America (continent)

the American continent extends in its North-South axis of 83. Degree of latitude north (cape Columbia) up to 56. Degree of latitude south (cape Hoorn). This corresponds approx. 15,000 kilometers of north south expansion. The easternmost point lies in Brazilon that 35.Degree of longitude west and westernmost in North America on that 172. Degree of longitude east on Attu, a Aleuteninsel. With a land surface of approximately 42 million square kilometers it is to Asia the second largest continent of the world.

Classical way dividesone the American continent in north, central and South America up. This is also in disktectonic regard meaningfully, there North America to a large extent on the North American plate, South America to a large extent on the South American plate and Central America on the Caribbean plate rests. By the politicalFixing of the boundaries, which does not orient itself as well known at plate tectonics, gives it however to deviations of this allocation.

The name America is derived from the name of the Italian Amerigo Vespucci (1454 - 1512), which got straight that in the course also Christoph Kolumbus using transatlantic travels did not rediscover continent India or Asia is. The free citizen Kartograph Martin forest sea-Mueller registered the recently discovered continent 1507 on a map of the world as “America”. The designation “Indian “for the natives Americas goes on thoseAcceptance back, it concerns with America India.

Alternative designations of the double continent America are western hemisphere, new world, overseas, west celebrations (become outdated), fourth continent (becomes outdated).

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to North America

to North America belong Greenland, Canada, the USA, Mexico and several island states. It is particularly worth mentioning that a part of North America lies on the Pacific plate. Here it concerns mainly the peninsula Niederkalifornien into Mexico as well as the coastal strip of California from San Diego to north of San Francisco. The break between the Pacific and the North American plate is called San Andreas ditch. Both plates drift steadily northward, the Pacific plate however with onehigher speed. Thus both plates slide past together. Since this does not happen smoothly, but both plates in different places hook themselves, come it very frequently to earthquakes in this area. In the western part is the Rocky Mountains, thosewestern Kordilleren and the Sierra Madre Occidental, those mainly with the pressure of the Pacific plate on the North American plate forwards approx. 80 million years developed. In the north Greenland with its inland ice is further southern and between Canada and the USA the large seas worth mentioning, which are inheritances of the last ice age. Here is the sea of the world second largest after the Kaspi sea, the Lake Superior with a surface of approximately 82,000 square kilometers. On the eastern side finditself the Appalachen, those with an age of approx. 400 million years to the oldest mountains of the world belong. Between the Appalachen and the Rocky Mountains are the Great Plains, central lowlandses, by those the Missouri and the Mississippi flow. The Mississippi valley is called also Tornado Alley, since here very frequently Tornadoes develop.

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Central America

portal: Central America

in Central America gives it a great many active volcanos at the Pacific coast. The Lago de Nicaragua has severalhundred islands, of it are some also active volcanos. Resulted this lake from volcanic separation of the Pacific, whereby here singular fresh water variants of sharks and sword fish formed. In Central America the Panama channel is appropriate, for that the Atlantic ones with the Pacific oceanconnects.

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South America

portal: South America

more than half of South America is tropical area. Within the western range dominates the Anden, the largest mountains America, the landscape. The highest mountain from America is northeast from Santiago de Chile lying, vergletscherte Aconcagua with 6.962, 97 meters height. The Anden resulted from the Subduktion of the Nazca plate in such a way specified under the South American plate. As tectonically active area many volcanos, those continue to be in the south to fire country along the western coastvolcanic and Geysirtundra mentioned run out.

Between Anden and Pacific the extremely arid Atacama desert lies in today's north Chile.

In the northeast the mountain country south of Guayana and of it the Amazon basin with the Amazon , to its innumerable supplies, are fruitful Flood areas and jungles. The Amazon carries 1/5 of the fresh water flowing into the sea. The basin in the south limited of the Brazilian mountain country weathered strongly.

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America (continent)

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