North America Population

North America Population

North America – Climate

With its wide range from north to south, the continent spans all climatic zones: polar climates in northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland, temperate in most of Canada and the United States, subtropical in Mexico and tropical in Florida, the Caribbean and southernmost Mexico. The continent’s central parts have a marked mainland climate with very cold winters and hot summers.

Winter is often marked by high pressure over the continent’s western regions. The winds around this high pressure bring cold air down especially the eastern United States. The north-south-walking mountain ranges of the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians cut off the interior of the country from mild air masses from the coast, and with their orientation they cannot prevent the cold air from penetrating far south. This is why the boundary between temperate and subtropical climate in the US follows the 10 ° isotherm for the coldest month, while in Europe and Asia it follows significantly lower temperatures.

In the Atlantic, every year, near the equator, tropical storms occur, which overlook the Gulf of Mexico. At intervals, they hit the southern coastal areas of the United States, causing great devastation.

North American Population

According to Countryaah.com, the North America is composed of Mexico, United States of America (USA) and Canada. The territories of Greenland (Danish), Bermuda (British) and Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islands (French) also make up the region. According to Abbreviationfinder, USA stands for United States of America.

The North American territory is 18,680,276 km² and has extensive uninhabited areas. On the other hand, the Atlantic and peaceful coasts, the Great Lakes region and the Mexico City region are densely populated, with enormous urban agglomerations. North America’s population is approximately 490 million. The USA has the largest population, with 324.1 million inhabitants. Then comes Mexico, with 128.6 million inhabitants and, finally, Canada, with 36.2 million. In terms of population density, Mexico is ahead, with 66hab./km², followed by the USA, with 35 inhabitants/km² and Canada, with only 4 inhabitants/km².

The composition of the North American population took place, at first, through the miscegenation of the indigenous peoples with the European colonizers and the Africans brought into slave labor. From the 20th century onwards, people from various countries, such as Europeans and Asians, and later Central Americans and South Americans, immigrated, generating an extremely diverse population composition.

The predominant language in each country is: English in the USA, French and English in Canada and Spanish in Mexico. The native languages that resisted colonization and stand out are: Nahuatl and Mayan in Mexico; the sioux, in the USA; atapasco, in Canada; and the Eskimo, in Canada and Greenland.

The American population is concentrated in the northeast region, on the west coast and in the vicinity of the Gulf of Mexico. Colonization on the Atlantic coast gave rise to many cities that grew to become today’s metropolises. The gold rush and government incentives in the 19th century guaranteed the settlement of the west. In the past few decades, the southern economy has attracted a large mass of workers.

Intense industrialization and economic development have made the USA a great urbanized power, with high indicators of human development. A striking negative characteristic in the United States is racism and xenophobia, manifestations of intolerance on the part of the population in relation to Afro-descendant, Latino and migrant populations from other countries.

Due to the advance of industrialization and the tertiary sector over the 20th century, Canada has a mostly urban population. The metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa stand out, which together concentrate almost 15 million inhabitants. A striking feature of the Canadian population is multiculturalism, stemming from the ethnic diversity resulting from immigration that has occurred since colonial times until today. Almost 20% of the population is made up of minority groups. With a low birth rate and high life expectancy, the elderly Canadian population has increased, while the working age population has decreased. That is why the country invests in programs to encourage the migration of foreigners to the country, which corresponds to 50% of the population growth.

Unlike the USA and Canada, Mexico is not part of the developed world. Its population, 60% mestizo, suffers from the same problems as other Latin American countries. Indigenous nations represent 29% of the population and are located in the interior of the country, with generally unfavorable living conditions.

The concentration of land expelled peasants and indigenous people from the countryside, intensifying urbanization. Conflicts between indigenous people and farmers and the government are constant in the country. That is why there are indigenous groups that organize themselves to maintain their way of life independent of the State, as is the case with the Zapatistas.

Currently, almost 80% of the Mexican population lives in cities. Especially in Mexico City, which has 19 million inhabitants. A large portion of the Mexican population works informally in urban areas, selling mainly food.

Country Population growth (percent) Mortality / death rate (per 1000 residents) Nativity / birth rate (per 1000 residents)
Antigua and Barbuda 1.0 (2017) 5.8 (2016) 16.2 (2016)
Bahamas 1.0 (2017) 6.3 (2016) 14.3 (2016)
Barbados 0.3 (2017) 10.7 (2016) 11.9 (2016)
Belize 2.1 (2017) 5.5 (2016) 22.5 (2016)
Costa Rica 1.0 (2017) 4.9 (2016) 14.3 (2016)
Dominica 0.5 (2017) 8.2 (2014) 12.0 (2014)
Dominican Republic 1.1 (2017) 6.1 (2016) 20.2 (2016)
El Salvador 0.5 (2017) 6.7 (2016) 18.5 (2016)
Grenada 0.5 (2017) 7.1 (2016) 18.7 (2016)
Guatemala 2.0 (2017) 4.8 (2016) 25.3 (2016)
Haiti 1.2 (2017) 8.6 (2016) 24.2 (2016)
Honduras 1.7 (2017) 4.8 (2016) 21.7 (2016)
Jamaica 0.3 (2017) 7.0 (2016) 16.6 (2016)
Canada 1.2 (2017) 7.5 (2016) 10.8 (2016)
Cuba 0.1 (2017) 8.0 (2016) 10.9 (2016)
Mexico 1.3 (2017) 4.9 (2016) 18.2 (2016)
Nicaragua 1.1 (2017) 4.8 (2016) 19.5 (2016)
Panama 1.6 (2017) 5.0 (2016) 19.5 (2016)
Saint Kitts & Nevis 1.0 (2017) 10.8 (2002) 17.3 (2002)
Saint Lucia 0.5 (2017) 7.5 (2016) 12.1 (2016)
St. Vincent & the Grenadines 0.2 (2017) 7.2 (2016) 15.5 (2016)
Trinidad & Tobago 0.3 (2017) 9.6 (2016) 13.6 (2016)
USA 0.7 (2017) 8.4 (2016) 12.4 (2016)

North America Population