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| Countries of North America | |
|---|---|
| Name | North American countries |
| Caption | Satellite view of North America |
| Region | North America |
Countries of North America
North America's sovereign states and dependent territories span from the Arctic Archipelago to the Caribbean Sea and share histories tied to Age of Discovery, Colonialism, and transatlantic migration. These political entities include large federations, small island states, and overseas departments shaped by interactions among Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Spanish Empire, British Empire, French colonial empire, and United States expansion. Contemporary arrangements reflect legacies of treaties such as the Treaty of Paris (1783), the Adams–Onís Treaty, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
North American countries encompass the United Mexican States, the United States of America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Canada, and the member states of Central America and the Caribbean Community. Geopolitical zones include the Arctic Circle territories of Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat), the Bering Strait approaches, and the insular realms of the Caribbean Sea like Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bahamas. Political forms range from the federal model of the United States and Canada to unitary republics such as Nicaragua and parliamentary monarchies like Belize and Antigua and Barbuda. Many states maintain constitutional links codified in instruments like the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Canada.
Sovereignty issues in North America involve disputes over boundaries set by agreements including the Oregon Treaty, the Treaty of Panama (1903), and the Camp David Accords (in diplomatic analogies). Relations among nations are mediated by bodies such as the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and bilateral partnerships like the North American Free Trade Agreement successor, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. Overseas territories of France (e.g., Guadeloupe, Martinique), the Kingdom of the Netherlands (e.g., Aruba, Curaçao), and the United Kingdom (e.g., Bermuda, Cayman Islands) maintain varied constitutional statuses and representation arrangements involving the European Union historically and contemporary diplomatic missions in capitals like Washington, D.C., Mexico City, and Ottawa.
North America's physical geography includes the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Plains, the Yucatán Peninsula, and the Sierra Madre. Major rivers and watersheds include the Mississippi River, the St. Lawrence River, the Colorado River, and the Rio Grande, with island chains such as the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Lucayan Archipelago. Population centers cluster in metropolitan areas like New York City, Mexico City, Toronto, Los Angeles, Havana, and Kingston (Jamaica). Demographic patterns reflect migration flows from regions affected by events like the Mexican Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, and 20th-century labor movements linked to Bracero Program and remittances tied to diasporas in Miami and Madrid.
Economic integration and trade in North America are shaped by accords and institutions including USMCA, CAFTA-DR, and the Caribbean Basin Initiative. Key sectors include energy extraction in territories like Alberta and Tamaulipas, manufacturing concentrations in the Baja California maquiladora regions, tourism in Cancún, Punta Cana, and Montego Bay, and finance hubs such as Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. Natural resources include oil reserves in Gulf of Mexico basins, minerals in the Canadian Shield, and fisheries in the Grand Banks and around Greenland. Development indicators vary between high-income states like Canada and United States and lower-income nations such as Honduras, Nicaragua, and Haiti, with institutions like the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank involved in regional projects.
Cultural landscapes feature syncretic traditions blending influences from Mesoamerica civilizations such as the Aztec Empire and the Maya civilization, African diasporic cultures shaped by the Transatlantic slave trade, and European artistic movements transported via ports like Seville and Lisbon. Linguistic diversity includes official languages such as English, Spanish, French, and indigenous tongues like Nahuatl, Mayan languages, Inuktitut, and Cree language. Music and dance traditions encompass genres tied to Reggae, Salsa, Merengue, Calypso, Country music, and Norteño, while literary and artistic figures emerged in capitals associated with institutions like the Harvard University, the Biblioteca Nacional de México, and the National Gallery of Canada.
Regional cooperation occurs through multilateral forums such as the Organization of American States, CARICOM, the Central American Integration System, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and the Summit of the Americas. Environmental and maritime governance engage treaties like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and initiatives coordinated with agencies such as the United Nations Environment Programme, the Pan American Health Organization, and the International Maritime Organization for hazards including hurricanes tracked by National Hurricane Center and seismic monitoring involving institutions like the United States Geological Survey.
Sovereign states: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America.
Dependent territories and overseas departments: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat), Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Saba, Sint Eustatius.