North America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 9,355,000 square miles (24,230,000 square kilometres). In 2001 its population was estimated at 454,225,000.
North America occupies the northern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the Western Hemisphere, or simply the Americas. North America's only land connection is to South America at the narrow Isthmus of Panama. According to some authorities, North America begins not at the Isthmus of Panama but at the narrows of Tehuantepec, with the intervening region called Central America.
The United States and Canada are sometimes grouped under the term Anglo-America while the rest of North America and South America are grouped under the term Latin America.
It should be noted that the term "North America", when employed in a context other than geography, may mean different things to different people. To many Americans and Canadians the term, in common usage, is often taken to mean "The United States of America and Canada, excluding Mexico", unless the context makes it clear that Mexico is to be included (for instance, when talking about NAFTA). This is due to the fact that culturally and economically, the USA and Canada are more alike to each other than they are to Mexico. Mexicans, however, feel that Mexico is a part of North America and object to the above usage.
At the extreme southeastern end of the continent, lies a chain of islands territories called the Antilles, the Caribbean or the West Indies, which include:
Lying in the Atlantic Ocean but considered part of the continent are Bermuda, a (British dependency); Greenland, a self-governing dependency of Denmark, the largest island in the world, located in the far north of the continent, to the east of Canada's Nunavut Territory; Saint Pierre and Miquelon, found off the coast of Canada, it is the last of France's once vast North American possessions.
Since 1931Rugby, North Dakota has officially been recognised as being at the geographic center of North America. The location is marked by a 4.5 metre (15 foot) field stone obelisk.
