What continent is America on? This question is quite interesting. In order to fully understand it, you must have certain knowledge.
First of all, you need to understand what the mainland is. This is an array of the earth's crust, which rises above sea level. Its dimensions are quite large. There are two official names:
- mainland;
- continent.
Looking at a geographical map, you can clearly see the six geological zones. The largest Eurasia - it occupies more than 50 million km 2 . The second position in the list goes to Africa, its size is 30 million km 2 . Third and fourth place, respectively, are shared by North (25 million km 2 ) and South (18 million km 2 ) America. Behind them is Antarctica with an area of almost 15 million km 2 . And Australia completes this list - its size is slightly less than 8 million km 2 .
A bit of history
In order to understand what continent America is on, let us take a look at the history of geological development. 200 years ago on the planet there were 2 continents - Laurasia and Gondwana, shared by their oceans with the name Tetris. In the modern world, these are the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Caspian, Black, and Mediterranean Seas.
When Gondwana split, South America, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica formed. An interesting fact: the movement of the earth's crust continues to this day, as evidenced by the increase in the distance between the continents.
Laurasia split into two large continents: North America and Eurasia. The last continent is special. Scientists observe the basis of Eurasia at once three lithospheric plates. For comparison: other continents have only one shard.
North America: Description of the Mainland
North America is the third largest. It is 24.2 million km
2 . The continent is rich in deposits of oil, coal and gas. Due to its location, almost all
climatic zones are observed here
, except for the equatorial belt. The uniqueness of the mainland lies in the presence of the longest coastline. Its length is 76 thousand km. Depending on what continent America is located, or rather its northern part, certain temperature fluctuations can be observed. The south of the mainland is very hot in summer with little rainfall. But in the north, polar nights and too cold winters are often observed. Depending on the climate and topography, all the
countries of the mainland develop a certain industry and different spheres of industry.
South America
The geographical position and its features in this continent are determined, first of all, by its position. It almost entirely falls under the influence of equatorial latitudes, which significantly affects its climate. The highest rainfall is observed here. The total area of the mainland is 17.8 million km
2 . It has 12 countries. The largest is Brazil. Extraction of non-ferrous and precious metals is well developed on the continent.
United States: Description
The United States is located in North America. On its territory you can observe a different relief: plains, lowlands and mountain systems. As a rule, such parameters depend on where the state is located, or rather, on what continent it is located. America is divided into the North and South continent, having their own geographical features. This is what affects the further development of the country.
Due to the large area (almost 10 million sq. Km), climatic zones in the USA range from tropical to arctic climate. The state does not lack fresh water. The Great Lakes, located on the border with Canada, are considered the main source.
Administratively, the country is divided into 50 states and 1 independent federal territory, in which the capital of America, better known as Washington, is located.
It is washed by the Atlantic (in the east), Pacific (in the west) and Arctic (in the north of Alaska) oceans.
The United States is located in the center of the continent. They also include territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, etc. It is also worth noting that one of the important attractions of the United States is a system of lakes called Great. It consists of 5 freshwater bodies. Although the US rivers occupy almost the entire territory of the state, lakes still do not go unnoticed. It is here (and in Canada) that the largest amount of fresh water is located. The Great American Lakes unite the five largest bodies of water. Their area is 246 thousand square meters. km The volume of water is 24 thousand cubic meters. km This system of lakes is the most famous, their total depth exceeds the parameters of the North Sea, as well as the Baltic.
Brazil
Studying South America, one cannot fail to mention the largest state. This is Brazil. It is one of the five largest countries in the world. The only place on the mainland where mostly Portuguese is spoken. This state is characterized by heat, frosts are observed only in high mountain massifs. However, a large amount of precipitation can become the only problem: the annual rate exceeds 3000 mm. Here you can see 77 species of primates and more than 3 thousand freshwater fish. It is worth noting that Brazil has a very rich wildlife.
Lakes of america
Continents and continents cannot exist without water. America has many ponds and rivers. Lakes play a large role in the water supply of all countries located on this continent.
The Great Salt Lake, located in Utah, is the largest in the west. Since it has no runoff, the water here is with more salt than sea water. The size of the reservoir is constantly changing under the influence of heavy rainfall and their absence.
America - the continent is quite diverse. For example, Alaska is the “owner” of four large lakes. Bocharova Lake was discovered in 1791 by the Russian scientist Dmitry Bocharov, in whose honor it was named. Iliamna, due to its glacial-tectonic origin, often feeds only thanks to snowy waters. Kenai Lake is suitable for fishing purposes. It is located in the mountains. It is the source of the river of the same name. Bear Lake is located in southern Alaska.
California is rich in ponds. Castle is located in the northern part of the state. It feeds on glacial waters. Because of the dam on one of the rivers of America, Lake Mendosino was formed. Mono is a salty reservoir in which fish do not live, but there are many crayfish.
The crater is located in Oregon. It is unique in its structure, as it has a crater origin. The color of his water is blue. In addition, it is quite popular because of the logs floating in the lake for many years.
Where is America located? We tried to answer this question in this article by providing extensive information.