TheAmericas, sometimes collectively calledAmerica,[3][4][5] are a landmass comprising the totality ofNorth America andSouth America.[6][7][8] When viewed as a single continent, the Americas are the 2nd largest continent by area after Asia and the 3rd largest continent by population. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth'sWestern Hemisphere and constitute theNew World.[3]
America is named after Italian explorerAmerigo Vespucci.[13]World map ofWaldseemüller (Germany, 1507), which first used the nameAmerica (in the lower-left section, over South America)[14][15]
The name "America" was first recorded in 1507. A world map created byMartin Waldseemüller was the earliest recorded use of the term.[16] The name was also used (together with the related termAmerigen) in theCosmographiae Introductio, apparently written byMatthias Ringmann, in reference to South America.[17] It was applied to both North and South America byGerardus Mercator in 1538. "America" derives fromAmericus, theLatin version of the Italian explorerAmerigo Vespucci's first name.
The feminine formAmerica 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, andEuropa.[18]
Since the 1950s,[19] however, North America and South America have generally been considered by English speakers as separate continents, and taken together are calledthe Americas, or more rarelyAmerica.[20][21][3] When conceived as a unitary continent, the form is generallythe continent of America in the singular. However, without a clarifying context, singularAmerica in English commonly refers to theUnited States of America.[3]
Speakers of English generally refer to thelandmasses of North America and South America asthe Americas, theWestern Hemisphere, or theNew World.[4] The adjectiveAmerican may be used to indicate something pertaining to the Americas,[2] but this term is primarily used in English to indicate something pertaining to the United States.[2][23][24] Some non-ambiguous alternatives exist, such as the adjectivePan-American,[25] orNew Worlder as a demonym for a resident of the closely relatedNew World.[26] Use ofAmerica in the hemispherical sense is sometimes retained, or can occur when translated from other languages.[27] For example, theAssociation of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in Paris maintains a single continental association for "America", represented by one of the fiveOlympic rings.[28]
American essayistH. L. Mencken said, "The Latin-Americans use Norteamericano in formal writing, but, save in Panama, prefer nicknames in colloquial speech."[29] To avoid "American" one can use constructed terms in their languages derived from "United States" or even "North America".[24][30][31] 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".[24] Most Canadians resent being referred to as "Americans".[24]
Spanish
In Spanish,América is a single continent composed of thesubcontinents ofAmérica del Sur andAmérica del Norte, theland bridge ofAmérica Central, and the islands of theAntillas.Americano oramericana in Spanish refers to a person fromAmérica in a similar way that in whicheuropeo oreuropea refers to a person fromEuropa. The termssudamericano/a,centroamericano/a,antillano/a andnorteamericano/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 termestadounidense (rough literal translation: "United Statesian") instead ofamericano oramericana which is discouraged,[32][33] and the country's name itself is officially translated asEstados Unidos de América (United States of America), commonly abbreviated asEstados Unidos (EEUU).[33] Also, the termnorteamericano (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.[34]
Portuguese
In Portuguese,América[35] is a single continent composed ofAmérica do Sul (South America),América Central (Central America) andAmérica do Norte (North America).[36] It can be ambiguous, asAmérica can be used to refer to the United States of America, but is avoided in print and formal environments.[37][38] The demonym 'American' (americano) is commonly used in Portuguese to refer to people from the United States, although the terms 'norte-americano', 'estadounidense' or 'estadunidense' also formally exist and are preferred by those who wish to distinguish it from the continental demonym.[39][40]
French
In French, the wordaméricain 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 termétats-unien sometimes used for clarity.Panaméricain may be used as an adjective to refer to the Americas without ambiguity.[41] French speakers may use the nounAmérique to refer to the whole landmass as one continent, or two continents,Amérique du Nord andAmérique 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 ordes Amériques is used to refer unambiguously to the Americas.
Dutch
In Dutch, the wordAmerika mostly refers to the United States.[42][43] Although the United States is equally often referred to asde Verenigde Staten ("the United States") orde 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, namelyNoord- en Zuid-Amerika (North and South America).
Latin America and Central America are generally referred to asLatijns Amerika andMidden-Amerika respectively.
The adjectiveAmerikaans 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 asArgentijns forArgentine, etc.
Many pre-Columbiancivilizations established characteristics and hallmarks which included permanent or urban settlements, agriculture, civic and monumental architecture, andcomplex societal hierarchies. Some of these civilizations had long faded by the time of the first permanent European arrivals (c. late 15th–early 16th centuries), and are known only througharcheological 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.[44]
The first inhabitants migrated into the Americas from Asia. Habitation sites are known inAlaska andYukon from at least 20,000 years ago, with suggested ages of up to 40,000 years.[46][47][48] Beyond that, the specifics of thePaleo-Indian migration to and throughout the Americas, including the dates and routes traveled, are subject to ongoing research and discussion.[49] Widespread habitation of the Americas occurred after theLate Glacial Maximum, from 16,000 to 13,000 years ago.[48][50]
The traditional theory has been that these early migrants moved into theBeringia land bridge between eastern Siberia and present-day Alaska around 40,000–17,000 years ago,[51] when sea levels were significantly lowered during theQuaternary glaciation.[49][52] These people are believed to have followed herds of now-extinctpleistocene megafauna alongice-free corridors that stretched between theLaurentide andCordilleran ice sheets.[53] Another route proposed is that, either on foot or usingprimitive boats, they migrated down the Pacific coast to South America.[54] Evidence of the latter would since have been covered by asea level rise of hundreds of meters following the last ice age.[55] Both routes may have been taken, although the genetic evidences suggests a single founding population.[56] Themicro-satellite diversity and distributions specific toSouth American Indigenous peoples indicates that certain populations have been isolated since the initial colonization of the region.[57]
Around the same time as the Inuit migrated into Greenland, Viking settlers began arriving inGreenland in 982 andVinland shortly thereafter, establishing a settlement atL'Anse aux Meadows, near the northernmost tip ofNewfoundland.[65] Contact between the Norse colonies and Europe was maintained, asJames Watson Curran states:
From 985 to 1410, Greenland was in touch with the world. Then silence. In 1492 theVatican 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.[66]
Although there had been previoustrans-oceanic contact, large-scale European colonization of the Americas began with the first voyage ofChristopher Columbus in 1492. The first Spanish settlement in the Americas wasLa Isabela in northernHispaniola. This town was abandoned shortly after in favor ofSanto 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 Frenchpirates.
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. ConquistadorLucas Vázquez de Ayllón establishedSan Miguel de Guadalupe, the first European settlement in what is now theUnited States, on thePee Dee River inSouth Carolina.[67] During the first half of the 16th century, Spanish colonists conducted raids throughout theCaribbean Basin, bringing captives from Central America, northern South America, andFlorida back to Hispaniola and other Spanish settlements.[68]
France, led byJacques Cartier andGiovanni da Verrazzano,[69] focused primarily on North America. English explorations of the Americas were led byGiovanni Caboto[70] and SirWalter Raleigh. The Dutch inNew 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,[71][72] with a generalpopulation crash of Native Americans occurring in the mid-16th century, often well ahead of European contact.[73] One of the most devastating diseases wassmallpox.[74]
European immigrants were often part of state-sponsored attempts to found colonies in the Americas. Migration continued as people moved to the Americas fleeingreligious persecution or seeking economic opportunities. Millions of individuals were forcibly transported to the Americas asslaves, prisoners orindentured servants.
Map showing the dates of independence from European powers. Black signifies areas that aredependent territories or parts of countries with a capital outside the Americas.
The Americas make up most of the land in Earth'sWestern Hemisphere.[76] The northernmost point of the Americas isKaffeklubben Island, which is the most northerly point of land on Earth.[77] The southernmost undisputed point isÁguila Islet, although theAntarctic islands ofSouthern Thule are sometimes taken into account.[78][79] The mainland of the Americas is the world's longest north-to-south landmass. The distance between its two polar extremities,Murchison Promontory on theBoothia Peninsula in northern Canada andCape Froward in ChileanPatagonia, is roughly 14,000 km (8,700 mi).[80] The mainland's most westerly point is the end of theSeward 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,[80] whileNordostrundingen, in Greenland, is the most easterly point of the continental shelf.
Geology
South America broke off from the west of the supercontinentGondwana around 135 million years ago, forming its own continent.[81] Around 15 million years ago, the collision of theCaribbean Plate and thePacific 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 theIsthmus of Panama, thereby forming the single landmass of the Americas.[82] TheGreat American Interchange resulted in many species being spread across the Americas, such as thecougar,procyonids,porcupines,opossums,armadillos, andhummingbirds.[83]
The largest mountain ranges are theAndes andRocky Mountains. TheSierra Nevada and theCascade Range reach similar altitudes as theRocky Mountains, but are significantly smaller. In North America, the greatest number offourteeners are in the United States, and more specifically in the US state ofColorado. The highest peaks of the Americas are located in theAndes, withAconcagua ofArgentina being the highest; in North AmericaDenali (Mount McKinley) in the US state ofAlaska is the tallest.
Between its coastal mountain ranges, North America has vast flat areas. TheInterior Plains spread over much of the continent, with low relief.[88] TheCanadian Shield covers almost 5 million km2 of North America and is generally quite flat.[89] Similarly, the north-east of South America is covered by the flatAmazon basin.[90] TheBrazilian Highlands on the east coast are fairly smooth but show some variations in landform, while farther south theGran Chaco andPampas are broadlowlands.[91]
The climate of the Americas varies significantly from region to region.Tropical rainforest climate occurs in the latitudes of theAmazon, Americancloud forests, southeastern Florida andDarién Gap. In theRocky Mountains andAndes, 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 oftornadoes andhurricanes, of which the vast majority of tornadoes occur in the United States'Tornado Alley,[92] as well as in the southerlyDixie 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 largeriver basins that drain the continents. The largest river basin in North America is that of theMississippi, covering the second-largest watershed on the planet.[93] The Mississippi–Missouri river system drains most of 31 states of the United States, most of theGreat Plains, and large areas between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. The Mississippi–Missouri is thefourth-longest river system and has thetenth-greatest discharge in the world.
In North America, to the east of theAppalachian 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 theHudson,Saint John, andSavannah rivers. A similar instance arises with central Canadian rivers that drain intoHudson Bay; the largest being theChurchill River. On the west coast of North America, the main rivers are theColorado,Columbia,Yukon,Fraser, andSacramento rivers.
The Colorado River drains much of theSouthern Rockies and parts of theBasin and Range Province. The river flows approximately 1,450 miles (2,330 km) into theGulf of California,[94] during which over time it has carved out natural phenomena such as theGrand Canyon and created phenomena such as theSalton Sea. The Columbia is a large river, 1,243 miles (2,000 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 1,980 miles (3,190 km)[95] from parts of Yukon and the Northwest Territory to the Pacific. Draining to the Arctic Ocean of Canada, theMackenzie 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 1,805,200 km2 (697,000 sq mi).[96]
The largest river basin in South America is that of theAmazon, which has the highest volume flow of any river on Earth.[97] The second largest watershed of South America is that of theParaná River, which covers about 2,582,074 km2 (996,944 sq mi).[98]
Ecology
North America and South America began to develop a shared population of flora and fauna around 2.5 million years ago, whencontinental drift brought the two continents into contact via theIsthmus 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 theGreat 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.[99]
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.[126][127][128]
Theagriculture of the continent is very strong and varied. Countries such asUnited States,Brazil,Canada,Mexico, andArgentina are among the largest agricultural producers on the planet. In 2019, the continent dominated the world production ofsoy (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) andmaize (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'sorange (with Brazil, the United States, and Mexico among the top 10 producers), about 37% of world'spineapple (with Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia among the 10 largest producers), about 35% of world'slemon (with Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States among the 10 largest producers) and about 30% of world'scotton (with the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina among the top 10 producers), among several other products.[129]
Inlivestock, the Americas are major producers. In 2018, the continent produced around 45% of the world'sbeef (with the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada among the world's 10 largest producers); about 36% of the world'schicken meat (with the United States, Brazil, and Mexico among the world's 10 largest producers), and about 28% of the world'scow's milk (with the United States and Brazil among the 10 largest producers in the world), among other products.[129]
In industrial terms, theWorld 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.[130]
In the production ofoil, 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).[131]
In the production ofnatural 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).[132][133]
In the production ofcoal, the continent had 5 of the 30 largest world producers in 2018: United States (3rd), Colombia (12th), Canada (13th), Mexico (24th), and Brazil (27th).[134]
In the production ofvehicles, the continent had 5 of the 30 largest world producers in 2019: United States (2nd), Mexico (7th), Brazil (9th), Canada (12th), and Argentina (28th).[135]
In the production ofsteel, the continent had 5 of the 31 largest world producers in 2019: United States (4th), Brazil (9th), Mexico (15th), Canada (18th), and Argentina (31st).[136][137]
Inmining, the continent has large productions ofgold (mainly in the United States, Canada, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina);[138]silver (mainly in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and the United States);[139]copper (mainly in Chile, Peru, the United States, Mexico, and Brazil);[140]platinum (Canada and the United States);[141]iron ore (Brazil, Canada, the United States, Peru, and Chile);[142]zinc (Peru, the United States, Mexico, Bolivia, Canada, and Brazil);[143]molybdenum (Chile, Peru, Mexico, Canada, and the United States);[144]lithium (Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Canada);[145]lead (Peru, the United States, Mexico, and Bolivia);[146]bauxite (Brazil, Jamaica, Canada, and the United States);[147]tin (Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil);[148]manganese (Brazil and Mexico);[149]antimony (Bolivia, Mexico, Guatemala, Canada, and Ecuador);[150]nickel (Canada, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the United States);[151]niobium (Brazil and Canada);[152]rhenium (Chile and the United States);[153] andiodine (Chile),[154] among others.
Dominica,Panama, and theDominican Republic have the fastest-growing economy in the Americas according to theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF),[155] 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.[156][157] Haiti has the lowest GDP per capita in the Americas, although its economy was growing slightly as of 2016[update].[156][157]
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.[159][160][161][162][163]
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]
Unlike an urban area, a metropolitan area includes not only the urban area, but also satellite citiesplus 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]
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 maintainAlpha classification and large scale influence.
Urban centers within the Americas
Mexico City – largest metropolitan area in the Americas, with a population of 22,300,000 in 2017
São Paulo – largest city in the Americas, with a population of 12,038,175 (city) in 2016
New York City – largest urban area in the Americas, with a population of 18,351,295 in 2010
Mestizos (Métis people in Canada), those of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry.
Mulattoes, people of mixed African and European ancestry.
Zambos (Spanish) or Cafuzos (Portuguese), those of mixed African and Indigenous ancestry.
The majority of the population lives inLatin America, named for its predominant cultures, rooted inLatin Europe (including the two dominant languages, Spanish andPortuguese, bothRomance languages), more specifically in theIberian nations ofPortugal and Spain (hence the use of the termIbero-America as a synonym). Latin America is typically contrasted withAnglo-America, where English, aGermanic language, is prevalent, and which comprises Canada (with the exception ofFrancophone Canada rooted in Latin Europe [France]—seeQuebec andAcadia) and the United States. Both countries are located in North America, with cultures deriving predominantly fromBritish and otherGermanic roots.
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,Portugal played a significant role in the trafficking of enslaved Africans, with estimates suggesting that around 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.[170] In North America, theBritish 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 theHaitian Revolution led byJean-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:
Oui, nous avons rendu à ces vrais cannibales guerre pour guerre, crimes pour crimes, outrages pour outrages. 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; Yes, I have saved my country – I have avenged America.
— Dessalines, first president of the Republic of Haiti, 1804[171][172]
Roman Catholicism: Practiced by 69 percent[174] of the Latin American population (61 percent[174] in Brazil whose Roman Catholic population of 134 million[175] is the greatest of any nation's), approximately 24 percent of the United States' population[176] and about 39 percent of Canada's.[177]
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 ofEvangelical andPentecostal movements in predominantly Catholic Latin America.[178]
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.[177]
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[177] of Canadians and 0.6 percent of the U.S. population.[176]Argentina has the largest Muslim population in Latin America with up to 600,000 persons, or 1.5 percent of the population.[179]
Judaism: Practiced by 2 percent of North Americans—approximately 2.5 percent of the U.S. population and 1.2 percent of Canadians[180]—as well as 0.23 percent of Latin Americans. Argentina has the largest Jewish population in Latin America with 200,000 members.[181]
Other faiths includeBuddhism;Hinduism;Sikhism;Baháʼí Faith; a wide variety of indigenous religions, many of which can be categorized asanimistic;new age religions and manyAfrican and African-derived religions.Syncretic faiths can also be found throughout the Americas.
Religious Demographics According to 2010 censuses/estimates in each country
Variouslanguages 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.[186]
The dominant language of Anglo-America is English. French is also official inCanada, where it is the predominant language inQuebec and an official language inNew Brunswick along with English. It is also an important language inLouisiana, and in parts ofNew Hampshire,Maine, andVermont. Spanish has kept an ongoing presence in theSouthwestern United States, which formed part of theViceroyalty of New Spain, especially inCalifornia andNew Mexico, wherea distinct variety of Spanish spoken since the 17th century has survived. It has more recently become widely spoken in other parts of theUnited 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?] 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 asPapiamento, which is a combination of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch (representing the respective colonizers), nativeArawak, variousAfrican languages, and, more recently English. Thelingua francaPortuñol, a mixture of Portuguese and Spanish, is spoken in the border regions of Brazil and neighboring Spanish-speaking countries.[199] More specifically,Riverense Portuñol is spoken by around 100,000 people in the border regions of Brazil andUruguay. Because ofimmigration, 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.[200][201][202]
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. Itovertook cricket, a fellow bat-and-ball sport spread by earlier British influence, in most places outside of theCommonwealth Caribbean. OtherAmerican sports, such asbasketball, have grown throughout the region over time.[203]
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 theCONCACAF, while the South American region and its national teams are represented by theCONMEBOL.
Multinational organizations
The following is a list of multinational organizations in the Americas.
^Includes the states of Hawaii and Alaska, which are both separated from theUS 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 betweenCanada andAsia (Russia).
References
^"Population". United Nations. RetrievedJuly 25, 2021.
^abcd"America."The Oxford Companion to the English Language (ISBN0-19-214183-X). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 33: "[16c: from the feminine ofAmericus, the Latinized first name of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512). The nameAmerica 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 pluralAmericas and more or less synonymous withthe New World. Since the 18c, a name of the United States of America. The second sense is now primary in English: ... However, the term is open to uncertainties: ..."
^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, includingThe New Zealand Oxford Dictionary,The Canadian Oxford Dictionary,The Australian Oxford Dictionary andThe Concise Oxford English Dictionary all specify both the Americas and the United States in their definition of "American".
^"American".The American Heritage Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. RetrievedSeptember 8, 2014.
^abcd"America."Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage. (ISBN0-19-541619-8) Fee, Margery and McAlpine, J., ed., 1997. Toronto: Oxford University Press; p. 36.
^abDiccionario panhispánico de dudas: Estados Unidos. Real Academia Española. 2005. "debe evitarse el empleo de americano para referirse exclusivamente a los habitantes de los Estados Unidos" ("the use of the termamericano referring exclusively to the United States inhabitants must be avoided")
^Burenhult, Göran (2000).Die ersten Menschen. Weltbild Verlag.ISBN3-8289-0741-5.
^"Introduction".Government of Canada. Parks Canada. 2009. Archived fromthe original on April 24, 2011. RetrievedJanuary 9, 2010.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
^"Pleistocene Archaeology of the Old Crow Flats". Vuntut National Park of Canada. 2008. Archived from the original on October 22, 2008. RetrievedJanuary 10, 2010.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.
^Fladmark, K. R. (January 1979). "Alternate Migration Corridors for Early Man in North America".American Antiquity.44 (1):55–69.doi:10.2307/279189.JSTOR279189.S2CID162243347.
"Western Hemisphere",Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary (3rd ed.), Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2001, p. 1294,The part of the Earth comprising North and South America and surrounding waters; longitudes 20°W and 160°E are often considered its boundaries
The American Heritage College Dictionary (Fourth ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2010. p. 1557.ISBN978-0-618-83595-9.Western Hemisphere The half of the earth comprising North America, Central America, and South America
Stevenson, Angus; Lindberg, Christine A., eds. (2010).New Oxford American Dictionary (Third ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 1963.The Half of the earth that contains the Americas
Webster's New World College Dictionary (Fifth ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2014.ISBN978-0-544-16606-6.Western Hemisphere that half of the earth which includes North & South America
^abcdeThese population estimates are for 2010, and are taken from"The World Factbook: 2010 edition". Government of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency. Archived fromthe original on October 4, 2018. RetrievedOctober 14, 2010.
^Ongoing activity of theSoufriere Hills volcano beginning in July 1995 destroyed much of Plymouth; government offices were relocated to Brades. Plymouth remains thede jure capital.
^abPopulation estimates are taken from theCentral Bureau of Statistics Netherlands Antilles."Statistical information: Population". Government of the Netherlands Antilles. Archived fromthe original on July 6, 2011. RetrievedOctober 14, 2010.
^United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2002).Demographic yearbook, 2000. United Nations Publications, 2002. p. 23.ISBN92-1-051091-7.
^"Cor ou Raça"(PDF).Censo Demográfico 2010: Características gerais da população, religião e pessoas com deficiência (FTP). 2010. RetrievedOctober 5, 2013.[dead ftp link](To view documents seeHelp:FTP)
Fee, Margery, and J. McAlpine.Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1997.ISBN0-19-541619-8
Kane, Katie (1999). "Nits Make Lice: Drogheda, Sand Creek, and the Poetics of Colonial Extermination".Cultural Critique.42 (42):81–103.doi:10.2307/1354592.JSTOR1354592.
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