View source for Earth:Americas

{{Short description|Landmass comprising North and South America}}
{{Infobox continent
| title = Americas
| image = {{Switcher|[[File:Americas (orthographic projection).svg|frameless]]|Show national borders|[[File:Americas (orthographic projection) blank.svg|frameless]]|Hide national borders|default=1}}
| area = 42,549,000 km<sup>2</sup><br />(16,428,000 sq mi)
| population = 1.02 billion<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/population |title=Population |publisher=United Nations |access-date=July 25, 2021}}</ref>
| density = 22.67/km<sup>2</sup> (58.74/sq mi)
| HDI = North America 0.733, 
South America 0.738<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313372895|title=Continental Comparison of Human Development Index (HDI)|year=2020}}</ref>
| demonym = American,<ref name="OEDAMERICAN" /> New Worlder<ref name="OED|New Worlder">{{OED|New Worlder}}</ref> (see usage)
| countries = 35
| list_countries = 
| dependencies = 
| languages = [[Social:Spanish language in the Americas|Spanish]], [[Social:English language|English]], Portuguese, French, [[Social:Haitian Creole|Haitian Creole]], Quechua, Guaraní, [[Social:Aymara language|Aymara]], [[Social:Nahuatl|Nahuatl]], Dutch and many others
| time = [[UTC−10:00|00]] to UTC
| cities = 
{{collapsible list
 | list_style = text-align:left;
 <!--1-->|1. São Paulo<!--11,967,825-->
 <!--2-->|2. [[Place:Lima|Lima]]<!--8,894,412-->
 <!--3-->|3. [[Place:Mexico City|Mexico City]]<!--8,854,600-->
 <!--4-->|4. {{wipe|New York City}}<!--8,550,405-->
 <!--5-->|5. [[Place:Bogotá|Bogotá]]<!--7,862,277-->
 <!--6-->|6. Rio de Janeiro<!--6,476,631-->
 <!--7-->|7. [[Place:Santiago|Santiago]]<!--5,507,282-->
 <!--8-->|8. {{wipe|Los Angeles}}<!--3,971,883-->
 <!--9-->|9. [[Place:Caracas|Caracas]]<!--3,289,886-->
 <!--10-->|10. [[Place:Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]]<!--3,054,267-->
 }}<br />
Complete List of largest metropolitan areas and their cities
| m49 = <code>019</code> – Americas<br /><code>001</code> – World
}}

[[File:N&SAmerica-pol.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.05|1990s CIA political map of the Americas in [[Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection|Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection]]]]
The '''Americas''', sometimes collectively called '''America''',<ref name="oxfordc"/><ref name="Burchfield"/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/america?q=america |title= America |website= Oxford Dictionary}}</ref> are a landmass comprising the totality of [[Earth:North America|North]] and [[Earth:South America|South America]].<ref>''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Merriam Webster dictionary|year=2013|publisher=Merriam-Webster, Incorporated|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/america|access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>"continent n. 5. a." (1989) ''Oxford English Dictionary'', 2nd edition. [[Organization:Oxford University Press|Oxford University Press]]; "continent<sup>1</sup> n." (2006) ''The Concise Oxford English Dictionary'', 11th edition revised. (Ed.) Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press; "continent<sup>1</sup> n." (2005) ''The New Oxford American Dictionary'', 2nd edition. (Ed.) Erin McKean. Oxford University Press; "continent [2, n] 4 a" (1996) ''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged''. ProQuest Information and Learning; "continent" (2007) ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. Retrieved January 14, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.</ref> The Americas make up most of the land in [[Astronomy:Earth|Earth]]'s [[Earth:Western Hemisphere|Western Hemisphere]] and comprise the [[Earth:New World|New World]].<ref name="oxfordc"/>

Along with their associated islands, the Americas cover 8% of Earth's total surface area and 28.4% of its land area. The topography is dominated by the American Cordillera, a long chain of mountains that runs the length of the west coast. The flatter eastern side of the Americas is dominated by large river basins, such as the Amazon, St. Lawrence River–Great Lakes basin, Mississippi, and La Plata. Since the Americas extend {{cvt|14000|km|mi|-2}} from north to south, the climate and ecology vary widely, from the arctic [[Earth:Tundra|tundra]] of [[Place:Northern Canada|Northern Canada]], [[Place:Greenland|Greenland]], and [[Earth:Alaska|Alaska]], to the tropical rain forests in Central America and South America.

Humans first settled the Americas from [[Earth:Asia|Asia]] between 20,000 and 16,000 years ago. A second migration of [[Social:Na-Dene languages|Na-Dene speakers]] followed later from Asia. The subsequent migration of the Inuit into the neoarctic around 3500 BCE completed what is generally regarded as the settlement by the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

The first known European settlement in the Americas was by the Norse explorer Leif Erikson.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/erikson_leif.shtml |title=Leif Erikson (11th century) |publisher=BBC |access-date=November 20, 2011}}</ref> However, the colonization never became permanent and was later abandoned. The Spanish voyages of Christopher Columbus from 1492 to 1504 resulted in permanent contact with European (and subsequently, other [[Earth:Old World|Old World]]) powers, which eventually led to the [[Biology:Columbian exchange|Columbian exchange]] and inaugurated a period of exploration, [[History:European colonization of the Americas|conquest, and colonization]] whose effects and consequences persist to the present. The Spanish presence involved the enslavement of large numbers of the indigenous population of America.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kamen |first1=Henry |title=Spain's Road to Empire: The Making of a World Power, 1492–1763}}</ref>

Diseases introduced from [[Earth:Europe|Europe]] and [[Place:West Africa|West Africa]] devastated the indigenous peoples, and the European powers [[History:European colonization of the Americas|colonized the Americas]].<ref name="Taylor 2001">{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Alan|title=American Colonies|year=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|location=New York|isbn=9780142002100|url=https://archive.org/details/americancolonies00tayl}}</ref> Mass emigration from Europe, including large numbers of indentured servants, and [[History:Atlantic slave trade|importation of African slaves]] largely replaced the indigenous peoples.

Decolonization of the Americas began with the [[History:American Revolution|American Revolution]] in the 1770s and largely ended with the Spanish–American War in the late 1890s. Currently, almost all of the population of the Americas resides in independent countries; however, the legacy of the colonization and settlement by Europeans is that the Americas share many common cultural traits, most notably [[Religion:Christianity|Christianity]] and the use of West European languages: primarily [[Social:Spanish language in the Americas|Spanish]], [[Social:English language|English]], Portuguese, French, and, to a lesser extent, Dutch.

The Americas are home to more than a billion inhabitants, two-thirds of whom reside in the {{wipe|United States}}, {{wipe|Brazil}}, and Mexico. It is home to eight megacities (metropolitan areas with ten million inhabitants or more): Greater Mexico City (21.2 million), São Paulo (21.2 million), New York City (19.7 million), Los Angeles (18.8 million), Buenos Aires (15.6 million),<ref name="indecpop">{{cite web |url=http://www.censo2010.indec.gov.ar/preliminares/cuadro_totalpais.asp |title=Censo 2010. Resultados provisionales: cuadros y grá |access-date=25 February 2011 |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101220143832/http://www.censo2010.indec.gov.ar/preliminares/cuadro_totalpais.asp |archive-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> Rio de Janeiro (13.0 million), Bogotá (10.4 million), and Lima (10.1 million).

== <span id="Naming">Etymology and naming</span> ==

[[File:Amerigo Vespucci (with turban).jpg|thumb|upright|America is named after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-24-america-turns-500_N.htm |title=Cartographer Put 'America' on the Map 500 years Ago |work=USA Today |location =Washington, D.C. |date=April 24, 2007 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=November 30, 2008}}</ref>]]

The name "America" was first recorded in 1507. A two-dimensional globe created by Martin Waldseemüller was the earliest recorded use of the term.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/8ea8f3f87201426f946b400b5c78ce7f|title=Oldest map to use word 'America' up for sale|last=Lawless|first=Jill|work=News and Record|agency=Associated Press|date=November 7, 2017|access-date=June 5, 2019}}</ref> The name was also used (together with the related term ''Amerigen'') in the ''[[Earth:Cosmographiae Introductio|Cosmographiae Introductio]]'', apparently written by Matthias Ringmann, in reference to South America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0309/maps.html|title=The Map That Named America (September 2003) – Library of Congress Information Bulletin|website=Loc.gov}}</ref> It was applied to both North and South America by Gerardus Mercator in 1538. "America" derives from ''Americus'', the [[Social:Latinisation of names|Latin]] version of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci's first name. 

The feminine form ''America'' was originally used to refer to the newly discovered continent, which is why it was accorded with the feminine names of the other continents: [[Earth:Asia|Asia]], [[Earth:Africa|Africa]], and [[Earth:Europe|Europa]].<ref name=Smiths>Toby Lester, "Putting America on the Map", ''Smithsonian'', 40:9 (December 2009)</ref>

Since the 1950s,<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/l/lewis-myth.html | title = The Myth of Continents: A Critique of Metageography (Chapter 1) |publisher = University of California Press|accessdate=August 14, 2018}}</ref> however, North and South America have generally been considered by English speakers as separate continents, and taken together are called ''the Americas'', or more rarely ''America''.<ref>See for example: [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/america america – Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary]. Retrieved on January 27, 2008; "[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/america dictionary.reference.com america]". Dictionary.com. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Accessed: January 27, 2008.</ref><ref>Marjorie Fee and Janice MacAlpine, ''Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage'' (2008) page 36 says "In Canada, ''American'' is used almost exclusively in reference to the United States and its citizens." Others, including ''The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary'', ''The Canadian Oxford Dictionary'', ''The Australian Oxford Dictionary'' and ''The Concise Oxford English Dictionary'' all specify both the Americas and the United States in their definition of "American".</ref><ref name="oxfordc">"America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' ({{ISBN|0-19-214183-X}}). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 33: "[16c: from the feminine of ''Americus'', the Latinized first name of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512). The name ''America'' first appeared on a map in 1507 by the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, referring to the area now called Brazil]. Since the 16c, a name of the western hemisphere, often in the plural ''Americas'' and more or less synonymous with ''the New World''. Since the 18c, a name of the United States of America. The second sense is now primary in English:&nbsp;... However, the term is open to uncertainties:&nbsp;..."</ref> When conceived as a unitary continent, the form is generally ''the continent of America'' in the singular. However, without a clarifying context, singular ''America'' in English commonly refers to the {{wipe|United States of America}}.<ref name=oxfordc />

== History ==
{{Main|History:History of the Americas}}

=== Pre-Columbian era ===
{{Main|History:Pre-Columbian era}}
[[File:CPN WEST COURT 01.jpg|thumb|The Plaza Occidental in Copán, Honduras]]

The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the [[History:History of the Americas|history and prehistory of the Americas]] before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the [[Earth:Upper Paleolithic|Upper Paleolithic]] to [[History:European colonization of the Americas|European colonization]] during the Early Modern period. The term ''Pre-Columbian'' is used especially often in the context of the great indigenous civilizations of the Americas, such as those of [[Place:Mesoamerica|Mesoamerica]] (Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacano, Zapotec, Mixtec, Aztec, Maya) and the Andean civilizations (Inca, Moche, Chavín, Muisca, [[Place:Cañari|Cañari]]).

Many pre-Columbian [[Social:Civilization|civilization]]s established characteristics and hallmarks which included permanent or urban settlements, agriculture, civic and monumental architecture, and complex societal hierarchies. Some of these civilizations had long faded by the time of the first permanent European arrivals ({{Circa|late 15th}}–early 16th centuries), and are known only through [[Earth:Archaeology|archeological]] investigations. Others were contemporary with this period, and are also known from historical accounts of the time. A few, such as the Maya, had their own written records. However, most Europeans of the time viewed such texts as pagan, and much was destroyed in Christian pyres. Only a few hidden documents remain today, leaving modern historians with glimpses of ancient culture and knowledge.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mann|first=Charles C.|title=1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus|title-link=1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus|publisher=Knopf|year=2005|isbn=978-1-4000-4006-3|location=New York|oclc=56632601|}}</ref>

==== Settlement ====

[[File:Spreading homo sapiens la.svg|thumb|upright=2|Map of [[Biology:Early human migrations|early human migrations]] based on the Out of Africa theory<ref>{{cite book|first=Göran |last=Burenhult|title= Die ersten Menschen|publisher= Weltbild Verlag|year= 2000|isbn= 3-8289-0741-5}}</ref>]]
[[Biology:Paleo-Indians|The first inhabitants]] migrated into the Americas from Asia. Habitation sites are known in [[Earth:Alaska|Alaska]] and [[Earth:Yukon|Yukon]] from at least 20,000 years ago, with suggested ages of up to 40,000 years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Introduction |work=Government of Canada |publisher=Parks Canada |url=http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/docs/r/pfa-fap/sec1.aspx |year=2009 |access-date=January 9, 2010 |quote=Canada's oldest known home is a cave in Yukon occupied not 12,000 years ago like the U.S. sites, but at least 20,000 years ago |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424103401/http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/docs/r/pfa-fap/sec1.aspx |archive-date=April 24, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pleistocene Archaeology of the Old Crow Flats |publisher=Vuntut National Park of Canada |url=http://yukon.taiga.net/vuntutrda/archaeol/info.htm |year=2008 |access-date=January 10, 2010 |quote=However, despite the lack of this conclusive and widespread evidence, there are suggestions of human occupation in the northern Yukon about 24,000 years ago, and hints of the presence of humans in the Old Crow Basin as far back as about 40,000 years ago. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081022085345/http://yukon.taiga.net/vuntutrda/archaeol/info.htm |archive-date=October 22, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="kind">{{cite web|url=http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/|title=Journey of mankind|work=Brad Shaw Foundation|access-date=November 17, 2009}}</ref>
Beyond that, the specifics of the Paleo-Indian migration to and throughout the Americas, including the dates and routes traveled, are subject to ongoing research and discussion.<ref name="national">{{cite web|url=https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html?era=e003|title=Atlas of the Human Journey-The Genographic Project|date=1996–2008|publisher=National Geographic Society.|access-date=October 6, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501094643/https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html?era=e003|archive-date=May 1, 2011}}</ref> Widespread habitation of the Americas occurred after the Late Glacial Maximum, from 16,000 to 13,000 years ago.<ref name="kind" /><ref>{{cite journal|last2=Salzano|first2=FM|year=1997|title=A single and early migration for the peopling of the Americas supported by mitochondrial DNA sequence data|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|publisher=National Academy of Sciences|volume=94|issue=5|pages=1866–71|doi=10.1073/pnas.94.5.1866|pmc=20009|pmid=9050871|last1=Bonatto|first1=SL|bibcode=1997PNAS...94.1866B|doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[File:Palazzo_Ferreria_statue_4_America.jpeg|thumb|left|upright|Statue representing the Americas at Palazzo Ferreria, in Valletta, Malta]]
The traditional theory has been that these early migrants moved into the [[Earth:Beringia|Beringia]] land bridge between eastern Siberia and present-day Alaska around 40,000–17,000 years ago,<ref name="SpencerWells2">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WAsKm-_zu5sC&q=The%20Journey%20of%20Man&pg=PA138|title=The Journey of Man – A Genetic Odyssey|last2=Read|first2=Mark|publisher=Random House|year=2002|isbn=0-8129-7146-9|pages=138–140|format=Digitised online by Google books|first1=Spencer|last1=Wells|access-date=November 21, 2009}}</ref> when sea levels were significantly lowered during the [[Earth:Quaternary glaciation|Quaternary glaciation]].<ref name="national" /><ref name="Smithsonian">{{cite web|first1=Drs. William |last1=Fitzhugh |first2=Ives |last2=Goddard |first3=Steve |last3=Ousley |first4=Doug |last4=Owsley |first5=Dennis |last5=Stanford |url=http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/origin.htm |title=Paleoamerican |publisher=Smithsonian Institution Anthropology Outreach Office |access-date=January 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105215737/http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI//nmnh/origin.htm |archive-date=January 5, 2009 |url-status=dead }} 
</ref> These people are believed to have followed herds of now-extinct [[Biology:Pleistocene megafauna|pleistocene megafauna]] along ''ice-free corridors'' that stretched between the [[Earth:Laurentide Ice Sheet|Laurentide]] and Cordilleran ice sheets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.physorg.com/news169474130.html |title=The peopling of the Americas: Genetic ancestry influences health|work=Scientific American|access-date=November 17, 2009}}</ref> Another route proposed is that, either on foot or using [[Engineering:Boat#History|primitive boats]], they migrated down the Pacific coast to South America.<ref>{{cite journal|date=January 1979|title=Alternate Migration Corridors for Early Man in North America|volume=44|issue=1|pages=55–69|doi=10.2307/279189|jstor=279189|journal=American Antiquity|last1=Fladmark|first1=K. R.|s2cid=162243347 }}</ref> Evidence of the latter would since have been covered by a [[Earth:Sea level rise|sea level rise]] of hundreds of meters following the last ice age.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2009/01/sea-will-rise-to-levels-of-last-ice-age/|title=68 Responses to "Sea will rise 'to levels of last Ice Age'"|work=Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University |date=January 26, 2009 |access-date=November 17, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091027133849/http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2009/01/sea-will-rise-to-levels-of-last-ice-age/| archive-date= October 27, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> Both routes may have been taken, although the genetic evidences suggests a single founding population.<ref>{{cite journal | url = http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090108/full/news.2009.7.html | title = Earliest Americans took two paths | journal = Nature | last = Ledford | first = Heidi | date = January 8, 2009 | doi=10.1038/news.2009.7}}</ref> The micro-satellite diversity and distributions specific to South American Indigenous people indicates that certain populations have been isolated since the initial colonization of the region.<ref name="subclades">{{cite web|title=Summary of knowledge on the subclades of Haplogroup Q |url=http://64.40.115.138/file/lu/6/52235/NTIyMzV9K3szNTc2Nzc=.jpg?download=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510204204/http://64.40.115.138/file/lu/6/52235/NTIyMzV9K3szNTc2Nzc%3D.jpg?download=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 10, 2011 |publisher=Genebase Systems |year=2009 |access-date=November 22, 2009 }}</ref>

A second migration occurred after the initial peopling of the Americas;<ref name="Meltzer2009">{{cite book |last=Meltzer |first=David J. |title=First Peoples in a New World: Colonizing Ice Age America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rnc-bg2voI8C&pg=PA146|date=May 27, 2009|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-25052-9|page=146}}</ref> [[Social:Na-Dene languages|Na Dene speakers]] found predominantly in North American groups at varying genetic rates with the highest frequency found among the [[Social:Athabaskan languages|Athabaskans]] at 42% derive from this second wave.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Reich|first=David |date=August 16, 2012|title=Reconstructing Native American population history|journal=Nature|volume=488|issue=7411|pages=370–374|display-authors=0|doi=10.1038/nature11258|pmc=3615710|bibcode=2012Natur.488..370R|pmid=22801491}}</ref> Linguists and [[Biologist|biologist]]s have reached a similar conclusion based on analysis of [[Social:Indigenous languages of the Americas|Amerindian language groups]] and [[Biology:ABO blood group system|ABO blood group system]] distributions.<ref name="Meltzer2009" /><ref>{{cite book|title=An introduction to the languages of the world|first=Anatole |last=Lyovi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y6Y-L4ogfhIC&q=Indigenous+languages+of+the+Americas&pg=PA309|year=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=309|isbn=0-19-508115-3 |access-date=March 25, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Mithun|first=Marianne|s2cid=146205659|year=1990|title=Studies of North American Indian Languages|journal=Annual Review of Anthropology|volume=19|issue=1|pages=309–330|doi=10.1146/annurev.an.19.100190.001521}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Vajda|first=Edward|year=2010|title=A Siberian link with Na-Dene languages|url=http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:G4veoXaTjUAJ:scholar.google.com/|publisher=Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska|volume=5}} {{Dead link|date=November 2015}}</ref> Then the people of the Arctic small tool tradition, a broad cultural entity that developed along the [[Earth:Alaska Peninsula|Alaska Peninsula]], around Bristol Bay, and on the eastern shores of the Bering Strait {{circa|2,500 BCE}} moved into North America.<ref name="Fagan">{{cite book
|last=Fagan
|first=Brian M.
|title=Ancient North America: The Archaeology of a Continent.
|edition=4
|year=2005
|publisher=Thames & Hudson Inc.
|location=New York
|pages=390, p396
|isbn=0-500-28148-3
}}</ref> The Arctic small tool tradition, a Paleo-Eskimo culture branched off into two cultural variants, including the Pre-Dorset, and the Independence traditions of Greenland.<ref name="YoungBjerregaard2008" /> The descendants of the Pre-Dorset cultural group, the Dorset culture was displaced by the final migrants from the Bering sea coast line, the Thule people (the ancestors of modern Inuit), by 1000&nbsp;[[Common Era]] (CE).<ref name="YoungBjerregaard2008">{{cite book|author1=T. Kue Young|author2=Peter Bjerregaard|title=Health Transitions in Arctic Populations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uTim7CZnKGEC&pg=PA121|date=June 28, 2008|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=978-0-8020-9401-8|page=121}}</ref>

==== Norse colonization ====
Around the same time as the Inuit migrated into Greenland, Viking settlers began arriving in [[Place:Greenland|Greenland]] in 982 and Vinland shortly thereafter, establishing a settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows, near the northernmost tip of Newfoundland.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vinland|url=http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/education/teacher-resources/oracles/archaeology/rmcghee/vinland|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110020418/http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/education/teacher-resources/oracles/archaeology/rmcghee/vinland|archive-date=November 10, 2010|publisher=Canadian Museum of Civilization}}</ref> Contact between the Norse colonies and Europe was maintained, as James Watson Curran states:{{blockquote|From 985 to 1410, Greenland was in touch with the world. Then silence. In 1492 the [[Organization:Holy See|Vatican]] noted that no news of that country "at the end of the world" had been received for 80 years, and the bishopric of the colony was offered to a certain ecclesiastic if he would go and "restore Christianity" there. He didn't go.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Curran|first=James Watson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eSxCAAAAIAAJ|title=Here was Vinland: The Great Lakes Region of America|publisher=Sault Daily Star|year=1939|location=Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario|pages=207|language=en}}</ref>}}

=== Large-scale European colonization ===
{{Main|History:European colonization of the Americas}}
[[File:Landing of Columbus (2).jpg|thumb|Christopher Columbus leads expedition to the New World, 1492.]]

Although there had been previous [[Social:Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact theories|trans-oceanic contact]], large-scale European colonization of the Americas began with the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. The first Spanish settlement in the Americas was La Isabela in northern Hispaniola. This town was abandoned shortly after in favor of [[Place:Santo Domingo|Santo Domingo de Guzmán]], founded in 1496, the oldest American city of European foundation. This was the base from which the Spanish monarchy administered its new colonies and their expansion. Santo Domingo was subject to frequent raids by English and French pirates.

On the continent, [[Place:Panama City|Panama City]] on the Pacific coast of Central America, founded on August 15, 1519, played an important role, being the base for the Spanish conquest of South America. Conquistador Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón established San Miguel de Guadalupe, the first European settlement in what is now the {{wipe|United States}}, on the Pee Dee River in South Carolina.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lucas-Vazquez-de-Ayllon |website=Britannica|date=January 2024 }}</ref> During the first half of the 16th century, Spanish colonists conducted raids throughout the Caribbean Basin, bringing captives from Central America, northern South America, and Florida back to Hispaniola and other Spanish settlements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/african_laborers_for_a_new_emp/the_spanish_and_new_world_slav|title=The Spanish and New World Slavery · African Laborers for a New Empire: Iberia, Slavery, and the Atlantic World · Lowcountry Digital History Initiative|website=ldhi.library.cofc.edu}}</ref>

France, led by Jacques Cartier and Giovanni da Verrazano,<ref>{{cite web |title=Giovanni da Verrazzano |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Giovanni-da-Verrazzano |website=Britannica|date=January 2024 }}</ref> focused primarily on North America. English explorations of the Americas were led by Giovanni Caboto<ref>{{cite web |title=John Cabot |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Cabot |website=Britannica|date=December 14, 2023 }}</ref> and Sir Walter Raleigh. The Dutch in New Netherland confined their operations to Manhattan Island, Long Island, the Hudson River Valley, and what later became New Jersey. The spread of new diseases brought by Europeans and African slaves killed many of the inhabitants of North America and South America,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Thornton|first=Russell|year=1997|title=Aboriginal North American Population and Rates of Decline, c.a. A.D. 1500–1900|url=https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=intitle%3AAboriginal+North+American+Population+and+Rates+of+Decline%2C+c.a.+A.D.+1500+-+1900&as_publication=Current+Anthropology&as_ylo=1997&as_yhi=1997&btnG=Search|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328174355/https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=intitle%3AAboriginal+North+American+Population+and+Rates+of+Decline%2C+c.a.+A.D.+1500+-+1900&as_publication=Current+Anthropology&as_ylo=1997&as_yhi=1997&btnG=Search|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 28, 2022|journal=Current Anthropology|volume=38|issue=2|pages=310–315|doi=10.1086/204615|jstor=00113204|s2cid=143901232}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Crosby|first=Alfred W.|s2cid=44458578|date=April 1976|title=Virgin Soil Epidemics as a Factor in the Aboriginal Depopulation in America|journal=William and Mary Quarterly|volume=33|issue=2|pages=289–299|doi=10.2307/1922166|jstor=1922166|pmid=11633588}}</ref> with a general population crash of Native Americans occurring in the mid-16th century, often well ahead of European contact.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dobyns|first=Henry F.|year=1993|title=Disease Transfer at Contact|journal=Annual Review of Anthropology|volume=22|issue=1|pages=273–291|doi=10.1146/annurev.an.22.100193.001421|jstor=2155849|author-link=Henry F. Dobyns}}</ref> One of the most devastating diseases was [[Medicine:Smallpox|smallpox]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Smallpox |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/smallpox |website=Britannica|date=January 2, 2024 }}</ref>

European immigrants were often part of state-sponsored attempts to found colonies in the Americas. Migration continued as people moved to the Americas fleeing [[Religion:Religious persecution|religious persecution]] or seeking economic opportunities. Millions of individuals were forcibly transported to the Americas as [[Social:Slavery|slave]]s, prisoners or indentured servants.

[[File:Americas independence map.PNG|thumb|right|Map showing the dates of independence from European powers. Black signifies areas that are dependent territories or parts of countries with a capital outside the Americas.]]

Decolonization of the Americas began with the [[History:American Revolution|American Revolution]] and the Haitian Revolution in the late 1700s. This was followed by numerous Latin American wars of independence in the early 1800s. Between 1811 and 1825, Paraguay, {{wipe|Argentina}}, {{wipe|Chile}}, Gran Colombia, the United Provinces of Central America, Mexico, {{wipe|Brazil}}, Peru, and Bolivia gained independence from Spain and Portugal in armed revolutions. After the Dominican Republic won independence from Haiti, it was re-annexed by Spain in 1861, but reclaimed its independence in 1865 at the conclusion of the Dominican Restoration War. The last violent episode of decolonization was the Cuban War of Independence which became the Spanish–American War, which resulted in the independence of Cuba in 1898, and the transfer of sovereignty over Puerto Rico from Spain to the United States.

Peaceful decolonization began with the United States's purchase of Louisiana from France in 1803, Florida from Spain in 1819, of Alaska from Russia in 1867, and the Danish West Indies from Denmark in 1916. {{wipe|Canada}} became independent of the United Kingdom, starting with the Balfour Declaration of 1926, Statute of Westminster 1931, and ending with the patriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982. The [[Finance:Dominion of Newfoundland|Dominion of Newfoundland]] similarly achieved independence under the Balfour Declaration and Statute of Westminster, but relinquished self-rule in 1934.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/commission-government.php | title=The Commission of Government, 1934-1949 }}</ref> It was subsequently confederated with Canada in 1949.

The remaining European colonies in the Caribbean began to achieve peaceful independence well after [[Social:World War II|World War II]]. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago became independent in 1962, and Guyana and Barbados both achieved independence in 1966. In the 1970s, the Bahamas, Grenada, [[Earth:Dominica|Dominica]], St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines all became independent of the United Kingdom, and Suriname became independent of the Netherlands. Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence from the United Kingdom in the 1980s.

== Geography ==
[[File:Earth-DSCOVR-20150706-IFV.jpg|thumb|Satellite photo of the Americas on Earth]]

=== Extent ===
The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's [[Earth:Western Hemisphere|Western Hemisphere]].<ref>
*{{citation|title=Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary|year=2001|quote=The part of the Earth comprising North and South America and surrounding waters; longitudes 20°W and 160°E are often considered its boundaries|page=1294|contribution=Western Hemisphere|edition=3rd|place=Springfield, MA|publisher=Merriam-Webster}}
*{{cite book|title=The Chambers Dictionary|date=2011|publisher=Chambers Harrap Publishers, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-550-10237-9|edition=12|location=London|page=1780|editor1-last=O'Neal|editor1-first=Mary}}
*{{cite book|url=http://www.worldbook.com|title=The World Book Dictionary|date=2003|publisher=World Book, Inc|isbn=0-7166-0299-7|location=Chicago|page=2377|quote=Western Hemisphere, the half of the world that includes North and South America.}}
*{{cite book|title=The American Heritage College Dictionary|date=2010|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0-618-83595-9|edition=Fourth|location=Boston|page=1557|quote=Western Hemisphere The half of the earth comprising North America, Central America, and South America}}
*{{cite book|title=New Oxford American Dictionary|date=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|edition=Third|location=New York|page=1963|quote=The Half of the earth that contains the Americas|editor1-last=Stevenson|editor1-first=Angus|editor2-last=Lindberg|editor2-first=Christine A.}}
*{{cite book|title=Webster's New World College Dictionary|date=2014|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0-544-16606-6|edition=Fifth|location=Boston|quote=Western Hemisphere that half of the earth which includes North & South America}}</ref> The northernmost point of the Americas is [[Earth:Kaffeklubben Island|Kaffeklubben Island]], which is the most northerly point of land on Earth.<ref>{{Cite news|last = Burress|first = Charles|url = http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/06/17/BAG4J779M31.DTL&type=science|title = Romancing the north Berkeley explorer may have stepped on ancient Thule|work = San Francisco Chronicle|date = June 17, 2004|access-date = January 11, 2008|archive-date = May 9, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120509184952/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F2004%2F06%2F17%2FBAG4J779M31.DTL&type=science|url-status = dead}}</ref> The southernmost point is the islands of Southern Thule, although they are sometimes considered part of [[Earth:Antarctica|Antarctica]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coolantarctica.com/Travel/south_georgia_south_sandwich_islands.htm|title=South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica – Travel|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219114729/http://www.coolantarctica.com/Travel/south_georgia_south_sandwich_islands.htm |archive-date=February 19, 2015}}</ref> The mainland of the Americas is the world's longest north-to-south landmass. The distance between its two polar extremities, [[Earth:Murchison Promontory|Murchison Promontory]] on the Boothia Peninsula in northern Canada and [[Earth:Cape Froward|Cape Froward]] in Chilean [[Place:Patagonia|Patagonia]], is roughly {{cvt|14000|km|mi}}.<ref name="worldbook">{{cite encyclopedia|title = America|encyclopedia = The World Book Encyclopedia|volume = 1|pages = 407|publisher = World Book, Inc|year = 2006|isbn = 0-7166-0106-0}}</ref> The mainland's most westerly point is the end of the Seward Peninsula in Alaska; Attu Island, further off the Alaskan coast to the west, is considered the westernmost point of the Americas. [[Earth:Ponta do Seixas|Ponta do Seixas]] in northeastern Brazil forms the easternmost extremity of the mainland,<ref name="worldbook" /> while Nordostrundingen, in Greenland, is the most easterly point of the continental shelf.

=== Geology ===
South America broke off from the west of the supercontinent [[Earth:Gondwana|Gondwana]] around 135&nbsp;million years ago, forming its own continent.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Story|first=Brian C.|date=September 28, 1995|title=The role of mantle plumes in continental breakup: case histories from Gondwanaland|journal=Nature|volume=377|issue=6547|pages=301–309|doi=10.1038/377301a0|bibcode=1995Natur.377..301S|s2cid=4242617}}</ref> Around 15&nbsp;million years ago, the collision of the [[Earth:Caribbean Plate|Caribbean Plate]] and the [[Earth:Pacific Plate|Pacific Plate]] resulted in the emergence of a series of volcanoes along the border that created a number of islands. The gaps in the archipelago of Central America filled in with material eroded off North America and South America, plus new land created by continued volcanism. By three million years ago, the continents of North America and South America were linked by the Isthmus of Panama, thereby forming the single landmass of the Americas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/andes/bridge.html |title=Land bridge: How did the formation of a sliver of land result in major changes in biodiversity |publisher=Public Broadcasting Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011111949/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/andes/bridge.html |archive-date=October 11, 2007 }}</ref> The [[Earth:Great American Interchange|Great American Interchange]] resulted in many species being spread across the Americas, such as the [[Biology:Cougar|cougar]], [[Biology:New World porcupine|porcupine]], [[Biology:Opossum|opossum]]s, [[Biology:Armadillo|armadillo]]s and [[Biology:Hummingbird|hummingbird]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16401 |title=Panama: Isthmus that Changed the World |access-date=July 1, 2008 |publisher=[[Organization:NASA|NASA]] Earth Observatory |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070802015424/http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16401 |archive-date=August 2, 2007 }}</ref>

=== Topography ===
[[File:Aconcagua_(aerial).jpg|thumb|Aconcagua, in {{wipe|Argentina}}, is the highest peak in the Americas.]]

The geography of the western Americas is dominated by the American Cordillera, with the [[Place:Andes|Andes]] running along the west coast of South America<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/andes.htm|title=Andes Mountain Range|access-date=September 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429034553/http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/andes.htm|archive-date=April 29, 2017|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and the Rocky Mountains and other North American Cordillera ranges running along the western side of North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/wm146.htm |title=Rocky Mountains |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714142008/http://biology.usgs.gov/s%2Bt/SNT/noframe/wm146.htm |archive-date=July 14, 2007 }}</ref> The {{convert|2300|km|mi|adj=mid|-long|sp=us}} Appalachian Mountains run along the east coast of North America from Alabama to Newfoundland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2067 |title=Appalachian Mountains |publisher=Ohio History Central |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070501041411/http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2067 |archive-date=May 1, 2007 }}</ref> North of the Appalachians, the [[Place:Arctic Cordillera|Arctic Cordillera]] runs along the eastern coast of Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.evergreen.ca/nativeplants/learn-more/arctic-cordillera.php|title=Arctic Cordillera|work=evergreen.ca|access-date=May 17, 2007|archive-date=April 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418173914/http://www.evergreen.ca/nativeplants/learn-more/arctic-cordillera.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The largest mountain ranges are the [[Place:Andes|Andes]] and Rocky Mountains. The Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range reach similar altitudes as the Rocky Mountains, but are significantly smaller. In North America, the greatest number of fourteeners are in the United States, and more specifically in the U.S. state of Colorado. The highest peaks of the Americas are located in the Andes, with [[Earth:Aconcagua|Aconcagua]] of {{wipe|Argentina}} being the highest; in North America [[Earth:Denali|Denali]] (Mount McKinley) in the U.S. state of [[Earth:Alaska|Alaska]] is the tallest.

Between its coastal mountain ranges, North America has vast flat areas. The Interior Plains spread over much of the continent, with low relief.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Notes/interior_plains_region.html|title=Interior Plains Region|access-date=September 8, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809003610/http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Notes/interior_plains_region.html|archive-date=August 9, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The [[Place:Canadian Shield|Canadian Shield]] covers almost 5&nbsp;million km<sup>2</sup> of North America and is generally quite flat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/Natural%20History/nat_hist.html|title=Natural History of Quebec|access-date=September 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706185133/http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/Natural%20History/nat_hist.html|archive-date=July 6, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Similarly, the north-east of South America is covered by the flat [[Place:Amazon basin|Amazon basin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazonconservation.org/home/strategy.html |title=Strategy |publisher=Amazon Conservation Association |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403082802/http://www.amazonconservation.org/home/strategy.html |archive-date=April 3, 2007 }} 
</ref> The [[Earth:Brazilian Highlands|Brazilian Highlands]] on the east coast are fairly smooth but show some variations in landform, while farther south the Gran Chaco and Pampas are broad lowlands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/southAmerica.htm|title=South America images|access-date=September 8, 2014}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
[[File:Americas Köppen Map.png|upright=1.3|thumb|Climate zones of the Americas in the [[Earth:Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate classification]] system]]
The climate of the Americas varies significantly from region to region. [[Earth:Tropical rainforest climate|Tropical rainforest climate]] occurs in the latitudes of the [[Place:Amazon rainforest|Amazon]], American [[Biology:Cloud forest|cloud forest]]s, southeastern Florida and Darién Gap. In the Rocky Mountains and [[Place:Andes|Andes]], dry and continental climates are observed. Often the higher altitudes of these mountains are snow-capped.

Southeastern North America is well known for its occurrence of tornadoes and hurricanes, of which the vast majority of tornadoes occur in the United States' [[Earth:Tornado Alley|Tornado Alley]],<ref name="Science News 1">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20020511/bob9.asp|title=Tornado Alley, USA|last=Perkins|first=Sid|date=May 11, 2002|magazine=Science News|pages=296–298|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825011156/http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20020511/bob9.asp|archive-date=August 25, 2006|access-date=May 29, 2011}}</ref> as well as in the southerly [[Earth:Dixie Alley|Dixie Alley]] in the North American late-winter and early spring seasons. Often parts of the Caribbean are exposed to the violent effects of hurricanes. These weather systems are formed by the collision of dry, cool air from Canada and wet, warm air from the Atlantic.

=== Hydrology ===
With coastal mountains and interior plains, the Americas have several large river basins that drain the continents. The largest river basin in North America is that of the Mississippi, covering the second largest [[Earth:Drainage basin|watershed]] on the planet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/ms137.htm |title=Mississippi River |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715014306/http://biology.usgs.gov/s%2Bt/SNT/noframe/ms137.htm |archive-date=July 15, 2007 }}</ref> The Mississippi-Missouri river system drains most of 31 states of the U.S., most of the Great Plains, and large areas between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. This river is the fourth longest in the world and tenth most powerful in the world.

In North America, to the east of the Appalachian Mountains, there are no major rivers but rather a series of rivers and streams that flow east with their terminus in the Atlantic Ocean, such as the Hudson River, Saint John River, and Savannah River. A similar instance arises with central Canadian rivers that drain into Hudson Bay; the largest being the Churchill River. On the west coast of North America, the main rivers are the [[Earth:Colorado River|Colorado River]], Columbia River, Yukon River, Fraser River, and Sacramento River.

The Colorado River drains much of the Southern Rockies and parts of the [[Earth:Basin and Range Province|Basin and Range Province]]. The river flows approximately {{convert|1450|mi|km|sp=us}} into the Gulf of California,<ref name=largest>{{cite web |last= Kammerer |first= J.C. |title= Largest Rivers in the United States |url= http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1987/ofr87-242/ |publisher= United States Geological Survey |access-date=July 2, 2010}}</ref> during which over time it has carved out natural phenomena such as the [[Earth:Grand Canyon|Grand Canyon]] and created phenomena such as the [[Engineering:Salton Sea|Salton Sea]]. The Columbia is a large river, {{convert|1243|mi|km}} long, in central western North America and is the most powerful river on the West Coast of the Americas. In the far northwest of North America, the Yukon drains much of the Alaskan peninsula and flows {{convert|1980|mi|km}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yukoninfo.com/yukonriver/ |title=Yukoninfo.com |publisher=Yukoninfo.com |access-date=January 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024100547/http://www.yukoninfo.com/yukonriver/ |archive-date=October 24, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> from parts of Yukon and the Northwest Territory to the Pacific. Draining to the Arctic Ocean of Canada, the Mackenzie River drains waters from the Arctic Great Lakes of Arctic Canada, as opposed to the Saint-Lawrence River that drains the Great Lakes of Southern Canada into the Atlantic Ocean. The Mackenzie River is the largest in Canada and drains {{convert|1805200|km2|mi2|sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110728 |title=Mackenzie River |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118141110/https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110728 |archive-date=November 18, 2008 }}</ref>

The largest river basin in South America is that of the Amazon, which has the highest volume flow of any river on Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.greatestplaces.org/notes/amazon.htm|title = Greatest Places: Notes: Amazonia}}</ref> The second largest watershed of South America is that of the Paraná River, which covers about 2.5&nbsp;million km<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nature.org/wherewework/greatrivers/samerica/|title=Great Rivers Partnership – Paraguay-Parana|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105102114/http://www.nature.org/wherewework/greatrivers/samerica/ |archive-date=January 5, 2011}}</ref>

=== Ecology ===
North America and South America began to develop a shared population of flora and fauna around 2.5&nbsp;million years ago, when [[Earth:Continental drift|continental drift]] brought the two continents into contact via the Isthmus of Panama. Initially, the exchange of biota was roughly equal, with North American genera migrating into South America in about the same proportions as South American genera migrated into North America. This exchange is known as the [[Earth:Great American Interchange|Great American Interchange]]. The exchange became lopsided after roughly a million years, with the total spread of South American genera into North America far more limited in scope than the spread of North American genera into South America.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Ecogeography and the Great American Interchange | last = Webb | first = S. David | journal = Paleobiology | volume = 17 | pages = 266–280 | number = 3 | year = 1991 | publisher = Paleontological Society | jstor=2400869| doi = 10.1017/S0094837300010605 | bibcode = 1991Pbio...17..266W | s2cid = 88305955 }}</ref>

== Countries and territories ==

There are 35 sovereign states in the Americas, as well as an autonomous country of {{wipe|Denmark}}, three overseas departments of {{wipe|France}}, three overseas collectivities of France,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outre-mer.gouv.fr/?les-collectivites.html|title=Les Collectivités|publisher=Ministère des Outre-Mer|access-date=August 30, 2012}}</ref> and one uninhabited territory of France, eight overseas territories of the {{wipe|United Kingdom}}, three constituent countries of the Netherlands, three public bodies of the Netherlands, two unincorporated territories of the {{wipe|United States}}, and one uninhabited territory of the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm | title = Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings | date = September 20, 2011 |access-date=August 30, 2012 | publisher = United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="border:1px solid #aaa;"
|- style="background:#ececec;"
! Country or territory
! data-sort-type="number" | Total area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>Unless otherwise noted, land area figures are taken from {{cite web |year=2008|title=Demographic Yearbook—Table 3: Population by sex, rate of population increase, surface area and density|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2008/Table03.pdf|publisher=United Nations Statistics Division|access-date=October 14, 2010}}</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | Population<br /><ref name=poplistlink group=note>See List of countries by population for references.</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | Pop. <br /> density<br />(per km<sup>2</sup>)
! Common languages<br />(official in '''bold''')
! Capital
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Anguilla|{{Flag|Anguilla}} ({{wipe|United Kingdom}})}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|91}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|13452}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|164.8}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:The Valley, Anguilla|The Valley]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Antigua and Barbuda|{{Flag|Antigua and Barbuda}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|442}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|86295}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|199.1}}
| Creole,<ref>{{cite book | last = Kras | first = Sara Louise | title = Antigua and Barbuda | publisher = Marshall Cavendish | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-7614-2570-0 | page = [https://archive.org/details/antiguabarbuda0000kras/page/95 95] | url = https://archive.org/details/antiguabarbuda0000kras/page/95 }}</ref> English
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda|St. John's]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Argentina|{{flag|Argentina}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|2766890}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|42669500}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|14.3}}
| Spanish
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Aruba|{{Flag|Aruba}} (Netherlands)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|180}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|101484}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|594.4}}
| '''Papiamentu''', Spanish,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cbs.aw/cbs/manageDocument.do?dispatch=view&id=1621 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121113145540/http://www.cbs.aw/cbs/manageDocument.do?dispatch=view&id=1621 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-11-13 | title = Aruba Census 2010 Languages spoken in the household | publisher = Central Bureau of Statistics}}</ref> '''Dutch'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Oranjestad, Aruba|Oranjestad]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Bahamas|{{Flag|Bahamas, The}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|13943}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|351461}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|24.5}}
| Creole,<ref>{{cite web |last=Lewis |first=Paul M. | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BS | title = Languages of Bahamas | publisher = Ethnologue | year = 2009 | location = Dallas}}</ref> '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Bajo Nuevo Bank|Bajo Nuevo Bank (United States / Colombia / Jamaica)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|100}}<ref name="areacia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0}}<ref name="popcia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.0}}
| Uninhabited
| style="text-align:left;" | N/A
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Barbados|{{Flag|Barbados}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|430}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|285000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|595.3}}
| Bajan,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BB | title = Languages of Barbados | editor = Paul M. Lewis | year = 2009 | publisher = Ethnologue: Languages of the World | location = Dallas}}</ref> '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Bridgetown|Bridgetown]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Belize|{{Flag|Belize}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|22966}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|349728}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|13.4}}
| Spanish, Kriol, '''English'''<ref name="2000 Belize Census">{{cite web |url=http://celade.cepal.org/cgibin/RpWebEngine.exe/PortalAction?MODE=MAIN&BASE=CPVBLZ2000&MAIN=WebServerMain.inl |title=Belize 2000 Housing and Population Census |access-date=June 24, 2011 |year=2000 |publisher=Belize Central Statistical Office}} {{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Belmopan|Belmopan]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Bermuda|{{Flag|Bermuda}} (United Kingdom)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|54}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|64237}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1203.7}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Hamilton, Bermuda|Hamilton]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Bolivia|{{flag|Bolivia}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1098580}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|10027254}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|8.4}}
| '''Spanish''' and '''36 indigenous languages'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:La Paz|La Paz]] and [[Place:Sucre|Sucre]]<ref>[[Place:La Paz|La Paz]] is the administrative capital of Bolivia; [[Place:Sucre|Sucre]] is the judicial seat.<br /></ref>
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Bonaire|{{Flag|Bonaire}} (Netherlands)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|294}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|12093}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|41.1}}
| '''Papiamentu''', Spanish, '''Dutch'''<ref name="NetherlandAntillesCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbs.cw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103:households-by-the-most-spoken-language-in-the-household&catid=48:household-characteristics&Itemid=82 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029064510/http://www.cbs.cw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103%3Ahouseholds-by-the-most-spoken-language-in-the-household&catid=48%3Ahousehold-characteristics&Itemid=82 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 29, 2012 |title=Households by the most spoken language in the household Population and Housing Census 2001 |publisher=Central Bureau of Statistics }}</ref>
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Kralendijk|Kralendijk]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Brazil|{{flag|Brazil}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|8514877}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|203106000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|23.6}}
| '''Portuguese'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Engineering:Brasília|Brasília]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|British Virgin Islands|{{Flag|British Virgin Islands}} (United Kingdom)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|151}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|29537}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|152.3}}
| '''[[Social:English language|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Road Town|Road Town]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Canada|{{Flag|Canada}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|9984670}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|37,411,592}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3.8}}
| '''English''', '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Ottawa|Ottawa]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Cayman Islands|{{Flag|Cayman Islands}} (United Kingdom)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|264}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|81546}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|212.1}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:George Town, Cayman Islands|George Town]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Chile|{{flag|Chile}}}}<ref>Includes Easter Island in the [[Earth:Pacific Ocean|Pacific Ocean]], a {{wipe|Chile}}an territory frequently reckoned in [[Earth:Oceania|Oceania]]. Santiago is the administrative capital of Chile; Valparaíso is the site of legislative meetings.<br /></ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|756950}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|17773000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|22}}
| Spanish
| style="text-align:left;" | Santiago
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Clipperton Island|{{Flag|Clipperton Island}} ({{wipe|France}})}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|6}}<ref name="areacia">Land area figures taken from {{cite web | title=The World Factbook: 2010 edition | url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2147.html | publisher=Government of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency | access-date=October 14, 2010 | archive-date=January 31, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131115000/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2147.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0}}<ref name="popcia">These population estimates are for 2010, and are taken from {{cite web | title=The World Factbook: 2010 edition | url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html | publisher=Government of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency | access-date=October 14, 2010 | archive-date=October 4, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004113653/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.0}}
| Uninhabited
| style="text-align:left;" | N/A
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Colombia|{{flag|Colombia}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1138910}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|47757000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|40}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Bogotá|Bogotá]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Costa Rica|{{Flag|Costa Rica}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|51100}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|4667096}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|89.6}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:San José, Costa Rica|San José]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Cuba|{{Flag|Cuba}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|109886}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|11167325}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|102.0}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Havana|Havana]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Curacao|{{Flag|Curaçao}} (Netherlands)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|444}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|150563}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|317.1}}
| Papiamentu, '''Dutch'''<ref name="NetherlandAntillesCensus" />
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Willemstad|Willemstad]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Dominica|{{Flag|Dominica}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|751}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|71293}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|89.2}}
| French Patois, '''English'''<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=dm | title = Languages of Dominica |editor1=Paul M. Lewis |editor2=M. Paul | year = 2009 | publisher = Ethnologue: Languages of the World | location = Dallas |access-date=August 30, 2012}}</ref>
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Roseau|Roseau]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Dominican Republic|{{Flag|Dominican Republic}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|48671}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|10378267}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|207.3}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Santo Domingo|Santo Domingo]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Ecuador|{{flag|Ecuador}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|283560}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|15819400}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|53.8}}
| '''Spanish''', Quechua<ref>{{cite book | last = Levinson | first = David | title = Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook | publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group | year = 1998 | isbn = 1-57356-019-7 | page = [https://archive.org/details/ethnicgroupsworl00levi/page/347 347] | url = https://archive.org/details/ethnicgroupsworl00levi/page/347 }}</ref>
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Quito|Quito]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|El Salvador|{{Flag|El Salvador}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|21041}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|6401240}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|293.0}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:San Salvador|San Salvador]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Falkland Islands|{{flag|Falkland Islands}}}} (United Kingdom)<ref>Claimed by {{wipe|Argentina}}.<br /></ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|12173}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.26}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Federal Dependencies of Venezuela|{{Flag|Federal Dependencies of Venezuela}}}} (Venezuela)
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|342}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|2155}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|2.4}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | N/A
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|French Guiana|{{Flagicon image|Flag of French Guiana.svg}}}} French Guiana (France)
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|91000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|237549}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|2.7}}
| '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Cayenne|Cayenne]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Greenland|{{Flag|Greenland}} ({{wipe|Denmark}})}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|2166086}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|56483}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.026}}
| '''Greenlandic''', Danish
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Nuuk|Nuuk]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Grenada|{{Flag|Grenada}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|344}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|103328}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|302.3}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:St. George's, Grenada|St. George's]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Guadeloupe|{{Flagicon image|Flag of Guadeloupe (Local).svg}}}} Guadeloupe (France)
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1628}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|405739}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|246.7}}
| '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Basse-Terre|Basse-Terre]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Guatemala|{{Flag|Guatemala}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|108889}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|15806675}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|128.8}}
| '''Spanish''', Garifuna and 23 Mayan languages
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Guatemala City|Guatemala City]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Guyana|{{flag|Guyana}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|214999}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|784894}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3.5}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Georgetown, Guyana|Georgetown]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Haiti|{{Flag|Haiti}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|27750}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|10745665}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|361.5}}
| '''Creole''', '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Port-au-Prince|Port-au-Prince]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Honduras|{{Flag|Honduras}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|112492}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|8555072}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|66.4}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Tegucigalpa|Tegucigalpa]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Jamaica|{{Flag|Jamaica}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|10991}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|2717991}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|247.4}}
| Patois, '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Martinique|{{Flagicon image|Flag of Martinique.svg}}}} Martinique (France)
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1128}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|392291}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|352.6}}
| Patois,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=mq | title = Languages of Martinique | publisher = Ethnologue | editor = Paul M. Lewis | year = 2009 | location = Dallas}}</ref> '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Fort-de-France|Fort-de-France]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Mexico|{{Flag|Mexico}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1964375}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|119713203}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|57.1}}
| '''Spanish, 68 indigenous languages'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Mexico City|Mexico City]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Montserrat|{{Flag|Montserrat}} (United Kingdom)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|102}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|4922}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|58.8}}
| Creole English, '''English'''<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=MS | title = Languages of Montserrat | publisher = Ethnologue | editor = Paul M. Lewis | year = 2009 | location = Dallas}}</ref>
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Plymouth, Montserrat|Plymouth]]; Brades<ref>Ongoing activity of the Soufriere Hills volcano beginning in July 1995 destroyed much of Plymouth; government offices were relocated to Brades. Plymouth remains the ''de jure'' capital.</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Navassa Island|Navassa Island (United States / Haiti)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|5}}<ref name="areacia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0}}<ref name="popcia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.0}}
| Uninhabited
| style="text-align:left;" | Lulu Town
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Nicaragua|{{Flag|Nicaragua}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|130373}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|6071045}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|44.1}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Managua|Managua]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Panama|{{Flag|Panama}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|75417}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3405813}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|45.8}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Panama City|Panama City]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Paraguay|{{flag|Paraguay}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|406750}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|6783374}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|15.6}}
| '''Guaraní''', '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Asunción|Asunción]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Peru|{{flag|Peru}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1285220}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|30814175}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|22}}
| '''Spanish, Quechua, and other indigenous languages'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Lima|Lima]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Puerto Rico|{{Flag|Puerto Rico}} (United States)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|8870}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3615086}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|448.9}}
| '''Spanish''', '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Saba|{{Flag|Saba}} (Netherlands)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|13}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1537}}<ref name="nethant">Population estimates are taken from the {{cite web |author=Central Bureau of Statistics Netherlands Antilles | title=Statistical information: Population | url=http://www.cbs.an/population/population_b2.asp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706074029/http://www.cbs.an/population/population_b2.asp | archive-date=July 6, 2011 | publisher=Government of the Netherlands Antilles | access-date=October 14, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|118.2}}
| English, '''Dutch'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:The Bottom|The Bottom]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Saint Barthelemy|{{Flagicon image|Flag of Saint Barthélemy (Local).svg}}}} Saint Barthélemy (France)
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|21}}<ref name="areacia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|8938}}<ref name="popcia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|354.7}}
| '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy|Gustavia]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Saint Kitts and Nevis|{{Flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|261}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|55000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|199.2}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Basseterre|Basseterre]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Saint Lucia|{{Flag|Saint Lucia}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|539}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|180000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|319.1}}
| '''English''', French Creole
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Castries|Castries]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Saint Martin|{{Flagicon image|Local flag of the Collectivity of Saint_Martin.svg}}}} Saint Martin (France)
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|54}}<ref name="areacia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|36979}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|552.2}}
| '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | Marigot
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Saint Pierre and Miquelon|[[File:Flag of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.svg|20px]] Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|242}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|6081}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|24.8}}
| '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon|Saint-Pierre]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|{{Flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|389}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|109000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|280.2}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Kingstown|Kingstown]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Serranilla Bank|Serranilla Bank (United States / Colombia / Honduras)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|100}}<ref name="areacia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0}}<ref name="popcia" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.0}}
| Uninhabited
| style="text-align:left;" | N/A
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Sint Eustatius|{{Flag|Sint Eustatius}} (Netherlands)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|21}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|2739}}<ref name="nethant" />
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|130.4}}
| '''Dutch''', '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius|Oranjestad]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Sint Maarten|{{Flag|Sint Maarten}} (Netherlands)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|34}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|37429}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1176.7}}
| '''English''', Spanish, '''Dutch'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Philipsburg, Sint Maarten|Philipsburg]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands|{{flagicon|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands}} South Georgia and<br />South Sandwich Islands (United Kingdom)}}<ref>Claimed by Argentina; the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the [[Earth:Atlantic Ocean|South Atlantic Ocean]] are commonly associated with [[Earth:Antarctica|Antarctica]] (for its proximity) and have no permanent population, only hosting a periodic contingent of about 100 researchers and visitors.<br /></ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3093}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|20}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.01}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | King Edward Point
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Suriname|{{flag|Suriname}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|163270}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|534189}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3}}
| '''Dutch''' and others<ref>{{cite web | last = Lewis | first = Paul | year = 2009 | publisher = Ethnologue | location = Dallas, Texas | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=SR|title=Languages of Suriname}}</ref>
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Paramaribo|Paramaribo]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Trinidad and Tobago|{{Flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|5130}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|1328019}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|261.0}}
| '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Port of Spain|Port of Spain]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Turks and Caicos Islands|{{Flag|Turks and Caicos Islands}} (United Kingdom)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|948}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|31458}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|34.8}}
| Creole English, '''English'''<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ethnologue.org.uk/show_country.asp?name=TC | archive-url = https://archive.today/20121224000547/http://www.ethnologue.org.uk/show_country.asp?name=TC | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-12-24 | last = Lewis | first = M. Paul | year = 2009 | work = Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition | title = Languages of Turks and Caicos Islands | location = Dallas | publisher= SIL International}}</ref>
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Cockburn Town|Cockburn Town]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|United States of America|{{Flag|United States of America}}<ref group=note>Includes the states of Hawaii and Alaska, which are both separated from the US mainland, with Hawaii distant from the North American landmass in the Pacific Ocean and therefore more commonly associated with the other territories of Oceania, while Alaska is located between {{wipe|Canada}} and [[Earth:Asia|Asia]] ({{wipe|Russia}}).</ref>}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|9629091}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|320206000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|34.2}}
| English, Spanish
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C.]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|U.S. Virgin Islands|{{Flag|U.S. Virgin Islands}} (United States)}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|347}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|106405}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|317.0}}
| English
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands|Charlotte Amalie]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Uruguay|{{flag|Uruguay}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|176220}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3286314}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|19.4}}
| '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Montevideo|Montevideo]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Venezuela|{{flag|Venezuela}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|916445}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|30206307}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|30.2}}
| '''Spanish and 40 indigenous languages'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Place:Caracas|Caracas]]
|- class="sortbottom"
! Total
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|42320985}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|973186925}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|21.9}}
|
|
|}
== Demography ==
=== Population ===
In 2021 the total population of the Americas was about 1.03 billion people, divided as follows:
* North America: 596.6&nbsp;million (includes Central America and the Caribbean)
* South America: 434.3&nbsp;million

=== Largest urban centers ===

There are three urban centers that each hold titles for being the largest population area based on the three main demographic concepts:<ref name=wider>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.wider.unu.edu/stc/repec/pdfs/wp2010/wp2010-12.pdf 
 |title=Urban Settlement 
 |work=Working Paper No. 2010/12 
 |author1=David E. Bloom |author2=David Canning |author3=Günther Fink |author4=Tarun Khanna |author5=Patrick Salyer 
 |location=Helsinki 
 |publisher=[[Organization:World Institute for Development Economics Research|World Institute for Development Economics Research]] 
 |access-date=May 29, 2011 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613200208/http://www.wider.unu.edu/stc/repec/pdfs/wp2010/wp2010-12.pdf 
 |archive-date=June 13, 2011 
 |url-status=dead 
}}</ref>
* City proper
:A city proper is the locality with legally fixed boundaries and an administratively recognized urban status that is usually characterized by some form of local government.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kästle |first=Klaus |url=http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/most_pop_cities_usa.htm |title=United States most populated cities |publisher=Nationsonline.org |date=August 31, 2009 |access-date=July 26, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100722100011/http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/most_pop_cities_usa.htm| archive-date= July 22, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://esa.un.org/unup/index.asp?panel=6 |title=World Urbanization Prospects: The 2007 Revision Population Database |publisher=United Nations |access-date=July 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822053414/http://esa.un.org/unup/index.asp?panel=6 |archive-date=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/demographic/sconcerns/densurb/densurbanNotes.htm|title=United Nations Statistics Division – Demographic and Social Statistics|publisher=Millenniumindicators.un.org|access-date=July 26, 2010|archive-date=June 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623192351/http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/demographic/sconcerns/densurb/densurbanNotes.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Demographic Yearbook 2005, Volume 57|year=2008|publisher=United Nations|isbn=978-92-1-051099-8|page=756|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwfGJtkpCbwC&q=locality%20with%20legally%20fixed%20boundaries%20and%20an%20administratively%20recognized%20urban%20status%20that%20is%20usually%20characterized%20by%20some%20form%20of%20local%20government&pg=PA241|access-date=July 19, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs|title=Demographic yearbook, 2000 |year=2002 |publisher= United Nations Publications, 2002|isbn=92-1-051091-7 |page=23 }}</ref>
* [[Engineering:Urban area|Urban area]]
:An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets. Urban areas are created and further developed by the process of urbanization and do not include large swaths of rural land, as do metropolitan areas.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}
* Metropolitan area
:Unlike an urban area, a metropolitan area includes not only the urban area, but also satellite cities ''plus intervening rural land'' that is socio-economically connected to the urban core city, typically by employment ties through commuting, with the urban core city being the primary labor market.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

In accordance with these definitions, the three largest population centers in the Americas are: [[Place:Mexico City|Mexico City]], anchor to the largest metropolitan area in the Americas; New York City, anchor to the largest urban area in the Americas; and São Paulo, the largest city proper in the Americas. All three cities maintain [[Global city#Alpha|Alpha]] classification and large scale influence.
<gallery class="center" widths="230" heights="200" caption="Urban centers within the Americas">
File:Mexico City Reforma skyline (cropped).jpg|Mexico City – largest metropolitan area in the Americas, with a population of 22,300,000 in 2017
File:CENU, São Paulo, Brasil (cropped).jpg|São Paulo – largest city in the Americas, with a population of 12,038,175 (city) in 2016
File:Luchtfoto van Lower Manhattan.jpg|New York City – largest urban area in the Americas, with a population of 18,351,295 in 2010
</gallery>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Country
!City
!City Population
!Metro Area Population
|-
|Mexico||[[Place:Mexico City|Mexico City]]
|8,864,000
|22,300,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.conapo.gob.mx/work/models/CONAPO/Resource/1206/2/images/Proyecciones_de_Poblacion_ZM.xlsx|title=Proyecciones de la población de las zonas metropolitanas, 2010–2030|publisher=Consejo Nacional de Población (CONAPO)|language=es|access-date=January 9, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|Brazil||São Paulo
|12,038,175
|21,742,939<ref>{{cite web|title=Cidade de São Paulo chega a 12 milhões de habitantes|url=http://sao-paulo.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,cidade-de-sao-paulo-chega-a-12-milhoes-de-habitantes,10000072909|publisher=Estadao|language=pt|access-date=August 30, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|United States||{{wipe|New York City}}
|8,405,837<ref>{{cite news|title=New York City Population Hits Record High|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/03/27/new-york-city-population-hits-record-high/|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=March 27, 2014|access-date=September 6, 2014|last1=Saul|first1=Michael Howard}}</ref>
|19,949,502<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 – United States – Metropolitan Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico |website=Census Bureau |access-date=September 6, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
|-
|Argentina||[[Place:Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]]
|2,891,082<ref name=indecpop/>
|15,594,428<ref name=indecpop/>
|-
|United States||{{wipe|Los Angeles}}
|3,928,864<ref>[https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/newsroom/releases/2015/cb15-89_graphic.jpg 1 Million Milestone] US Census Bureau</ref>
|13,131,431<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |title=U.S. Census website |author1=Data Access and Dissemination Systems |work=census.gov |df=mdy }}</ref>
|}

=== Ethnology ===
The population of the Americas is made up of the descendants of four large [[Social:Ethnic group|ethnic group]]s and their combinations.
* The Indigenous peoples of the Americas, being Amerindians and Inuit-Yupik-Unangan.
* Those of European ancestry, mainly Spanish, English, Irish, Portuguese, German, Italian, French, and Dutch.
* Those of African ancestry, mainly of West African descent.
* [[Biography:Asian people|Asians]], that is, those of [[Place:East Asia|East Asia]]n, [[Place:South Asia|South Asia]]n, and [[Place:Southeast Asia|Southeast Asia]]n ancestry.
* Mestizos (Métis people in Canada), those of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry.
* Mulattoes, people of mixed African and European ancestry.
* Zambos (Spanish) or Cafuzos (Portuguese), those of mixed African and Indigenous ancestry.

The majority of the population live in Latin America, named for its predominant cultures, rooted in Latin Europe (including the two dominant languages, Spanish and [[Social:Portuguese language|Portuguese]], both Romance languages), more specifically in the [[Place:Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] nations of Portugal and Spain (hence the use of the term [[Place:Ibero-America|Ibero-America]] as a synonym). Latin America is typically contrasted with [[Place:Anglo-America|Anglo-America]], where English, a Germanic language, is prevalent, and which comprises Canada (with the exception of Francophone Canada rooted in Latin Europe [France]—see Quebec and Acadia) and the United States. Both countries are located in North America, with cultures deriving predominantly from Anglo-Saxon and other Germanic roots.

=== Religion ===
The most prevalent faiths in the Americas are as follows:
* Christianity (86 percent)<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-exec/ | work=Pew | title=Global Christianity | date=December 19, 2011 }}</ref>
** Roman Catholicism: Practiced by 69 percent<ref name=pewlat>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/religion-in-latin-america/|title=2014 Religion in Latin America |date=November 13, 2014 |access-date=November 16, 2014}}</ref> of the Latin American population (61 percent<ref name=pewlat /> in Brazil whose Roman Catholic population of 134&nbsp;million<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2013/03/america-latina-abriga-40-dos-catolicos-do-mundo.html|title=América Latina abriga 40% dos católicos do mundo|first=France|last=Presse|date=March 13, 2013|website=Mundo}}</ref> is the greatest of any nation's), approximately 24 percent of the United States' population<ref name="CIAWFB">{{cite web | title = United States | work = CIA World Factbook | publisher = Central Intelligence Agency | date = November 16, 2010 | url = https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-states/ | access-date=November 30, 2010}}</ref> and about 39 percent of Canada's.<ref name="religion2011d">{{cite web|url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/130508/dq130508b-eng.htm?HPA|title=Religions in Canada—Census 2011|date=May 8, 2013|publisher=Statistics Canada/Statistique Canada}}</ref>
** Protestantism: Practiced mostly in the United States, where half of the population are Protestant, Canada, with slightly more than a quarter of the population, and Greenland; there is a growing contingent of [[Religion:Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] and Pentecostal movements in predominantly Catholic Latin America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1348759.htm|title=The World Today – Catholics faced with rise in Protestantism|date=April 19, 2005|publisher=ABC|location=Australia|access-date=October 5, 2010}}</ref>
** [[Religion:Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]]: Found mostly in the United States (1 percent) and Canada; this Christian group is growing faster than many other Christian groups in Canada and now represents roughly 3 percent of the Canadian population.<ref name="religion2011d" />
** Non-denominational Christians and other Christians (some 1,000 different Christian denominations and sects practiced in the Americas).
* [[Religion:Irreligion|Irreligion]]: About 12 percent, including atheists and agnostics, as well as those who profess some form of spirituality but do not identify themselves as members of any organized religion.
* Islam: Together, Muslims constitute about 1 percent of the North American population and 0.3 percent of all Latin Americans. It is practiced by 3 percent <ref name="religion2011d" /> of Canadians and 0.6 percent of the U.S. population.<ref name="CIAWFB" /> {{wipe|Argentina}} has the largest Muslim population in Latin America with up to 600,000 persons, or 1.5 percent of the population.<ref name=stateirf>{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71446.htm|title=Argentina|work=International Religious Freedom Report|publisher=U.S. Department of State|year=2006|access-date=September 1, 2009}}</ref>
* Judaism (practiced by 2 percent of North Americans—approximately 2.5 percent of the U.S. population and 1.2 percent of Canadians<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jcpa.org/cjc/cjc-robinson-06.htm|title=Canadian Jewry Today: Portrait of a Community in the Process of Change – Ira Robinson|publisher=Jcpa.org|access-date=October 5, 2010|archive-date=September 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917083053/http://www.jcpa.org/cjc/cjc-robinson-06.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>—and 0.23 percent of Latin Americans—Argentina has the largest Jewish population in Latin America with 200,000 members)<ref>{{cite web |last=Segal |first=Naomi |url=http://www.ujc.org/page.html?ArticleID=26170 |title=First Planeload of Jews Fleeing Argentina Arrives in Israel |publisher=Ujc.org |access-date=October 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201175808/http://www.ujc.org/page.html?ArticleID=26170 |archive-date=February 1, 2008 }}</ref>

Other faiths include [[Religion:Buddhism|Buddhism]]; [[Religion:Hinduism|Hinduism]]; [[Religion:Sikhism|Sikhism]]; [[Social:Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí Faith]]; a wide variety of indigenous religions, many of which can be categorized as animistic; new age religions and many African and African-derived religions. Syncretic faiths can also be found throughout the Americas.
{{Clear}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right"
|+ '''Religious Demographics According to 2010 censuses/estimates in each country'''
|- style="background:#e8e8e8;"
! Country
! [[Religion:Christians|Christians]]
! Catholics
! Protestants
! None/Atheists/Agnostics
! Others
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Argentina<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2008/08/27/um/encuesta1.pdf|title=Primera Encuesta sobre Creencias y Actitudes Religiosas en Argentina|website=Clarin.com|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref>
| 86.2% || 76.5% || 9.7% || 11.3% || 2.5%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Bolivia
| 95.3% || 73.7% || 21.6% || 3.7% || 1.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Brazil<ref name="Igbe Brasil 2010">{{cite web| url=ftp://ftp.ibge.gov.br/Censos/Censo_Demografico_2010/Caracteristicas_Gerais_Religiao_Deficiencia/tab1_2.pdf |publisher=Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística |title=Cor ou Raça |work=Censo Demográfico 2010: Características gerais da população, religião e pessoas com deficiência |year=2010 |access-date=October 5, 2013}}</ref>
| 86.8% || 64.6% || 22.2% || 8.4% || 4.8%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Canada<ref name="religion2011d"/>
| 62.6% || 38.7% || 23.9% || 28.5% || 8.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Chile<ref name="plazapublica.cl">{{cite web |url=http://plazapublica.cl/wp-content/uploads/658799.pdf |title=Encuesta – 2015 |publisher=Plaza Publica Cadem |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207182725/http://plazapublica.cl/wp-content/uploads/658799.pdf |archive-date=February 7, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
| 76.0% || 60.0% || 16.0% || 21.0% || 3.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Colombia<ref name="Latin America Public Opinion Project">{{cite web |url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/colombia.php|title=Colombia|publisher=Vanderbilt.edu|access-date=17 January 2015}}</ref>
| 93.9% || 80.3% || 13.6% || 5.2% || 1.7%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Costa Rica<ref name="latbar">{{cite web|title=Las religiones en tiempos del Papa Francisco |url=http://www.latinobarometro.org/latNewsShow.jsp |publisher=Latinobarómetro |access-date=April 4, 2015 |archive-date=May 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510104033/http://www.latinobarometro.org/latNewsShow.jsp |page=6 |language=es |format=PDF |date=April 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 84.3% || 70.5% || 13.8% || 11.3% || 4.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Dominican Republic<ref name=religiousfreedomreport>{{cite web|url=http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=country&category=&publisher=&type=&coi=DOM&rid=4562d94e2&docid=4cf2d0a087&skip=0|title=2010 Report on International Religious Freedom – Dominican Republic|work=UNHCR|date=17 November 2010|access-date=30 March 2011}}</ref>
| 87.1% || 68.3% || 18.8% || 10.6% || 2.2%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Ecuador<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lahora.com.ec/index.php/noticias/show/1101377532/-1/El_80%25_de_ecuatorianos_es_cat%C3%B3lico.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527175350/http://lahora.com.ec/index.php/noticias/show/1101377532/-1/El_80%25_de_ecuatorianos_es_cat%C3%B3lico.html|url-status=dead|title=El 80% de ecuatorianos es católico|archive-date=May 27, 2016}}</ref>
| 95.6% || 87.8% || 7.7% || 3.5% || 1.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| El Salvador<ref name="CID-Gallup">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cidgallup.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307051137/https://www.cidgallup.com/|url-status=dead|title=CID Gallup &#124; Latinoamérica|archive-date=March 7, 2016|website=Ccidgallup.com}}</ref>
| 75.5% || 45.8% || 29.7% || 24.3% || 1.2%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Guatemala<ref name="CID-GALLUP 2010">''[http://www.prolades.com/cra/regions/cam/gte/guat_polls_1990-2012.pdf Public Opinion Polls on Religious Affiliation in Guatemala] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924082428/http://www.prolades.com/cra/regions/cam/gte/guat_polls_1990-2012.pdf |date=September 24, 2015 }}''. Prolades.com</ref>
| 79.3% || 47.6% || 31.7% || 18.3% || 2.4%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Honduras<ref>{{cite web| url = https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2010/148763.htm| title = Religion in Honduras – CID Gallup Poll 2007}} ''US. State''</ref>
| 83.0% || 47.9% || 35.1% || 14.3% || 2.7%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Mexico<ref>[http://www.inegi.org.mx/prod_serv/contenidos/espanol/bvinegi/productos/censos/poblacion/2010/panora_religion/religiones_2010.pdf inegi.org.mx] Religiones 2010.pdf {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021230003/http://www.inegi.org.mx/prod_serv/contenidos/espanol/bvinegi/productos/censos/poblacion/2010/panora_religion/religiones_2010.pdf |date=October 21, 2015 }}</ref>
| 92.2% || 82.7% || 8.7% || 4.9% || 2.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Nicaragua<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prolades.com/conela/nicaragua-stats-2010-CONELA.pdf|title=CONELA/PRLADES – 2010 – Nicaragua|website=Prolades.com|access-date=December 14, 2021|archive-date=March 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328174403/http://www.prolades.com/conela/nicaragua-stats-2010-CONELA.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 81.1% || 54.3% || 26.8% || 16.8% || 2.1%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Panama
| 90.0% || 75.0% || 15.0% || 7.0% || 3.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Paraguay
| 96.8% || 90.4% || 6.4% || 1.4% || 1.8% 
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Peru<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121114041408/http://www.inei.gob.pe/Anexos/libro.pdf Dirección Técnica de Demografía y Estudios Sociales y Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del INEI], Web.archive.org</ref>
| 96.7% || 81.3% || 12.5% || 1.9% || 1.4%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| United States<ref>{{cite web|author=Carolyn Stewart, ACSD |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/religion.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990508145129/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/religion.htm |archive-date=May 8, 1999 |url-status=dead |title=Religion – Publications – US Census Bureau }}</ref>
| 79.9% || 25.9% || 54.0% || 15.2% || 5.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Uruguay<ref name=enha_rel>{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.gub.uy/enha2006/flash/Flash%206_Religion.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927091848/http://www.ine.gub.uy/enha2006/flash/Flash%206_Religion.pdf|archive-date=27 September 2013|title=Encuesta Nacional de Hogares Amplidada – 2006 | work = National Institute of Statistics | publisher = INHA |access-date=7 September 2013|language=es}}</ref>
| 58.2% || 47.1% || 11.1% || 40.4% || 1.5%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Venezuela<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gumilla.org/biblioteca/bases/biblo/texto/SIC2012745_211-222.pdf|title=Informe sociográfico sobre la religión en Venezuela|access-date=January 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924024236/http://www.gumilla.org/biblioteca/bases/biblo/texto/SIC2012745_211-222.pdf|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 89.0% || 72.0% || 17.0% || 8.0% || 3.0%
|}

=== Languages ===
[[File:Languages of the American Continent.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Languages spoken in the Americas]]

Various [[Social:Language|language]]s are spoken in the Americas. Some are of European origin, others are spoken by indigenous peoples or are the mixture of various languages like the different creoles.<ref name="latbar"/>

The most widely spoken [[Social:First language|first language]] in the Americas is [[Social:Spanish language|Spanish]], followed by [[Social:English language|English]] and Brazilian Portuguese.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/american_languages.htm|title=Official Languages of the Americas and the Caribbean – Nations Online Project|website=Nationsonline.org}}</ref> The dominant language of Latin America is Spanish, though the most populous nation in Latin America, {{wipe|Brazil}}, speaks [[Social:Portuguese language|Portuguese]]. Small enclaves of [[Social:French language|French]]-, [[Social:Dutch language|Dutch]]- and English-speaking regions also exist in Latin America, notably in French Guiana, Suriname, and Belize and Guyana respectively. [[Social:Haitian Creole|Haitian Creole]] is dominant in the nation of Haiti, where French is also spoken. [[Social:Indigenous languages of the Americas|Native languages]] are more prominent in Latin America than in [[Place:Anglo-America|Anglo-America]], with Nahuatl, Quechua, [[Social:Aymara language|Aymara]], and Guaraní as the most common. Various other native languages are spoken with less frequency across both Anglo-America and Latin America. [[Social:Creole language|Creole language]]s other than Haitian Creole are also spoken in parts of Latin America.

The dominant language of Anglo-America is English. French is also official in {{wipe|Canada}}, where it is the predominant language in Quebec and an official language in New Brunswick along with English. It is also an important language in Louisiana, and in parts of New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. Spanish has kept an ongoing presence in the Southwestern United States, which formed part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, especially in {{wipe|California}} and New Mexico, where a distinct variety of Spanish spoken since the 17th century has survived. It has more recently become widely spoken in other parts of the {{wipe|United States}} because of heavy immigration from Latin America. High levels of immigration in general have brought great linguistic diversity to Anglo-America, with over 300 languages known to be spoken in the United States alone, but most languages are spoken only in small enclaves and by relatively small immigrant groups.

The nations of Guyana, Suriname, and Belize are generally considered{{by whom|date=July 2012}} not to fall into either Anglo-America or Latin America because of their language differences from Latin America, geographic differences from Anglo-America, and cultural and historical differences from both regions; English is the primary language of Guyana and Belize, and Dutch is the primary language of Suriname.

Most of the non-native languages have, to different degrees, evolved differently from the mother country, but are usually still mutually intelligible. Some have combined, however, which has even resulted in completely new languages, such as Papiamento, which is a combination of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch (representing the respective colonizers), native Arawak, various African languages, and, more recently English. The lingua franca Portuñol, a mixture of Portuguese and Spanish, is spoken in the border regions of Brazil and neighboring Spanish-speaking countries.<ref>{{Cite journal|year=2006|title=Too Close for Comfort? The Genesis of "Portuñol/Portunhol"|url=http://www.lingref.com/cpp/hls/8/abstract1251.html|journal=Selected Proceedings of the 8th Hispanic Linguistics Symposium|pages=1–22|isbn=978-1-57473-408-9|last1=Lipski|first1=John M.|editor1=Timothy L. Face|editor2=Carol A. Klee|access-date=November 26, 2010}}</ref> More specifically, Riverense Portuñol is spoken by around 100,000 people in the border regions of Brazil and Uruguay. Because of immigration, there are many communities where other languages are spoken from all parts of the world, especially in the United States, Brazil, {{wipe|Argentina}}, Canada, {{wipe|Chile}}, Costa Rica, and Uruguay—very important destinations for immigrants.<ref>[http://www.oni.escuelas.edu.ar/olimpi98/fronterasculturales/datos/cap-pop.html Juan Bialet Massé en su informe sobre "El estado de las clases obreras en el interior del país"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927103010/http://www.oni.escuelas.edu.ar/olimpi98/fronterasculturales/datos/cap-pop.html |date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.umng.edu.co/www/resources/idsocial.doc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220125802/http://www.umng.edu.co/www/resources/idsocial.doc|url-status=dead|title=SOCIAL IDENTITY Marta Fierro Social Psychologist.|archive-date=February 20, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:xMNl1h24Z5oJ:www.eclac.org/publicaciones/xml/6/20606/lcg2230e_cap8.pdf+conosur+argentina+chile+y+uruguay+recibieron+inmigrantes+europeos&gl=cl&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgPKhHPhWvASrcdlpdyAdXFt6Kh7N5j-HbzcmA8nSVHcnjm1oaGPUs1LqWeMWLJngvABPlFZm0Ho4ZnZzcuFldFPqnh_0NzjP8w6yt5n1Z5M1ff9y4bVv9pITvkAKRfF-VQFl0W| title = Etnicidad y ciudadanía en América Latina.}}</ref>

== Terminology ==
{{Further|Earth:Americas (terminology)}}

=== English ===

[[Social:English language|Speakers of English]] generally refer to the [[Earth:Landmass|landmass]]es of North America and South America as ''the Americas'', the ''[[Earth:Western Hemisphere|Western Hemisphere]]'', or the ''[[Earth:New World|New World]]''.<ref name="Burchfield">Burchfield, R. W. 2004. ''Fowler's Modern English Usage.'' ({{ISBN|0-19-861021-1}}) Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; p. 48.</ref> The adjective ''American'' may be used to indicate something pertaining to the Americas,<ref name="OEDAMERICAN">{{OED|American}}</ref> but this term is primarily used in English to indicate something pertaining to the United States.<ref name="OEDAMERICAN" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=american|title=American|work=The American Heritage Dictionary|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|access-date=September 8, 2014}}</ref><ref name="oxfcdn" /> Some non-ambiguous alternatives exist, such as the adjective ''Pan-American'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pan-American|title=Definition of PAN-AMERICAN|website=Merriam-Webster}}</ref> or ''New Worlder'' as a demonym for a resident of the closely related [[Earth:New World|New World]].<ref name="OED|New Worlder" /> Use of ''America'' in the hemispherical sense is sometimes retained, or can occur when translated from other languages.<ref>''Reader's Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder''. 1993. ({{ISBN|0-276-42101-9}}) New York, US: Reader's Digest Association; p. 45.</ref> For example, the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in Paris maintains a single continental association for "America", represented by one of the five Olympic rings.<ref>[http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1303.pdf ''The Olympic symbols.''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731072159/http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1303.pdf |date=July 31, 2010 }} International Olympic Committee. 2002. Lausanne: Olympic Museum and Studies Centre. The five rings of the Olympic flag represent the five inhabited, participating continents: ([http://www.en.acnolympic.org/art.php?id=20008 Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731072159/http://www.en.acnolympic.org/art.php?id=20008 |date=July 31, 2010 }}).{{cite web|url=http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1303.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=February 4, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822175428/http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1303.pdf |archive-date=August 22, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref>

American essayist H.L. Mencken said, "The Latin-Americans use Norteamericano in formal writing, but, save in Panama, prefer nicknames in colloquial speech."<ref name="Mencken">{{cite journal|last=Mencken|first=H. L.|date=December 1947|title=Names for Americans|journal=American Speech|volume=22|issue=4|pages=241–256|doi=10.2307/486658|jstor=486658}} quote at p 243.</ref> To avoid "American" one can use constructed terms in their languages derived from "United States" or even "North America".<ref name="oxfcdn">"America." ''Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage.'' ({{ISBN|0-19-541619-8}}) Fee, Margery and McAlpine, J., ed., 1997. Toronto: Oxford University Press; p. 36.</ref><ref>"American." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' ({{ISBN|0-19-214183-X}}); McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 35.</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Estados Unidos | work = Diccionario panhispánico de dudas | publisher = Real Academia Española |language= es | date = October 2005 | url = http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltGUIBusDPD?lema=Estados%20Unidos |access-date=November 30, 2010}}</ref> In Canada, its southern neighbor is often referred to as "the United States", "the U.S.A.", or (informally) "the States", while U.S. citizens are generally referred to as "Americans".<ref name="oxfcdn" /> Most Canadians resent being referred to as "Americans".<ref name="oxfcdn" />

=== Spanish ===
In Spanish, ''América'' is a single continent composed of the subcontinents of ''América del Sur'' and ''América del Norte'', the [[Earth:Land bridge|land bridge]] of ''América Central'', and the islands of the ''Antillas''. ''Americano'' or ''americana'' in Spanish refers to a person from ''América'' in a similar way that in which ''europeo'' or ''europea'' refers to a person from ''Europa''. The terms ''sudamericano/a'', ''centroamericano/a'', ''antillano/a'' and ''norteamericano/a'' can be used to more specifically refer to the location where a person may live.

Citizens of the United States of America are normally referred to by the term ''estadounidense'' (rough literal translation: "United Statesian") instead of ''americano'' or ''americana'' which is discouraged,<ref name=norteamerica>{{cite book | url=http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltGUIBusDPD?lema=Norteam%E9rica | title=Diccionario panhispánico de dudas:Norteamérica | publisher=Real Academia Española | year=2005}}</ref><ref name=estadosunidos /> and the country's name itself is officially translated as ''Estados Unidos de América'' (United States of America), commonly abbreviated as ''Estados Unidos'' (EEUU).<ref name=estadosunidos>{{cite book | url=http://buscon.rae.es/dpd/srv/search?id=4EWtRO1VZD6v7sHSpo | title=Diccionario panhispánico de dudas: Estados Unidos | publisher=Real Academia Española | year=2005}} "debe evitarse el empleo de americano para referirse exclusivamente a los habitantes de los Estados Unidos" ("the use of the term ''americano'' referring exclusively to the United States inhabitants must be avoided")</ref> Also, the term ''norteamericano'' (North American) may refer to a citizen of the United States. This term is primarily used to refer to citizens of the United States, and less commonly to those of other North American countries.<ref name=norteamerica />

=== Portuguese ===
In Portuguese, ''América''<ref name=AmericaPortBE>{{cite web |url=http://www.brasilescola.com/historia-da-america/paises-america.htm |title=Países da América |publisher=Brasil Escola |access-date=March 29, 2014}}</ref> is a single continent composed of ''América do Sul'' (South America), ''América Central'' (Central America) and ''América do Norte'' (North America).<ref name=AmericaME>{{cite web |url=http://www.mundoeducacao.com/geografia/o-continente-americano.htm |title=América |publisher=Mundo Educação |access-date=March 29, 2014}}</ref> It can be ambiguous, as ''América'' can be used to refer to the United States of America, but is avoided in print and formal environments.<ref name=EstadosUnidosIt>{{cite web|url=http://www.itamaraty.gov.br/servicos-do-itamaraty/enderecos-de-consulados-estrangeiros-no-brasil/e/estados-unidos |title=Estados Unidos |publisher=Itamaraty |access-date=March 29, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222194657/http://www.itamaraty.gov.br/servicos-do-itamaraty/enderecos-de-consulados-estrangeiros-no-brasil/e/estados-unidos |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref name=EstadosUnidosESPN>{{cite web|url=http://espn.uol.com.br/time/estadosunidos|title=Estados Unidos|publisher=ESPN|access-date=March 29, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330054909/http://espn.uol.com.br/time/estadosunidos|archive-date=March 30, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== French ===
In French the word ''américain'' may be used for things relating to the Americas; however, similar to English, it is most often used for things relating to the United States, with the term ''états-unien'' sometimes used for clarity. ''Panaméricain'' may be used as an adjective to refer to the Americas without ambiguity.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://gdt.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/ficheOqlf.aspx?Id_Fiche=17571942 | title = panaméricain | publisher = Office québéqois de la langue français | year = 1978 | access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref> French speakers may use the noun ''Amérique'' to refer to the whole landmass as one continent, or two continents, ''Amérique du Nord'' and ''Amérique du Sud''. In French, ''Amérique'' is seldom used to refer to the United States, leading to some ambiguity when it is. Similar to English usage, ''les Amériques'' or ''des Amériques'' is used to refer unambiguously to the Americas.

=== Dutch ===
In Dutch, the word ''Amerika'' mostly refers to the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aadas.nl/sites/default/files/proceedings/2001_03_vanMarle.pdf |title=''aadas.nl/'' |access-date=May 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504225404/http://www.aadas.nl/sites/default/files/proceedings/2001_03_vanMarle.pdf |archive-date=May 4, 2018 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://geheugen.delpher.nl/en/en/geheugen/pages/collectie/atlantic+world/nederlandse+emigratie+naar+noord-amerika+in+de+19e+eeuw|title=The Memory|website=geheugen.delpher.nl}}</ref> Although the United States is equally often referred to as ''de Verenigde Staten'' ("the United States") or ''de VS'' ("the US"), ''Amerika'' relatively rarely refers to the Americas, but it is the only commonly used Dutch word for the Americas. This often leads to ambiguity; and to stress that something concerns the Americas as a whole, Dutch uses a combination, namely ''Noord- en Zuid-Amerika'' (North and South America).

Latin America and Central America are generally referred to as ''Latijns Amerika'' and ''Midden-Amerika'' respectively.

The adjective ''Amerikaans'' is most often used for things or people relating to the United States. There are no alternative words to distinguish between things relating to the United States or to the Americas. Dutch uses the local alternative for things relating to elsewhere in the Americas, such as ''Argentijns'' for Argentine, etc.

== Multinational organizations ==
The following is a list of multinational organizations in the Americas.

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* Alliance for Progress
* American Capital of Culture
* [[Finance:Andean Community of Nations|Andean Community of Nations]]
* Association of Caribbean States
* Bank of the South
* Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas
* [[Organization:Caribbean Community|Caribbean Community]]
* [[Finance:CARICOM Single Market and Economy|CARICOM Single Market and Economy]]
* Central American Common Market
* Central American Parliament
* [[Organization:Community of Latin American and Caribbean States|Community of Latin American and Caribbean States]]
* Contadora Group
* [[Finance:Free Trade Area of the Americas|Free Trade Area of the Americas]]
* Latin American Free Trade Agreement
* Latin American Parliament or Parlatino
* [[Finance:Mercosur|Mercosur]] or Mercosul
* North Atlantic Treaty Organization
* [[Organization:Organization of American States|Organization of American States]]
* [[Organization:Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States|Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States]]
* [[Organization:Organization of Ibero-American States|Organization of Ibero-American States]]
* Pacific Alliance
* Pan American Sports Organization
* Regional Security System
* Rio Group
* School of the Americas
* Summit of the Americas
* [[Organization:Union of South American Nations|Union of South American Nations]]
* United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement
* YOA Orchestra of the Americas
{{div col end}}

==Economy==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right; float:left; border:1px solid #aaa; margin:10px"
|- style="background:#dbdbdb;"
! Rank
! Country
! GDP <small>(nominal, peak year)</small><br /><small>millions of [[Finance:International dollar|USD]]</small><ref name="IMF Data">{{Cite web|title=World Economic Outlook Database April 2022|url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2022/April|access-date=2022-04-19|website=www.imf.org}}</ref>
! Peak year
|-
| 1 ||align=left|{{nowrap|{{flag|United States}}}}||26,949,643||2023
|-
| 2 ||align=left|{{flag|Brazil}}<ref>[https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?end=2012&locations=JP-FR-BR-SA-AR-SE&start=1960 World Bank's GDP (Nominal) Data for Brazil]</ref>||2,616,157||2011
|-
| 3 ||align=left|{{flag|Canada}}<ref>[https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?end=2022&locations=CN&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=1960 World Bank's GDP (Nominal) Data for Canada]</ref>||2,139,840||2022
|-
| 4 ||align=left|{{flag|Mexico}} ||1,811,468||2023
|-
| 5 ||align=left|{{flag|Argentina}} ||643,861||2017
|-
| 6||align=left|{{Flag|Cuba}}<ref>[https://databankfiles.worldbank.org/public/ddpext_download/GDP.pdf World Bank's GDP (Nominal) data for Cuba]</ref>||545,218||2021
|-
| 7 ||align=left|{{flag|Venezuela}}<ref>[https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?end=2014&locations=VE&start=1960 World Bank's GDP (Nominal) Data for Venezuela]</ref>||482,359||2014
|-
| 8 ||align=left|{{flag|Colombia}} ||382,094||2013
|-
| 9 ||align=left|{{flag|Chile}} ||344,400||2023
|-
| 10 ||align=left|{{flag|Peru}} ||264,636||2023
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right; float:left; border:1px solid #aaa; margin:10px"
|- style="background:#dbdbdb;"
! Rank
! Country
! GDP <small>(PPP, peak year)</small><br /><small>millions of [[Finance:International dollar|USD]]</small>
! Peak year
|-
| 1 ||align=left|{{nowrap|{{flag|United States}}}}||26,949,643||2023
|-
| 2 ||align=left|{{flag|Brazil}} ||4,101,022||2023
|-
| 3 ||align=left|{{flag|Mexico}} ||3,277,601||2023
|-
| 4 ||align=left|{{flag|Canada}} ||2,378,973||2023
|-
| 5 ||align=left|{{flag|Argentina}} ||1,239,515||2023
|-
| 6 ||align=left|{{flag|Colombia}} ||1,052,389||2022
|-
| 7 ||align=left|{{flag|Chile}} ||597,520||2023
|-
| 8 ||align=left|{{flag|Venezuela}} ||561,817||2013
|-
| 9 ||align=left|{{flag|Peru}} ||548,465||2023
|-
| 10 ||align=left|{{flag|Dominican Republic}} ||273,703||2023
|}
{{clear}}

In exports and imports, in 2020, the United States was the world's second largest exporter (US$1.64 trillion) and the largest importer (US$2.56 trillion). Mexico was the tenth largest exporter and importer. Canada was the twelfth largest exporter and importer. Brazil was the 24th largest exporter and the 28th largest importer. Chile was the 45th largest exporter and the 47th largest importer. Argentina was the 46th largest exporter and the 52nd largest importer. Colombia was the 54th largest exporter and the 51st largest importer; among others.<ref>[https://www.trademap.org/(X(1)S(wxymkd45vpinba45qduyc345))/Country_SelProduct.aspx?nvpm=1%7C%7C%7C%7C%7CTOTAL%7C%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C2%7C1%7C1&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 Trade Map - List of exporters for the selected product in 2018 (All products)], Trademap.org</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.abrams.wiki/solutions/market-intelligence|title=Opportunities and risks in world trade at a glance &#124; ABRAMS world trade wiki|website=en.abrams.wiki}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=International Trade Statistics|url=https://www.trademap.org/tradestat/Country_SelProduct_TS.aspx?nvpm=1%7c%7c%7c%7c%7cTOTAL%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c1%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1|access-date=25 August 2020|website=International Trade Centre}}</ref>

The [[Earth:Agriculture|agriculture]] of the continent is very strong and varied. Countries such as {{wipe|United States}}, {{wipe|Brazil}}, {{wipe|Canada}}, Mexico and {{wipe|Argentina}} are among the largest agricultural producers on the planet. In 2019, the continent dominated the world production of soy (almost 90% of the world total, with Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Paraguay, Canada and Bolivia among the 10 largest on the planet), [[Biology:Sugarcane|sugarcane]] (about 55% of the world total, with Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and Guatemala among the 10 largest on the planet), coffee (about 55% of the world total, with Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Peru and Guatemala among the 10 largest on the planet) and [[Biology:Maize|maize]] (about 48% of the world total, with the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico among the 10 largest on the planet). The continent also produces almost 40% of world's orange (with Brazil, the US and Mexico among the top 10 producers), about 37% of world's [[Biology:Pineapple|pineapple]] (with Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia among the 10 largest producers), about 35% of world's [[Biology:Lemon|lemon]] (with Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States among the 10 largest producers) and about 30% of world's [[Biology:Cotton|cotton]] (with the US, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina among the top 10 producers), among several other products.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/|title=FAOSTAT|website=Fao.org}}</ref>

In livestock, America also has giant productions. In 2018, the continent produced around 45% of the world's beef (with the US, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Canada among the world's 10 largest producers); about 36% of the world's chicken meat (with the US, Brazil and Mexico among the world's 10 largest producers), and about 28% of the world's cow's milk (with the US and Brazil among the 10 largest producers in the world), among other products.<ref name="auto"/>

In industrial terms, the [[Organization:World Bank|World Bank]] lists the top producing countries each year, based on the total value of production. According to the 2019 list, the United States has the second most valuable industry in the world (US$2.3 trillion), Mexico has the 12th most valuable industry in the world (US$217.8 billion), Brazil has the 13th most valuable industry in the world (US$173.6 billion), Canada has the 15th most valuable industry in the world (US$151.7 billion), Venezuela the 30th largest (US$58.2 billion, but depends on the oil to obtain this amount), Argentina was the 31st largest (US$57.7 billion), Colombia the 46th largest (US$35.4 billion), Peru the 50th largest ($28.7 billion), and Chile the 51st largest (US$28.3 billion), among others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.IND.MANF.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true|title=Manufacturing, value added (current US$) &#124; Data|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref>

In the production of [[Chemistry:Petroleum|oil]], the continent had 8 of the 30 largest world producers in 2020: United States (1st), Canada (4th), Brazil (8th), Mexico (14th), Colombia (20th), Venezuela (26th), Ecuador (27th) and Argentina (28th).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eia.gov/international/data/world/petroleum-and-other-liquids/annual-petroleum-and-other-liquids-production|title=International - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)|website=Eia.gov}}</ref>

In the production of [[Chemistry:Natural gas|natural gas]], the continent had 8 of the 32 largest world producers in 2015: United States (1st), Canada (5th), Argentina (18th), Trinidad and Tobago (20th), Mexico (21st), Venezuela (28th), Bolivia (31st) and Brazil (32nd).<ref>[http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/KeyWorld2014.pdf IEA. Key World Energy Statistics 2014. Natural Gas.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405035039/http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/keyworld2014.pdf |date=April 5, 2015 }}, Iea.org, Access date - 01/17/2021</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2249rank.|title=html CIA. The World Factbook. Natural gas - production.|website=Cia.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In the production of [[Earth:Coal|coal]], the continent had 5 of the 30 largest world producers in 2018: United States (3rd), Colombia (12th), Canada (13th), Mexico (24th) and Brazil (27th).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html|title=Statistical Review of World Energy &#124; Energy economics &#124; Home|website=Bp.com}}</ref>

In the production of {{wipe|Automotive industry}}, the continent had 5 of the 30 largest world producers in 2019: United States (2nd), Mexico (7th), Brazil (9th), Canada (12th) and Argentina (28th).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oica.net/category/production-statistics/2019-statistics/|title=2019 Statistics &#124; www.oica.net|website=Oica.net}}</ref>

In the production of steel, the continent had 5 of the 31 largest world producers in 2019: United States (4th), Brazil (9th), Mexico (15th), Canada (18th) and Argentina (31st).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldsteel.org/en/dam/jcr:391fbe61-488d-46d1-b611-c9a43224f9b8/2019%2520global%2520crude%2520steel%2520production.pdf|title=World crude steel production|website=Worldsteel.org|access-date=December 14, 2021|archive-date=January 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130161636/https://www.worldsteel.org/en/dam/jcr:391fbe61-488d-46d1-b611-c9a43224f9b8/2019%2520global%2520crude%2520steel%2520production.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldsteel.org/media-centre/press-releases/2020/Global-crude-steel-output-increases-by-3.4--in-2019.html|title=worldsteel &#124; Global crude steel output increases by 3.4% in 2019|website=Worldsteel.org}}</ref>

In mining, the continent has large productions of [[Chemistry:Gold|gold]] (mainly in the United States, Canada, Peru, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-gold.pdf|title=USGS Gold Production Statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Silver|silver]] (mainly in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and the US);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-silver.pdf|title=Production statistics of USGS Silver|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Copper|copper]] (mainly in Chile, Peru, US, Mexico and Brazil);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-copper.pdf|title=Copper production statistics for the USGS|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Platinum|platinum]] (Canada and US);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-platinum.pdf|title=USGS platinum production statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Earth:Iron ore|iron ore]] (Brazil, Canada, US, Peru and Chile);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-iron-ore.pdf|title=Production statistics of USGS iron ore|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Zinc|zinc]] (Peru, US, Mexico, Bolivia, Canada and Brazil);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-zinc.pdf|title=Zinc production statistics from USGS|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Molybdenum|molybdenum]] (Chile, Peru, Mexico, Canada, US);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-molybdenum.pdf|title=USGS Molybdenum Production Statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Lithium|lithium]] (Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Canada);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-lithium.pdf|title=USGS lithium production statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Lead|lead]] (Peru, US, Mexico and Bolivia);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-lead.pdf|title=USGS Lead Production Statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Earth:Bauxite|bauxite]] (Brazil, Jamaica, Canada, and US);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-bauxite-alumina.pdf|title=USGS Bauxite Production Statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Tin|tin]] (Peru, Bolivia and Brazil);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-tin.pdf|title=USGS tin production statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Manganese|manganese]] (Brazil and Mexico);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-manganese.pdf|title=Manganese production statistics from the USGS|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Antimony|antimony]] (Bolivia, Mexico, Guatemala, Canada and Ecuador);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-antimony.pdf|title=USGS antimony production statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Nickel|nickel]] (Canada, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Cuba and US);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-nickel.pdf|title=USGS Nickel Production Statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Niobium|niobium]] (Brazil and Canada);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-niobium.pdf|title=USGS Niobium Production Statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Rhenium|rhenium]] (Chile and US);<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-rhenium.pdf|title=USGS rhenium production statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> and [[Chemistry:Iodine|iodine]] (Chile),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-iodine.pdf|title=USGS iodine production statistics|website=Pubs.usgs.gov|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> among others.

[[Earth:Dominica|Dominica]], Panama and the Dominican Republic have the fastest-growing economy in the Americas according to the [[Organization:International Monetary Fund|International Monetary Fund]] (IMF),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2021/April/weo-report?c=512,914,612,614,311,213,911,314,193,122,912,313,419,513,316,913,124,339,638,514,218,963,616,223,516,918,748,618,624,522,622,156,626,628,228,924,233,632,636,634,238,662,960,423,935,128,611,321,243,248,469,253,642,643,939,734,644,819,172,132,646,648,915,134,652,174,328,258,656,654,336,263,268,532,944,176,534,536,429,433,178,436,136,343,158,439,916,664,826,542,967,443,917,544,941,446,666,668,672,946,137,546,674,676,548,556,678,181,867,682,684,273,868,921,948,943,686,688,518,728,836,558,138,196,278,692,694,962,142,449,564,565,283,853,288,293,566,964,182,359,453,968,922,714,862,135,716,456,722,942,718,724,576,936,961,813,726,199,733,184,524,361,362,364,732,366,144,146,463,528,923,738,578,537,742,866,369,744,186,925,869,746,926,466,112,111,298,927,846,299,582,487,474,754,698,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=1980&ey=2026&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=1&sort=subject&ds=.&br=1|title=World Economic Outlook Database|website=Imf.org}}</ref> 16, five to seven countries in the southern part of the Americas had weakening economies in decline, compared to only three countries in the northern part of the Americas.<ref name=IMFNorthAmericaGDP>{{Cite web|url=http://statisticstimes.com/economy/north-american-countries-by-gdp-per-capita.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010114728/http://statisticstimes.com/economy/north-american-countries-by-gdp-per-capita.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-10-10|author=International Monetary Fund|publisher=International Monetary Fund|title=List of North American countries by GDP per capita|work=World Economic Outlook|date=October 2016|access-date=February 22, 2017}}</ref><ref name=IMFUNASURGDP>{{Cite web|url=http://statisticstimes.com/economy/south-american-countries-by-gdp-per-capita.php|author=International Monetary Fund|publisher=International Monetary Fund|title=List of South American countries by GDP per capita|work=World Economic Outlook|date=October 2016|access-date=September 25, 2017}}</ref> Haiti has the lowest GDP per capita in the Americas, although its economy was growing slightly {{as of|2016|lc=y}}.<ref name="IMFNorthAmericaGDP" /><ref name=IMFUNASURGDP/>

== See also ==
<!-- -->
<!-- {{Main|Outline of the Americas|Index of Americas-related articles}} -->
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* Amerrisque Mountains
* Abya Yala – indigenous name for the North and South American continents
* British North America
* Columbia (name)
* Ethnic groups in Central America
* [[Place:French America|French America]]
* Indigenous Peoples' Day
* La Merika
* List of conflicts in the Americas
* List of former sovereign states
* List of oldest buildings in the Americas
* Monarchies in the Americas
* New Sweden
* Pan-Americanism
* Pan-American Highway
* Pan American Games
* Personification of the Americas
* Southern Cone
{{div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* "Americas". ''[http://www.columbiagazetteer.org/ The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online]''. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.
* "Americas". ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', 15th ed. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1986. {{ISBN|0-85229-434-4}}
* Burchfield, R. W. ''Fowler's Modern English Usage.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. {{ISBN|0-19-861021-1}}
* [[Biography:Ward Churchill|Churchill, Ward]]. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=1AbmOu-FRisC A Little Matter of Genocide]''. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1997. {{ISBN|0-87286-323-9}}
* Fee, Margery, and J. McAlpine. ''Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage.'' Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1997. {{ISBN|0-19-541619-8}}
* {{cite journal | last1 = Kane | first1 = Katie | year = 1999| title = Nits Make Lice: Drogheda, Sand Creek, and the Poetics of Colonial Extermination | journal = Cultural Critique | volume = 42 | issue = 42| pages = 81–103 | doi = 10.2307/1354592 | jstor = 1354592 }}
* Pearsall, Judy, and Bill Trumble, ed. ''Oxford English Reference Dictionary'', 2nd ed. (rev.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. {{ISBN|0-19-860652-4}}
* Rosenberg, Matt (9 April 2018). "[https://www.thoughtco.com/define-north-south-latin-anglo-america-4068990 How to Define North, South, Latin, and Anglo America]". ''ThoughtCo''.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab2.pdf United Nations population data by latest available Census: 2008–2009]
* [http://www.oas.org/ Organization of American States]
* [http://www.coha.org/ Council on Hemispheric Affairs]
* {{Cite NIE |last=Gannett |first=Henry |last2=Ingersoll |first2=Ernest |author2link=Ernest Ingersoll |last3=Winship |first3=George Parker |author3link=George Parker Winship |year=1905 |wstitle=America and others |short=x}}

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{{Regions of the world}}
{{Continents of the world}}
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[[Category:Continents]]
[[Category:Supercontinents]]

{{Sourceattribution|Americas}}