North America

North America is the name of a continent located north of South America. The area of North America is 24,710,000 km². The continent stretches from the icy coasts of the Arctic Ocean to countries with warm jungle areas.

History

North America was discovered by Christopher Columbus, but before Columbus discovered North America, the Vikings were already there. The Vikings lived on Greenland, which is a large island next to Canada. But the first inhabitants were the Paleo-Indians. About fifteen thousand (15,000) years ago they probably came from Asia. Paleo-Indians were hunters and gatherers, which means they hunted and gathered. The Paleo-Indians travelled. They went to live further and further south.

Nature and animals

There are many different climates in North America, because the continent is not far from the Equator, but also not far from the North Pole. The climate affects nature and therefore many different animals also occur.

Important places

• The island of Greenland is not so green. Most of the island is covered with a thick layer of ice and snow all year round.
• The Rocky Mountains are the largest mountain range in North America. Fossils of marine animals have been found in the Rockies.
• The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom. Visitors can go upstairs in the statue and look out through the windows in the crown.
• The beautiful Grand Canyon is about 2 kilometres deep. When the sunlight changes, it seems that the colours of the stones in the Canyon also change.
• Aztec temples were built by Aztec Indians more than 1000 years ago.