North America lies in the northern and western hemispheres. On its north is the Arctic Ocean, on the east the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast the Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west the North Pacific Ocean. It has an area of about 9.5 million sq. miles which is almost five percent of the earth's surface or approximately a sixth of its land area. North America has nearly 524 million people. After Asia and Africa it is the largest continent in the world and fourth largest in population.

Most of it is on the North American tectonic plate of the earth's crust. It was once joined to Europe and Africa before it separated about 170 million years ago. As North America drifted west, the plate underlying the Pacific Ocean thrust under the North American plate, causing folding, which created high mountains along the western coast.

The first inhabitants of North America were of Asian origin who crossed over to Alaska from NE Asia twenty thousand years ago. European discovery and settlement of North America began in the 10th century. Christopher Columbus's exploration established English claims to the continent. Spanish and French expeditions also explored much of North America.

North America was hardly populated till the settlement by Europeans changed everything. They decimated and displaced the indigenous peoples, and the living style changed. The present population of North America is mostly European in background, but it also contains many others.

The nations of North America are at varying levels of economic development. The United States and Canada are the most advanced, with over 90 percent workers in nonagricultural sectors. Mexico has a fairly diversified economy and a growing industrial sector. In most of North America the service industries has the greatest share of jobs followed by wholesale and retail trade and the tourism industry.