North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 24,497,994 km² (9,458,728 sq mi), or about 4.8% of the Earth's surface. As of July 2002, its population was estimated at more than 514,600,000. It is the third largest continent in area, after Asia and Africa, and is fourth in population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Both North and South America are named after Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not the East Indies, but a previously undiscovered (by Europeans) New World.
North America occupies the northern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the Western Hemisphere, the Americas, or simply America. North America's only land connection is to South America at the narrow Isthmus of Panama. (For geopolitical reasons, all of Panama – including the segment east of the Panama Canal in the isthmus – is often considered a part of North America alone.) According to some authorities, North America begins not at the Isthmus of Panama but at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, with the intervening region called Central America and resting on the Caribbean Plate. Most, however, tend to see Central America as a region of North America, considering it too small to be a continent on its own. Greenland, although a part of North America geographically, is not considered to be part of the continent politically.
Physical features
Greenland, plutonic, metamorphic rock types of North America. ]]
Plate tectonics recognizes the vast majority of North America as being the surface of the North American Plate. Parts of California and western Mexico are known for being the edge of the Pacific Plate, with the two plates meeting along the San Andreas fault.
The continent can be divided into four great regions (each of which contains many sub-regions): the Great Plains stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian Arctic; the geologically young, mountainous west, including the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, California and Alaska; the raised but relatively flat plateau of the Canadian Shield in the northeast; and the varied eastern region, which includes the Appalachian Mountains, the coastal plain along the Atlantic seaboard, and the Florida peninsula. Mexico, with its long plateaus and cordilleras, falls largely in the western region, although the eastern coastal plain does extend south along the Gulf.
The western mountains are split in the middle, into the main range of the Rockies and the coast ranges in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia with the Great Basin – a lower area containing smaller ranges and low-lying deserts – in between. The highest peak is Denali in Alaska.
Since 1931, Rugby, North Dakota, has officially been recognized as being at the geographic center of North America. The location is marked by a 4.5 metre (15 foot) field stone obelisk.
Image:North america terrain 2003 map.jpg|North America bedrock and terrain.
Image:North america basement rocks.png|North American cratons and basement rocks.
Image:North America Tectonic Elements.jpg|Tectonic elements of North America
Image:North america craton nps.gif|North American craton.
The United States, Canada, and the other English-speaking nations of the Americas (Belize, Guyana, and the Anglophone Caribbean) are sometimes grouped under the term Anglo-America, while the remaining nations of North and South America are grouped under the term Latin America.
Alternatively, Northern America is used to refer to Canada and the U.S. together (plus Greenland and Bermuda), while Central America is mainland North America south of the United States. The West Indies generally include all islands in the Caribbean Sea. In this respect, Latin America generally includes Central America and South America and, sometimes, the West Indies. The term Middle America is sometimes used to refer to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean collectively.
The term "North America" may mean different things to different people. The term in common usage is often taken to mean "the United States and Canada, only" by some people of the United States and Canada, excluding Mexico and the countries of Central America, unless the context makes it clear that they are to be included (such as with specific reference to Mexico, when talking about NAFTA). For example, guides to wild flora and fauna published by the National Audubon Society for "North America" frequently include only species found in Canada and the U.S.
This may be attributed to the fact that culturally and economically, the U.S. and Canada are more alike to each other than they are to the rest of North America. Mexicans, however, are acutely aware that Mexico is a part of North America and object to this usage. Central Americans, however, are generally content to be called Central Americans – largely because of their shared history, which includes several attempts at supranational integration in the region and in which Mexico, their much larger northern neighbor, was never involved.
The Three Nephites are the three disciples of Jesus described in the Book of Mormon who were blessed by Jesus to "never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven."[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/7#7] As related in Third Nephi chapter 28, this change occurred when they were caught up in to heaven.[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/13-15#13][http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/37-38#37] But Jesus said that there would be another change made at his coming so that they may become immortal.[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/8#8][http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/40#40] But since they will never "taste death", Mormon (editing the chapter[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/36#36]) and possibly Nephi (writing the passage[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/17#17]) contemplate if they are immortal already.
These three disciples desired this immortality so that they could "bring the souls of men unto Jesus, while the world shall stand".[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/9#9] The account relates that they "did minister unto all the people, uniting as many to the church as would believe in their preaching; baptizing them, and as many as were baptized did receive the Holy Ghost."[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/18#18] They also suffered severe persecution from those who did not believe.
Mormon, who lived about four hundred years after they were blessed by Jesus, wrote that "I have seen them, and they have ministered unto me."[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/26#26]. Mormon also wrote that they will be among the Jews and the Gentiles, and the Jews and Gentiles "shall know them not." "[And] when the Lord seeth fit in his wisdom that they shall minister unto all the ascattered tribes of Israel, and unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, and shall bring out of them unto Jesus many souls."[http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28/29#29] They are supposed still to walk the earth today, and stories about modern encounters with one or more of the Three Nephites are a staple of Mormonfolklore.
External links
- [http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/28 Book of Mormon account] of the Three Nephites.
- [http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/nephites.html The Three Nephites], a collection of accounts of encounters with the Three Nephites.
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