth in population after Asia, Africa, and Europe. North America and South America are collectively known as the Americas.

==Etymology== 
North and South America are generally accepted as having been named after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci by the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller. Vespucci, who explored South America between 1497 and 1502, was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not the East Indies, but a different landmass previously unknown by Europeans. In 1507, Waldseemüller produced a world map, in which he placed the word "America" on the continent of South America, in the middle of what is today Brazil.  He explained the rationale for the name in the accompanying book ''Cosmographiae Introductio'',

:''ab Americo inventore ... quasi Americi terram sive Americam'' (from Americus the discoverer ... as if it were the land of Americus, thus America).

For Waldseemüller, no one should object to the naming of the land after its discoverer.  He used the Latinized version of Vespucci's name (Americus Vespucius), but in its feminine form "America", following the examples of "Europa" and "Asia".

Later, when other mapmakers added North America, they extended the original name to it as well:  in 1538, Gerard Mercator used the name America to all of the Western Hemisphere on his world map.<ref name="Cohen">[http://www.uhmc.sunysb.edu/surgery/america.html The Naming of America: Fragments We've Shored Against Ourselves]. By Jonathan Cohen</ref>

Other alternative theories regarding the landmass's naming have been proposed, but none of them has achieved any widespread acceptance.

Some argue that the convention is to use the surname for naming discoveries except in the case of royalty and so a derivation from "Amerigo Vespucci" could be problematic.<ref></ref>   Ricardo Palma (1949) proposed a derivation from the "Amerrique" mountains of Central America -- Vespucci was the first to discover South America and the ''Amerique'' mountains of Central America, which connected his discoveries to those of Christopher Columbus.

Alfred E. Hudd proposed a theory in 1910 that the continents are named after a Welsh merchant named Native American language.<ref name="Cohen"/>

==History==

thumb|left|180px|The ruins of [[Chichen Itza.]]
Scientists have several theories as to the origins of the early human population of North America.  The indigenous peoples of North America themselves have many creation myths, by which they assert that they have been present on the land since its creation.

Before contact with Europeans, the natives of North America were divided into many different bands of a few families to large culture areas", which roughly correspond to geographic and biological zones and give a good indication of the main hunters of the Great Plains, or the language family (e.g. Athapascan or Uto-Aztecan).  It is important to note that peoples with similar languages did not always share the same material culture, nor were they always allies.

Scientists believe that the Inuit people of the high Arctic came to North America much later than other native groups, as evidenced by the disappearance of Dorset culture artifacts from the archaeological record, and their replacement by the Thule people.

thumb|Place d'Armes in [[Montreal, historic heart of French Canada.]]During the thousands of years of native inhabitation on the continent, cultures changed and shifted.  Archaeologists often name different cultural groups they discover after the site where they are first found.  One of the oldest cultures yet found is the Mound builders (e.g. the Fort Walton Culture), found in the Mississippi river valley.  They flourished from 3000 BC to the 1500s AD.

The more southern cultural groups of North America were responsible for the crops now used around the world, such as squash.  Perhaps most importantly they domesticated one of the world's major staples, maize (corn).

As a result of the development of agriculture in the south, many important cultural advances were made there.  For example, the writing system, built huge pyramids, had a complex calendar, and developed the concept of zero around 400 CE, a few hundred years after the Mesopotamians.<ref></ref> The Mayan culture was still present when the Spanish arrived in Central America, but political dominance in the area had shifted to the Aztec Empire further north.

Upon the arrival of the Europeans in the "New World", native peoples found their culture changed drastically.  As such, their affiliation with political and cultural groups changed as well, several linguistic groups went extinct, and others changed quite quickly.  The names and cultures that Europeans recorded for the natives were not necessarily the same as the ones they had used a few generations before, or the ones in use today.

==Geography and extent==

thumb|A satellite composite image of North America. [http://www.earth-puzzle.com/NAmerica.html Clickable map]

North America occupies the northern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the the Americas, or simply America (which is sometimes considered a single Olympic flag represent the five inhabited, participating continents ([http://www.moscow2001.olympic.org/en/pdf/members_by_continent.pdf Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania]).</ref><ref name=Oceano>Océano Uno, Diccionario Enciclopédico y Atlas Mundial, "Continente", page 392, 1730. ISBN 84-494-0188-7</ref><ref name=cincocontinentes>Los Cinco Continentes (The Five Continents), Planeta-De Agostini Editions, 1997. ISBN 84-395-6054-0</ref> and North America a subcontinent).<ref>[http://mx.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562468/Norteam%C3%A9rica.html Encarta, "Norteamérica".]</ref>  North America's only land connection is to South America at the Colombia-Panama border according to most authorities, or at the Panama Canal by some and even at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico by a few who separate Central America which rests mostly on the Caribbean Plate. Before the Central American isthmus was raised, the region had been underwater. The islands of the West Indies delineate a submerged former land bridge, which had connected North America and South America via Florida and Venezuela.

The continental coastline is long and irregular. The Gulf of Mexico is the largest body of water indenting the continent, followed by Hudson Bay. Others include the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Gulf of California.

There are numerous Arctic Archipelago, the Greater and Newfoundland and Danish island, and the world's largest, is on the same tectonic plate (the North American Plate) and is part of North America geographically. Bermuda is not part of the Americas, but is an oceanic island which was formed on the fissure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge over 100&nbsp;million years ago. The nearest landmass to it is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and it is often thought of as part of North America, especially given its historical, political and cultural ties to Virginia and other parts of the continent.

===Physical geography===
thumb|100px|right|[[:Image:North america rock sedimentary.jpg|Sedimentary, volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic rock types of North America. ]]

The vast majority of North America is on the West Indies lie on the Juan de Fuca and Cocos Plates border the North American Plate on its western frontier.

The continent can be divided into four great regions (each of which contains many sub-regions): the Canadian Arctic; the geologically young, mountainous west, including the California and cordilleras, falls largely in the western region, although the eastern coastal plain does extend south along the Gulf.

The western mountains are split in the middle, into the main range of the Rockies and the coast ranges in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia with the Great Basin—a lower area containing smaller ranges and low-lying deserts—in between. The highest peak is Denali in Alaska.

The [http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Geographic%20Centers United States Geographical Survey] states that the geographic center of North America is "6&nbsp;miles west of Balta, Pierce County, North Dakota" at approximately , approximately 15&nbsp;miles (25&nbsp;km) from Rugby, North Dakota. The USGS further states that “No marked or monumented point has been established by any government agency as the geographic center of either the 50 States, the conterminous United States, or the North American continent.” Nonetheless, there is a 15-foot (4.5&nbsp;m) field stone obelisk in Rugby claiming to mark the center.

<gallery>
Image:North america terrain 2003 map.jpg|North America bedrock and terrain.
Image:North america basement rocks.png|North American cratons and basement rocks.
Image:North america craton nps.gif|North American craton.
</gallery>

===Human geography===
thumb|right|[[Mexico City is the most populous city in North America.]]
thumb|right|[[New York City, the largest city in the world city.]]
thumb|right|[[Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and its most ethnically diverse city.]]

The prevalent English, Spanish, and French. The term anglophone countries of the Americas: namely Latin predominate: the other republics of Central America, Mexico, much of the Caribbean, and most of South America. 

The French language has historically played a significant role in North America and retains a distinctive presence in some regions. Canada is officially bilingual; French is the official language of the Canadian province of Creole and French.

Socially and culturally, North America presents a well-defined entity. Canada and the United States have a similar culture and similar traditions as a result of both countries being former British colonies. A common cultural and economic market has developed between the two nations because of the strong economic and historical ties. Spanish-speaking North America shares a common past as former Spanish colonies. In Mexico and the Central American countries where civilizations like the Maya developed, indigenous people preserve traditions across modern boundaries. Central American and Spanish-speaking Caribbean nations have historically had more in common due to geographical proximity and the fact that, after winning independence from Spain, Mexico never took part in an effort to build a Central American Union.

Economically, Canada and the United States are the wealthiest and most developed nations in the continent, followed by Mexico, a newly industrialized country; the countries of Central America and the Caribbean are much less developed. The most important Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the recently signed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)—the last of these being an example of the economic integration sought by the nations of this subregion as a way to improve their financial status.

Demographically, North America is a racially and ethnically diverse continent. Its three main racial groups are Whites, Blacks (chiefly Afro-Caribbeans). There is a significant minority of Asians among other less numerous groups.

==Countries and territories==
North America is often divided into subregions but no universally accepted divisions exist.  Central America comprises the southern region of the continent, but its northern terminus varies between sources. Geophysically, the region starts at the Mexican states of Geopolitically, Mexico is frequently not considered a part of Central America.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/61/8/C0200800.html The American Heritage Dictionary, "Central America"]</ref>

Middle America is sometimes used to collectively refer to Mexico, the nations of Central America, and the Caribbean.

<!---->
{|class="wikitable sortable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#ECECEC"
! territory with flag
! Area<br>(km²)<ref name="factbook2008">Land areas and population estimates are taken from ''The 2008 World Factbook'' which currently uses July 2007 data, unless otherwise noted.</ref>
! Population<br>(July 2007 est.)<ref name="factbook2008" />
! Population density<br>(per km²)
! Capital
|-
|  UK)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 134.1
| The Valley
|-
|  Antigua and Barbuda
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 157.0
| St. John's
|-
|  one or both of North and South America.</ref>
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 518.2
| Oranjestad
|-
|  Bahamas
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 21.9
| Nassau
|-
|  Barbados
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 651.8
| Bridgetown
|-
|  Belize
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 12.8
| Belmopan
|-
|  Bermuda (UK)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 1241.3
| Hamilton
|-
|  British Virgin Islands (UK)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 153.9
| Road Town
|-
|  Canada
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 3.3
| Ottawa
|-
|  Cayman Islands (UK)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 177.9
| George Town
|-
|  Clipperton Island (France)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 0.0
| —
|-
|  Costa Rica
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 80.9
| San José
|-
|  Cuba
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 102.8
| Havana
|-
|  Dominica
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 96.0
| Roseau
|-
|  Dominican Republic
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 192.2
| Santo Domingo
|-
|  El Salvador
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 330.2
| San Salvador
|-
|  Greenland (Denmark)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 0.026
| Nuuk
|-
|  Grenada
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 261.5
| St. George's
|-
|  Guadeloupe (France)
| align="right" | <ref name="fb2006">Since Guadeloupe and Martinique have been upgraded from overseas departments to regions of France, they are no longer listed separately in ''The World Factbook''. Therefore, these figures are from the last edition in which they appear -- July 2006.</ref>
| align="right" | <ref name="fb2006" />
| align="right" | 254.4
| Basse-Terre
|-
|  Guatemala
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 116.9
| Guatemala City
|-
|  Haiti
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 313.7
| Port-au-Prince
|-
|  Honduras
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 66.8
| Tegucigalpa
|-
|  Jamaica
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 252.9
| Kingston
|-
|  Martinique (France)
| align="right" | <ref name="fb2006" />
| align="right" | <ref name="fb2006" />
| align="right" | 396.5
| Fort-de-France
|-
|  Mexico
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 55.1
| Mexico City
|-
|  Montserrat (UK)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 93.5
| Plymouth; Brades<ref>Due to ongoing activity of the Plymouth's ''Brades.</ref>
|-
|  USA)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 0.0
| —
|-
|  Netherlands Antilles (Netherlands)<ref name="two" />
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 233.0
| Willemstad
|-
|  Nicaragua
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 43.8
| Managua
|-
|  Panama<ref>Panama is generally considered a North American country, though some authorities divide it at the Panama Canal; land area and population figures are for the entire country.</ref>
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 41.5
| Panama City
|-
|  Puerto Rico (USA)
| align="right" | <ref name="water">Water area makes up a considerable portion of this entity's total area. Therefore, for a more accurate figure on which to calculate population density, this figure includes land area and excludes water area.</ref>
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 444.7
| San Juan
|-
|  Saint Barthélemy (France)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | <ref>Figure as of March 1999 census.</ref>
| align="right" | 326.3
| Gustavia
|-
|  Saint Kitts and Nevis
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 150.8
| Basseterre
|-
|  Saint Lucia
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 277.0
| Castries
|-
|  Saint Martin (France)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | <ref>Figure as of October 2004 census.</ref>
| align="right" | 608.5
| Marigot
|-
|  Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 29.1
| Saint-Pierre
|-
|  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 303.7
| Kingstown
|-
|  Trinidad and Tobago<ref name="two" />
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 206.0
| Port of Spain
|-
|  UK)
| align="right" | 
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 50.6
| Cockburn Town
|-
|  United States<ref>Includes the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is distant from the North American landmass in the Pacific Ocean and is, thus, commonly included with the other territories of Oceania.</ref>
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 30.6
| Washington, D.C.
|-
|  U.S. Virgin Islands (USA)
| align="right" | <ref name="water" />
| align="right" |  
| align="right" | 313.4
| Charlotte Amalie
|- style=" font-weight:bold; " class="sortbottom"
! Total
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 
| align="right" | 21.2
|
|}

==Usage==
The term ''North America'' may mean different things to different people in the world according to the context.  Usage other than that of the entire continent includes:

* <!--{{editnote | NOTE: Before wanting to change this assertion, please cite sources and provide evidence on the talk page.  This information was erroneously removed, despite claims that it was checked.  References corroborating this assertion about usage follow.  Thank you!--> In English, ''North America'' is sometimes used to refer to the United States and Canada exclusively.<ref>Burchfield, R. W., ed.  2004. "America." ''Fowler's Modern English Usage'' (ISBN 0-19-861021-1) New York: Oxford University Press, p. 48 -- quotation reads: "the term 'North America' is mostly used to mean the United States and Canada together.  Countries to the south of the United States are described as being in Central America (Mexico, Nicaragua, etc.) or South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.)"; see also: McArthur, Tom.  1992.  "North American." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (ISBN 0-19-214183-X)  New York: Oxford University Press, p. 707.  See also [http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzamericas.htm]</ref>  Alternatively, usage may include Mexico<ref>[http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2394.htm the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]: refers to "Three nations, on the same continent"</ref> (as with North American Free Trade Agreement) and other entities.<ref>[http://www.countryreports.org/maps/northamerica.aspx Countries of North America]: includes Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and the United States</ref>
* In Latin America, Spain, and some other parts of Europe, ''North America'' usually designates a subcontinent (''subcontinente'' in Spanish) of the Americas containing Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and often Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and Bermuda.<ref>In Ibero-America, ''North America'' is considered a subcontinent containing Canada, the United States, Mexico, Greenland, Bermuda and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon."[http://mx.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562468/Norteam%C3%A9rica.html Norteamérica (Mexican version)]"/[http://es.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562468/Norteam%C3%A9rica.html (Spaniard version)].  ''Encarta Online Encyclopedia.''</ref>

===Historical toponymy===
<!--MERGED IN FROM New World ON 22 OCT 2007, SOURCES MAY BE OVER THERE-->