View source for Americas

{{Short description|Landmass comprising North and South America}}
{{Redirect|The Americas|the academic journal|The Americas (journal){{!}}''The Americas'' (journal)}}
{{Redirect|América|the football club|Club América|other uses|America (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use American English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{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 = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 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 (word)|American]]<ref name="OEDAMERICAN" /> (see [[#English|usage]])
| countries = [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas|35]]
| list_countries = 
| dependencies = [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas|23]]
| languages = [[Spanish language in the Americas|Spanish]], [[English language|English]], [[Portuguese language in the Americas|Portuguese]], [[American French|French]], [[Haitian Creole]], [[Quechua languages|Quechua]], [[Guaraní language|Guaraní]], [[Aymara language|Aymara]], [[Nahuatl]], [[Surinamese Dutch|Dutch]], and [[#Languages|many others]]
| time = [[UTC−10:00|UTC−10]] to [[UTC+00:00|UTC+0]]
| cities = 
{{collapsible list
 | list_style = text-align:left;
 <!--1-->|1. [[São Paulo]]<!--11,967,825-->
 <!--2-->|2. [[Lima]]<!--8,894,412-->
 <!--3-->|3. [[Mexico City]]<!--8,854,600-->
 <!--4-->|4. [[New York City]]<!--8,550,405-->
 <!--5-->|5. [[Bogotá]]<!--7,862,277-->
 <!--6-->|6. [[Rio de Janeiro]]<!--6,476,631-->
 <!--7-->|7. [[Santiago]]<!--5,507,282-->
 <!--8-->|8. [[Los Angeles]]<!--3,971,883-->
 <!--9-->|9. [[Caracas]]<!--3,289,886-->
 <!--10-->|10. [[Buenos Aires]]<!--3,054,267-->
 }}<br />
Complete [[List of metropolitan areas in the Americas|List of largest metropolitan areas]] and their [[Largest cities in the Americas|cities]]
| m49 = <code>019</code> – Americas<br /><code>001</code> – World
}}

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 Learner's Dictionary}}</ref> are a landmass comprising the totality of [[North America]] and [[South America]].<ref name=":0">''[[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. [[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 Dictionary#WebsThird New International|Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged]]''. [[ProQuest]] Information and Learning; "continent" (2007) ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. Retrieved January 14, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.</ref> When viewed as a single continent, the Americas are the second largest continent by area after Asia and the third largest continent by population. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's [[Western Hemisphere]] and constitute the "[[New World]]", in contrast to the "[[Old World]]" of [[Afro-Eurasia]].<ref name="oxfordc"/>

Along with their [[Lists of islands of the Americas|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 basin|Amazon]], [[St. Lawrence River]]–[[Great Lakes]], [[Mississippi River System|Mississippi]], and [[Río de la Plata Basin|La Plata]] basins. Since the Americas extend {{cvt|14000|km|mi|-2}} from north to south, the climate and ecology vary widely, from the arctic [[tundra]] of [[Northern Canada]], [[Greenland]], and [[Alaska]], to the [[tropical rainforest]]s in [[Central America]] and South America.

Humans first [[Settlement of the Americas|settled the Americas]] from Asia between 20,000 and 16,000 years ago. A second migration of [[Na-Dene languages|Na-Dene speakers]] followed later from Asia. The subsequent migration of the [[Inuit]] into the [[North American Arctic|neoarctic]] {{Circa|3500 BCE}} completed what is generally regarded as the settlement by the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas]]. The [[Norse colonization of North America]] saw several settlements established in Greenland, and perhaps on the mainland, however, these were later abandoned. The Spanish [[voyages of Christopher Columbus]] from 1492 to 1504 resulted in permanent contact with European (and subsequently, other [[Old World]]) powers, which eventually led to the [[Columbian exchange]] and inaugurated a period of [[Exploration of North America|exploration]], [[European colonization of the Americas|conquest, and colonization]] whose effects and consequences persist to the present.

The Spanish presence involved the [[Slavery in colonial Spanish America|enslavement]] of large numbers of the indigenous population of the Americas.<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 Europe and [[West Africa]] [[Population history of indigenous peoples of the Americas|devastated the indigenous peoples]], and the European powers [[European colonization of the Americas|colonized the Americas]].<ref name="Taylor 2001">{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Alan|author-link=Alan Taylor (historian)|title=American Colonies|year=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|location=New York|isbn=9780142002100|url=https://archive.org/details/americancolonies00tayl}}</ref> Mass [[European emigration|emigration from Europe]], including large numbers of [[Indentured servitude|indentured servants]], and [[Atlantic slave trade|importation of African slaves]] largely replaced the indigenous peoples in much of the Americas. [[Decolonization of the Americas]] began with the [[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 [[Christianity]] and the use of West European languages: primarily [[Spanish language in the Americas|Spanish]], [[English language|English]], [[Portuguese language in the Americas|Portuguese]], [[American French|French]], and, to a lesser extent, [[Surinamese Dutch|Dutch]].

The Americas are home to more than a billion inhabitants, two-thirds of whom reside in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico. It is home to eight [[Megacity|megacities]] ([[metropolitan area]]s with 10&nbsp;million inhabitants or more): [[Greater Mexico City]] (21.2&nbsp;million), [[Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area|São Paulo]] (21.2&nbsp;million), [[New York metropolitan area|New York City]] (19.7&nbsp;million), [[Greater Los Angeles|Los Angeles]] (18.8&nbsp;million), [[Buenos Aires metropolitan area|Buenos Aires]] (15.6&nbsp;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 metropolitan area|Rio de Janeiro]] (13.0&nbsp;million), [[Metropolitan Area of Bogotá|Bogotá]] (10.4&nbsp;million), and [[Lima metropolitan area|Lima]] (10.1&nbsp;million).

==<span id="Naming">Etymology and naming</span>==
{{Main|Naming of the Americas}}
[[File:Amerigo Vespucci (with turban).jpg|thumb|left|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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070917000638/https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-24-america-turns-500_N.htm|archive-date=September 17, 2007}}</ref>]]
[[File:Waldseemuller map 2.jpg|thumb|right|World map of [[Martin Waldseemüller|Waldseemüller]] (Germany, 1507), which first used the name ''America'' (in the lower-left section, over South America)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180702-the-epic-story-of-the-map-that-gave-america-its-name|title=The epic story of the map that gave America its name|date=July 3, 2018|website=www.bbc.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Fourth-Part-of-the-World/Toby-Lester/9781416535348|title=The Fourth Part of the World|date=November 3, 2009|via=www.simonandschuster.com}}</ref>]]
The name "America" was first recorded in 1507. A world map 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 ''[[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 {{lang|la|Americus}}, the [[Latinisation of names|Latin]] version of the 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: [[Asia]], [[Africa]], and [[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|access-date=August 14, 2018}}</ref> however, North America 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>{{efn|The singular form "America" is more common in the [[Spanish language]], spoken by the majority in 16 out of the 21 mainland [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas|countries of North and South America]]. This was notably demonstrated to English-language audiences during Puerto Rican musician [[Bad Bunny]]'s [[pan-Americanism|pan-Americanist]] performance at the [[Super Bowl LX halftime show]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/bad-bunny-halftime-show-america-0f3534a06cc01fb7c5aae7487debe4fb|title=Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show celebrated America – all of it – with a message of unity|work=[[Associated Press]]|first=Maria|last=Sherman|date=February 10, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2026/02/09/nx-s1-5706505/bad-bunny-redefined-what-america-means|title=Bad Bunny redefined what "America" means|first1=Brittany|last1=Luse|first2=Stephen|last2=Thompson|first3=Corey Antonio|last3=Rose|first4=Barton|last4=Girdwood|work=[[It's Been a Minute]], [[NPR]]|date=February 9, 2026}}</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 [[United States|United States of America]].<ref name=oxfordc />

==Terminology==
{{Subdivisions of the Americas|100px}}
{{Further|Americas (terminology)}}

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

The region was initially termed America or New India on the Mercator maps.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mercator 1587 {{!}} Envisioning the World {{!}} The First Printed Maps |url=https://lib-dbserver.princeton.edu/visual_materials/maps/websites/wendt-world-maps/Mercator_1587.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716014333/https://lib-dbserver.princeton.edu/visual_materials/maps/websites/wendt-world-maps/Mercator_1587.html |archive-date=July 16, 2023 |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=lib-dbserver.princeton.edu |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===English===
{{Main|American (word)|l1=''American'' (word)}}

[[English language|Speakers of English]] generally refer to the [[landmass]]es of North America and South America as ''the Americas'', the ''[[Western Hemisphere]]'', or the ''[[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 New World.<ref name="OED|New Worlder">{{OED|New Worlder}}</ref> 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 symbols#Different types of flags|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 [[subcontinent]]s of ''América del Sur'' and ''América del Norte'', the [[land bridge]] of ''América Central'', and the islands of the ''[[Antilles|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 terms ''estadounidense'' and ''estadunidense''<ref>{{Cite web |last=ASALE |first=RAE- |last2=RAE |title=estadounidense {{!}} Diccionario de la lengua española |url=https://dle.rae.es/estadounidense |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=«Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ASALE |first=RAE- |last2=RAE |title=estadunidense {{!}} Diccionario de la lengua española |url=https://dle.rae.es/estadunidense |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=«Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario |language=es}}</ref>(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'' (EE. UU.).<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, though in formal writing it is less common since it is used for the inhabitants of North America.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ASALE |first=RAE- |last2=RAE |title=norteamericano, norteamericana {{!}} Diccionario de la lengua española |url=https://dle.rae.es/norteamericano?m=form |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=«Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario |language=es}}</ref>

===Portuguese===
In Portuguese, ''[[:pt:América|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> The demonym 'American' (americano) is commonly used in Portuguese to refer to people from the United States, although the terms '[[wikt:norte-americano|norte-americano]]', '[[wikt:estadounidense|estadounidense]]' or '[[wikt:estadunidense|estadunidense]]' also formally exist and are preferred by those who wish to distinguish it from the continental demonym.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rocha |first=Elsa |last2=Costa |first2=José Mário |date=27 May 2004 |title=Estado-unidense, estadunidense, norte-americano - Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa |url=https://ciberduvidas.iscte-iul.pt/consultorio/perguntas/estado-unidense-estadunidense-norte-americano/12648 |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=[[:pt:Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa|ciberduvidas.iscte-iul.pt]] |language=pt}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Americano, estadunidense ou norte-americano? As disputas sobre o uso do termo para nascidos nos EUA |url=https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/salasocial-62245257 |access-date=2025-05-26 |work=BBC News Brasil |language=pt-BR}}</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|access-date=November 28, 2021|archive-date=November 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128204358/https://geheugen.delpher.nl/en/en/geheugen/pages/collectie/atlantic%20world/nederlandse%20emigratie%20naar%20noord-amerika%20in%20de%2019e%20eeuw|url-status=dead}}</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 people|Argentine]], etc.

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

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

The pre-Columbian era incorporates all [[Archaeology of the Americas|period subdivisions]] in the [[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 [[Migration to the New World|original settlement]] in the [[Upper Paleolithic]] to [[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 [[List of pre-Columbian civilizations|indigenous civilizations of the Americas]], such as those of [[Mesoamerica]] ([[Olmec]], [[Toltec]], [[Teotihuacano]], [[Zapotec civilization|Zapotec]], [[Mixtec civilization|Mixtec]], [[Aztec]], [[Maya civilization|Maya]]) and the [[Andean civilizations]] ([[Tahuantinsuyu|Inca]], [[Moche (culture)|Moche]], [[Chavín culture|Chavín]], [[Muisca people|Muisca]], [[Cañari]]).

Many pre-Columbian [[civilization]]s established characteristics and hallmarks which included permanent or urban settlements, agriculture, civic and monumental architecture, and [[Complex society|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 [[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=[[Alfred A. Knopf|Knopf]]|year=2005|isbn=978-1-4000-4006-3|location=New York|oclc=56632601|author-link=Charles C. Mann}}</ref>

====Settlement====
{{Further|topic=theories of Paleo-Indian migration|Peopling of the Americas}}
[[File:Spreading homo sapiens la.svg|thumb|upright=2|Map of [[early human migrations]] based on the [[Recent African origin of modern humans|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>]]

[[Paleo-Indians|The first inhabitants]] migrated into the Americas from Asia. Habitation sites are known in [[Alaska]] and [[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=usurped |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#North America|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| issn = 0027-8424}}</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 [[Beringia]] land bridge between eastern Siberia and present-day Alaska about 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 [[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 [[pleistocene megafauna]] along ''ice-free corridors'' that stretched between the [[Laurentide Ice Sheet|Laurentide]] and [[Cordilleran Ice Sheet|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 [[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 [[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| url-access = subscription }}</ref> The [[Microsatellite (genetics)|micro-satellite]] diversity and distributions specific to [[Indigenous peoples of South America|South American Indigenous peoples]] 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> [[Na-Dene languages|Na Dene speakers]], found predominantly in North American groups at varying genetic rates, with the highest frequency found among the [[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 (journal)|Nature]]|volume=488|issue=7411|pages=370–374|display-authors=etal|doi=10.1038/nature11258|pmc=3615710|bibcode=2012Natur.488..370R|pmid=22801491}}</ref> [[Linguists]] and [[biologist]]s have reached a similar conclusion based on analysis of [[Indigenous languages of the Americas|Amerindian language groups]] and [[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=https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/A-Siberian-Link-with-Na-Dene-Languages-Vajda/9d75c662044ff828c56c5461be58bbd4b10f46a1 |publisher=Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska |volume=5|s2cid=132888468 }}</ref> Then the people of the [[Arctic small tool tradition]], a broad cultural entity that developed along the [[Alaska Peninsula]], around [[Bristol Bay]], and on the eastern shores of the Bering Strait {{circa|2500 BCE|lk=no}}, 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 II culture|Independence traditions]] of Greenland.<ref name="YoungBjerregaard2008" /> The descendants of the Pre-Dorset cultural group, the [[Dorset culture]], were 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====
{{Main|Norse colonization of North America}}

Around the same time as the Inuit migrated into Greenland, Viking settlers began arriving in [[Greenland]] in 982 and [[Vinland]] shortly thereafter, establishing a settlement at [[L'Anse aux Meadows]], near the northernmost tip of [[Newfoundland (island)|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 [[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=[[The Sault Star|Sault Daily Star]]|year=1939|location=Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario|pages=207|language=en}}</ref>}}

===Large-scale European colonization===
{{Main|European colonization of the Americas}}
[[File:Landing of Columbus (2) (cropped).jpg|thumb|''[[Landing of Columbus]]'' by [[John Vanderlyn]], 1847. [[Christopher Columbus]] leads expedition to the New World, 1492.]]

Although there had been previous [[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 [[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 [[Piracy in the Caribbean|pirates]].

On the continent, [[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 [[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 Verrazzano]],<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 [[John Cabot|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|url-access=subscription}}</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 history of indigenous peoples of the Americas|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 [[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 [[religious persecution]] or seeking economic opportunities. Millions of individuals were forcibly transported to the Americas as [[Slavery|slave]]s, prisoners or [[Indentured servitude|indentured servant]]s.

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

[[Decolonization of the Americas]] began with the [[American Revolution]] and the [[Haitian Revolution]] in the late 1700s. This was followed by numerous [[Spanish American wars of independence|Latin American wars of independence]] in the early 1800s. Between 1811 and 1825, [[Paraguay]], [[Argentina]], [[Chile]], [[Gran Colombia]], the [[United Provinces of Central America]], [[Mexico]], [[Brazil]], [[Peru]], and [[Bolivia]] gained independence from Spain and Portugal in armed revolutions. After the [[Dominican War of Independence|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 Purchase|Louisiana from France]] in 1803, [[Adams–Onís Treaty|Florida from Spain]] in 1819, [[Alaska Purchase|Alaska from Russia]] in 1867, and the [[Treaty of the Danish West Indies|Danish West Indies from Denmark]] in 1916. [[Canada]] became independent of the United Kingdom, starting with the [[Balfour Declaration of 1926]] and the [[Statute of Westminster 1931]] and ending with the [[patriation of the Canadian Constitution]] in 1982. The [[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 |first1=Jeff A. |last1=Webb |date=March 2008 |website=Newfoundland Heritage |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209010155/https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/commission-government.php |archive-date= December 9, 2023 }}</ref> It was subsequently [[Newfoundland Act|confederated with Canada]] in 1949.

The remaining European colonies in the Caribbean began to achieve peaceful independence well after [[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]], [[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==
{{Further|Geography of North America|Geography of South America}}
[[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 [[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 [[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 undisputed point is [[Águila Islet]], although the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] islands of [[Southern Thule]] are sometimes taken into account.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Quinn |first1=Joyce A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HuTNEAAAQBAJ&dq=%C3%81guila+Islet&pg=PA127 |title=Earth's Landscape [2 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of the World's Geographic Features [2 volumes] |last2=Woodward |first2=Susan L. |date=3 February 2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-61069-446-9 |pages=127, 668 |language=en |access-date=9 February 2024}}</ref><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, [[Murchison Promontory]] on the [[Boothia Peninsula]] in northern Canada and [[Cape Froward]] in Chilean [[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. [[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 [[Gondwana]] about 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> About 15&nbsp;million years ago, the collision of the [[Caribbean Plate]] and the [[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 [[Great American Interchange]] resulted in many species being spread across the Americas, such as the [[cougar]], [[Procyonidae|procyonids]], [[New World porcupine|porcupines]], [[opossum]]s, [[armadillo]]s, and [[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=[[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 [[Argentina]], is the highest peak in the Americas.]]

The geography of the western Americas is dominated by the [[American Cordillera]], with the [[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=https://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 (island)|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 [[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 [[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 [[fourteener]]s are in the United States, and more specifically in the US state of [[Colorado]]. The highest peaks of the Americas are located in the [[List of mountains in the Andes|Andes]], with [[Aconcagua]] of [[Argentina]] being the highest; in North America [[Denali]] (Mount McKinley) in the US state of [[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=https://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 [[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 [[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 [[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 [[lowland]]s.<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|thumb|upright=1.3|Climate zones of the Americas in the [[Köppen climate classification]] system]]

The climate of the Americas varies significantly from region to region. [[Tropical rainforest climate]] occurs in the latitudes of the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]], American [[cloud forest]]s, southeastern Florida and [[Darién Gap]]. In the [[Rocky Mountains]] and [[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' [[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 [[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 basin]]s that drain the continents. The largest river basin in North America is that of the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]], covering the second-largest watershed on the planet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://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 United States, most of the [[Great Plains]], and large areas between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. The Mississippi–Missouri is the [[List of rivers by length|fourth-longest]] river system and has the [[List of rivers by discharge|tenth-greatest discharge]] 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|Hudson]], [[Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)|Saint John]], and [[Savannah River|Savannah]] rivers. A similar instance arises with central Canadian rivers that drain into [[Hudson Bay]]; the largest being the [[Churchill River (Hudson Bay)|Churchill River]]. On the west coast of North America, the main rivers are the [[Colorado River|Colorado]], [[Columbia River|Columbia]], [[Yukon River|Yukon]], [[Fraser River|Fraser]], and [[Sacramento River|Sacramento]] rivers.

The Colorado River drains much of the [[Southern Rockies]] and parts of the [[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= https://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 [[Grand Canyon]] and created phenomena such as the [[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 St 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|abbr=unit|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 Basin|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 {{convert|2582074|km2|mi2|abbr=unit}}.<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 about 2.5&nbsp;million years ago, when [[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 [[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==
{{See also|List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas}}

There are 35 sovereign states in the Americas, as well as an [[Danish Realm|autonomous country]] of [[Denmark]], three [[overseas department]]s of [[France]], three [[Overseas collectivity|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 [[British Overseas Territories|overseas territories]] of the [[United Kingdom]], three [[Kingdom of the Netherlands|constituent countries]] of the [[Netherlands]], three [[Public body (Netherlands)|public bodies]] of the Netherlands, two [[Territories of the United States|unincorporated territories]] of the [[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" | [[List of countries by area|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" | [[List of countries by population|Population]]<br /><ref name=poplistlink group=note>See [[list of countries by population]] for references.</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | Pop. <br /> [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories by population density|density]]<br />(per km<sup>2</sup>)
! Common languages<br />(official in bold)
! Capital
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Anguilla|{{Flag|Anguilla}} ([[United Kingdom]])}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|91}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|13452}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|164.8}}
| '''[[Languages of Anguilla|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Antigua and Barbuda|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;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Argentina|Spanish]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Aruba|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;" | [[Oranjestad, Aruba|Oranjestad]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Bahamas|{{Flag|The Bahamas}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|13943}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|351461}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|24.5}}
| [[Languages of the Bahamas|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;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Barbados|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;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Belize|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;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Bermuda|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Bolivia|Spanish]]''' and '''36 indigenous languages'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[La Paz]] and [[Sucre]]<ref>[[La Paz]] is the administrative capital of [[Bolivia]]; [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Bonaire|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;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Brazil|Portuguese]]'''{{efn|name=brazil|According to  [http://web.archive.org/web/20251228004513/https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/ConstituicaoCompilado.htm Article 13 of the Constitution]: ''A língua portuguesa é o idioma oficial da República Federativa do Brasil'' ("The Portuguese language is the official language of the Federative Republic of Brazil"). [[Brazilian Sign Language]] is also officially recognized and protected.<ref>[https://pt.wikisource.org/wiki/Lei_Federal_do_Brasil_10436_de_2002 Lei Federal do Brasil 10436 de 2002]</ref> 95 municipalities and 3 Brazilian states also have co-official languages, with 61 co-officialized languages.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20251201194402/http://direitolinguistico.com.br/repositorio/s/rbll/page/home Repositório Brasileiro de Legislações Linguísticas] (Brazilian Repository of Linguistic Legislation)</ref> The list can be seen at ''[[Languages of Brazil#Language policy|Languages of Brazil]]''.}}
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[English language|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Road Town]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Canada|{{Flag|Canada}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|9984670}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|41,548,787}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3.8}}
| '''[[Languages of Canada|English]]''', '''[[Canadian French|French]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of the Cayman Islands|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[George Town, Cayman Islands|George Town]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Chile|{{flag|Chile}}}}<ref>Includes [[Easter Island]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]], a [[Chile]]an territory frequently reckoned in [[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}}
| [[Languages of Chile|Spanish]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Santiago]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Clipperton Island|{{Flag|Clipperton Island}} ([[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Colombia|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Bogotá]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Costa Rica|{{Flag|Costa Rica}}}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|51180}}<ref name="costaricalandarea">{{Cite web |author=Instituto Geográfico Nacional del Registro Nacional |date=2 July 2021 |title=Actualización en el Cálculo de las Áreas Continental e Insular de Costa Rica |trans-title=Update on the Calculation of the Continental and Insular Areas of Costa Rica |url=https://files.snitcr.go.cr/boletines/ACTUALIZACION_DE_LAS_AREAS_CONTINENTAL_E_INSULAR_DE_COSTA_RICA_02_07_2021.pdf |website=Sistema Nacional de Información Territorial |language=es |access-date=23 April 2024 |archive-date=30 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730131629/https://files.snitcr.go.cr/boletines/ACTUALIZACION_DE_LAS_AREAS_CONTINENTAL_E_INSULAR_DE_COSTA_RICA_02_07_2021.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|4667096}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|89.6}}
| '''[[Languages of Costa Rica|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Cuba|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Curacao|Papiamentu]], '''Dutch'''<ref name="NetherlandAntillesCensus" />
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Dominica|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;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of the Dominican Republic|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Ecuador|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;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of El Salvador|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[San Salvador]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Falkland Islands|{{flag|Falkland Islands}}}} (United Kingdom)<ref>Claimed by [[Argentina]].<br /></ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|12173}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|3000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.26}}
| '''[[Languages of the Falkland Islands|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Venezuela|'''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}}
| '''[[Languages of French Guiana|French]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Cayenne]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Greenland|{{Flag|Greenland}} ([[Denmark]])}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|2166086}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|56483}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|0.026}}
| '''[[Languages of Greenland|Greenlandic]]''', Danish
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Grenada|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Antillean Creole|Guadeloupean Creole]], [[Languages of Guadeloupe|French]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Guatemala|Spanish]]''', Garifuna and 23 Mayan languages
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Guyana|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Haiti|Creole]]''', '''French'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Honduras|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Jamaica|Patois]], '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Martinique|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;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Mexico|Spanish, 68 indigenous languages]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Montserrat|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;" | [[Plymouth, Montserrat|Plymouth]]; [[Brades, Montserrat|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}}
| '''[[Languages of Nicaragua|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Panama|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Paraguay|Guaraní]]''', '''Spanish'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Peru|Spanish, Quechua, and other indigenous languages]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Puerto Rico|Spanish]]''', '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of Saba|English]], '''Dutch'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Saint Barthélemy|French]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Saint Kitts and Nevis|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Saint Lucia|English]]''', French Creole
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Castries]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{sort|Saint Martin|{{Flagicon image|Local flag of the Collectivity of Saint_Martin.svg}}}} [[Saint Martin (island)|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}}
| '''[[Saint Martin (island)#Demographics|French]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Marigot, St. Martin|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}}
| '''[[Languages of Saint Pierre and Miquelon|French]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Sint Eustatius|Dutch]]''', '''English'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Sint Maarten|English]]''', Spanish, '''Dutch'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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 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 [[Atlantic Ocean|South Atlantic Ocean]] are commonly associated with [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands|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}}
| '''[[Languages of Suriname|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;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Trinidad and Tobago|English]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of the Turks and Caicos Islands|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;" | [[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 [[Contiguous United States|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 [[Canada]] and [[Asia]] ([[Russia]]).</ref>}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|9629091}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|320206000}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|34.2}}
| [[Languages of the United States|'''English''', Spanish]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| [[Languages of the United States Virgin Islands|English]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Uruguay|Spanish]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[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}}
| '''[[Languages of Venezuela|Spanish and 40 indigenous languages]]'''
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Caracas]]
|- class="sortbottom"
! Total
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|42320985}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|973186925}}
| style="text-align:right;"| {{nts|21.9}}
|
|
|}

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of the Americas}}
{{See also|Economy of North America|Economy of South America|Latin American economy}}
{{See also|List of North American countries by GDP (nominal)|List of North American countries by GDP (PPP)}}
{{See also|List of Latin American and Caribbean countries by GDP (PPP)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right; float:left; border:1px solid #aaa; margin:10px"
|- style="background:#dbdbdb;"
! Rank
! Country
! [[List of IMF ranked countries by past and projected GDP (nominal)|GDP]] <small>(nominal, peak year)</small><br /><small>millions of [[International dollar|USD]]</small><ref name="IMF Data">{{Cite web|title=World Economic Outlook Database April 2026|url=https://data.imf.org/en/Data-Explorer?datasetUrn=IMF.RES:WEO(9.0.0)|access-date=2025-11-08|website=www.imf.org}}</ref>
|-
| 1 ||align=left|{{flag|United States}}||32,383,920
|-
| 2 ||align=left|{{flag|Brazil}}||2,635,912
|-
| 3 ||align=left|{{flag|Canada}}||2,507,340
|-
| 4 ||align=left|{{flag|Mexico}} ||2,120,855
|-
| 5 ||align=left|{{flag|Argentina}} ||688,378
|-
| 6||align=left|{{nowrap|{{Flag|Cuba}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://databankfiles.worldbank.org/public/ddpext_download/GDP.pdf|title=World Bank's GDP (Nominal) data for Cuba}}</ref> (2021)}}||545,218
|-
| 7 ||align=left|{{flag|Colombia}} ||539,530
|-
| 8 ||align=left|{{flag|Chile}} ||407,850
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right; float:left; border:1px solid #aaa; margin:10px"
|- style="background:#dbdbdb;"
! Rank
! Country
! [[List of countries by past and projected GDP (PPP)|GDP]] <small>(PPP, peak year)</small><br /><small>millions of [[International dollar|USD]]</small>
|-
| 1 ||align=left|{{nowrap|{{flag|United States}}}}||32,383,920
|-
| 2 ||align=left|{{flag|Brazil}}||5,229,586
|-
| 3 ||align=left|{{flag|Mexico}} ||3,580,952
|-
| 4 ||align=left|{{flag|Canada}} ||2,910,718
|-
| 5 ||align=left|{{flag|Argentina}}||1,591,288
|-
| 6 ||align=left|{{flag|Colombia}}||1,258,920
|-
| 7 ||align=left|{{flag|Chile}}||752,358
|-
| 8 ||align=left|{{flag|Peru}}||699,083
|}
{{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 [[agriculture]] of the continent is very strong and varied. Countries such as [[United States]], [[Brazil]], [[Canada]], [[Mexico]], and [[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), [[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 [[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 (fruit)|orange]] (with Brazil, the United States, and Mexico among the top 10 producers), about 37% of world's [[pineapple]] (with Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia among the 10 largest producers), about 35% of world's [[lemon]] (with Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States among the 10 largest producers) and about 30% of world's [[cotton]] (with the United States, 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]], the Americas are major producers. In 2018, the continent produced about 45% of the world's [[beef]] (with the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada among the world's 10 largest producers); about 36% of the world's [[chicken meat]] (with the United States, Brazil, and Mexico among the world's 10 largest producers), and about 28% of the world's [[cow's milk]] (with the United States and Brazil among the 10 largest producers in the world), among other products.<ref name="auto"/>

In industrial terms, the [[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 [[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 [[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 [[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 [[Automotive industry|vehicles]], 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|access-date=May 20, 2021|archive-date=November 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120211457/https://www.oica.net/category/production-statistics/2019-statistics/|url-status=dead}}</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 [[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> [[silver]] (mainly in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and the United States);<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> [[copper]] (mainly in Chile, Peru, the United States, 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> [[platinum]] (Canada and the United States);<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> [[iron ore]] (Brazil, Canada, the United States, 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> [[zinc]] (Peru, the United States, 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> [[molybdenum]] (Chile, Peru, Mexico, Canada, and the United States);<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> [[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> [[lead]] (Peru, the United States, 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> [[bauxite]] (Brazil, Jamaica, Canada, and the United States);<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> [[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> [[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> [[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> [[nickel]] (Canada, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the United States);<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> [[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> [[rhenium]] (Chile and the United States);<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 [[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.

[[Dominica]], [[Panama]], and the [[Dominican Republic]] have the fastest-growing economy in the Americas according to the [[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/>

==Demographics==

===Population===
{{Further|List of countries in the Americas by 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===
{{See also|Largest cities in the Americas|List of metropolitan areas in the Americas by population}}

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=[[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>
* [[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: [[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 [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network#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|[[Greater Mexico City|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 metropolitan area|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 <br> Population
|-
|Mexico||[[Mexico City]]
|9,209,944<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Censo de Población y Vivienda (CPV) 2020 |url=https://www.inegi.org.mx/programas/ccpv/2020/ |access-date=14 December 2025 |website=National Institute of Statistics and Geography |language=es}}</ref>
|21,804,515<ref name=":1" />
|-
|Brazil||[[São Paulo]]
|11,451,999<ref>{{Cite web |title=CIDADES E ESTADOS DO BRASIL |url=https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/ |access-date=14 December 2025 |website=Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics |language=pt}}</ref>
|21,518,955
|-
|United States||[[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||[[Buenos Aires]]
|3,121,707<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=November 2023 |title=Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2022: Resultados definitivos |url=https://www.indec.gob.ar/ftp/cuadros/poblacion/censo2022_indicadores_demograficos.pdf |access-date=14 December 2025 |website=National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina |language=es}}</ref>
|16,366,641<ref name=":2" />
|-
|United States||[[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===
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2014}}
[[File:America ethnic map (about 1880).JPG|thumb|Ethnic map of the Americas ({{Circa|1880|lk=no}}) by [[Heinrich Berghaus]]]]

The population of the Americas is made up of the descendants of four large [[ethnic group]]s and their combinations.
* The [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas]], being Amerindians and [[Inuit]]-[[Yupik peoples|Yupik]]-[[Aleut|Unangan]].
* Those of European ancestry, mainly Spanish, English, Irish, [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]], [[Germans|German]], [[Italians|Italian]], [[French people|French]], and [[Dutch people|Dutch]].
* Those of [[African diaspora in the Americas|African]] ancestry, mainly of West African descent.
* [[Asian people|Asians]], that is, those of [[East Asia]]n, [[Southeast Asia]]n, and [[South Asia]]n ancestry.
* [[Mestizo]]s ([[Métis|Métis people]] in Canada), those of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry.
* [[Mulatto]]es, people of mixed African and European ancestry.
* [[Zambo]]s (Spanish) or Cafuzos (Portuguese), those of mixed African and Indigenous ancestry.

The majority of the population lives in [[Latin America]], named for its predominant cultures, rooted in [[Languages of Europe#Romance|Latin Europe]] (including the two dominant languages, Spanish and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], both [[Romance languages]]), more specifically in the [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] nations of [[Portugal]] and Spain (hence the use of the term [[Ibero-America]] as a synonym). Latin America is typically contrasted with [[Anglo-America]], where English, a [[Germanic languages|Germanic language]], is prevalent, and which comprises Canada (with the exception of [[Canadian French|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 [[British people|British]] and other [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] roots.

====Black population====
[[File:Slavery in Brazil, by Jean-Baptiste Debret (1768-1848).jpg|thumb|300px|''Slavery in Brazil'' by [[Jean-Baptiste Debret]] (1834–1839)]]

The transatlantic slave trade brought millions of Africans to the territories of the Americas under the colonial rule of European powers, especially South America. In South America, [[Portuguese Empire|Portugal]] played a significant role in the trafficking of enslaved Africans, with estimates suggesting that about 40% of all Africans forcibly brought to the Americas were taken to Brazil alone, to work primarily in sugar cane plantations, mining, and agricultural endeavors.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rawley |first1=James A. |title=The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A History}}</ref> In North America, the [[British Empire]] was heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade, with the establishment of colonies such as Virginia, where enslaved Africans were primarily used as labor in tobacco plantations and later in other agricultural and domestic sectors. This system perpetuated for centuries, shaping the socio-economic landscape of all nations of the hemisphere.

After the [[Haitian Revolution]] led by [[Jean-Jacques Dessalines]], which started in 1791 and was the only successful slave revolt in history, the world's first black republic was established. It started with the massacre of the white population, between 3,000 and 5,000 white men and women of all ages were killed. Dessalines declared:
{{Text and translation
	| Oui, nous avons rendu à ces vrais cannibales guerre pour guerre, crimes pour crimes, outrages pour outrages.<br> Oui, j’ai sauvé mon pays, j’ai vengé l’Amérique.
	| Yes, we have rendered to these true cannibals war for war, crime for crime, outrage for outrage;<br> Yes, I have saved my country – I have avenged America.
	| Dessalines, first president of the Republic of Haiti, 1804<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ardouin |first1=Beaubrun |title=Étude sur l'histoire d'Haïti. Vol. 6 |date=1853 |pages=66–67 |url=https://archive.org/details/tudessurlhisto06ardo/page/66/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://haitidoi.com/2013/08/02/i-have-avenged-america/|title=I Have Avenged America|author=Julia Gaffield, PhD|date=August 2, 2013 }}</ref>
}}

===Religion===
{{Further|Religion in Latin America|Religion in North America|Christianity in the Americas|Islam in the Americas}}

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/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210107073924/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-states/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 7, 2021 | 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 [[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>
** [[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 Christianity|Non-denominational Christians]] and other Christians (some 1,000 different Christian denominations and sects practiced in the Americas).
* [[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" /> [[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>—as well as 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 [[Buddhism]]; [[Hinduism]]; [[Sikhism]]; [[Baháʼí Faith]]; a wide variety of indigenous religions, many of which can be categorized as [[animist]]ic; [[new age]] religions and many [[African traditional religion|African]] and African-derived religions. [[Syncretism|Syncretic]] faiths can also be found throughout the Americas.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right"
|+ '''Religious Demographics According to 2010 censuses/estimates in each country'''
|- style="background:#e8e8e8;"
! Country
! [[Christians]]
! [[Catholic]]s
! [[Protestant]]s
! None/[[Atheist]]s/[[Agnostic]]s
! 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 FTP | url=ftp://ftp.ibge.gov.br/Censos/Censo_Demografico_2010/Caracteristicas_Gerais_Religiao_Deficiencia/tab1_2.pdf |title=Cor ou Raça |year=2010 | server=Censo Demográfico 2010: Características gerais da população, religião e pessoas com deficiência | url-status=dead |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===
{{Main|Indigenous languages of the Americas|Languages of North America|Languages of South America}}
[[File:Languages of the American Continent.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Languages spoken in the Americas]]

Various [[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 [[first language]] in the Americas is [[Spanish language|Spanish]], followed by [[English language|English]] and [[Portuguese language|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, [[Brazil]], speaks Portuguese. Small enclaves of [[French language|French]]-, [[Dutch language|Dutch]]- and English-speaking regions also exist in Latin America, notably in [[French Guiana]], [[Suriname]], and [[Belize]] and [[Guyana]] respectively. [[Haitian Creole]] is dominant in the nation of [[Haiti]], where French is also spoken. [[Indigenous languages of the Americas|Native languages]] are more prominent in Latin America than in [[Anglo-America]], with [[Nahuatl language|Nahuatl]], [[Quechua languages|Quechua]], [[Aymara language|Aymara]], and [[Guaraní language|Guaraní]] as the most common. Various other native languages are spoken with less frequency across both Anglo-America and Latin America. [[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 [[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 [[California]] and [[New Mexico]], where [[New Mexican Spanish|a distinct variety of Spanish]] spoken since the 17th century has survived. It has more recently become widely spoken in other parts of the [[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 [[Languages of Africa|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 language|Riverense Portuñol]] is spoken by about 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, [[Argentina]], Canada, [[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>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of North America|Culture of Latin America}}

===Sports===
{{See also|Pan American Championship}}

[[Baseball]] is one of the most popular sports in the Americas, having spread through the hemisphere after the growth of US influence in the late 19th century. It [[History of cricket#Decline in baseball-playing countries|overtook cricket]], a fellow bat-and-ball sport spread by earlier British influence, in most places outside of the [[Commonwealth Caribbean]]. Other [[American sports]], such as [[basketball]], have grown throughout the region over time.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781317980360 |title=Mapping an Empire of American Sport |date=2013-09-13 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-98036-0 |editor-last=Dyreson |editor-first=Mark |edition=0 |language=en |doi=10.4324/9781315872971 |editor-last2=Mangan |editor-first2=J.A. |editor-last3=Park |editor-first3=Roberta J.}}</ref>

[[Association football|Football]] is perhaps the most popular and followed sport in the Americas. The North American region which also includes the Central and Caribbean national associations is overseen by the [[Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football|CONCACAF]], while the South American region and its national teams are represented by the [[CONMEBOL]].

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

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

==See also==
{{Portal|North America|South America|Geography}}
<!-- {{Wikipedia-Books}} -->
<!-- {{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]]
* [[French America]]
* [[Indigenous Peoples' Day (United States)|Indigenous Peoples' Day]]
* [[La Merika]]
* [[Latin America and the Caribbean]]
* [[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}}
{{Notelist}}

==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}}
* 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 Dictionary|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==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
* [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]
* {{wikisource-inline|list=
** {{Cite NIE |last=Gannett |first=Henry |author-link=Henry Gannett |last2=Ingersoll |first2=Ernest |author2link=Ernest Ingersoll |last3=Winship |first3=George Parker |author3link=George Parker Winship |display-authors=etal |year=1905 |wstitle=America|short=x}}
** {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=America}} 
}}

{{Americas topic}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Articles related to the Americas
|list =
{{Countries of North America}}
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[[Category:Americas| ]]
[[Category:Continents]]
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