North America

North America is a major landmass comprised of the countries of the United States, Canada and Mexico. While most Europeans don't consider Mexico to be a part of North America, the term North America refers to the Northern portion of what can also be known simply as "the Americas", or the term it was called in earlier times: the new World. This continent is the predominant landmass in the western hemisphere, and the third largest continent after Eurasia and the African continent. Geographically, North America is incredibly diverse. In the west, the Great Plains area covers a great deal of the middle of the United States, from the Texan Gulf coast to the Canadian Arctic. The Rocky Mountains spans 3,000 miles from New Mexico all the way to Alaska. With only an average density of 4 people per square mile in the region of the Rockies, its main industry is tourism, being home to some of the United State's most famous parks; such as the Yellowstone. The eastern region of the country is an area with a great deal of physical variety, with the mountains of Appalachia and the lush Florida Peninsula and the Atlantic sea plains. Finally, a large, flat area in the northeast of the continent is known as the Canadian Shield.