South America and North America together constitute the landmass known as the Americas or simply America. The majority of the Western Hemisphere of Earth is made up of the Americas, which together make up the New World. South America is a continent that is totally located in the Western Hemisphere and primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. North America is a continent located in both the Northern and Western Hemispheres.
Differences Between South America and North America
The locations of the two are the first factor causing differences between them; as their names imply. Northern America is found in the north of the country, while Southern America is found in the south. Then, the Northern side has bigger population parameters than the Southern side. These are the two primary differences between the two. Let’s see the other differences in the table mentioned below:
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Situated in the Northern Hemisphere, it occupies over 5% of the Earth’s total area.
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As indicated by its name, the southern side of the American border is the southern region of the country and hence named, South America. This landmass occupies over 3% of the planet’s surface and is encircled by oceans.
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Regarding population growth, this region is the third most populous landmass on Earth, with an extensive number of small and large territories, the majority of which are comprised of the twenty-three countries that collectively make up the region.
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This region comes after the Northern side, which is the third most inhabited area. Additionally, an important percentage of the population resides inside its borders.
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This place presents an abundance of cultures and historical perspectives. The amount of historical background on this area of land is greatest. Because all types of cutting-edge facilities are available here and the location is perfect in every way, it can be regarded to be a complete region and an excellent place to live.
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The largest waterfall, best and largest mines, largest plants, and the driest place on Earth are all found in this region. Its mountain range is also extremely popular. Aside from these attractions, this area is perfect for research, have prosperous financial conditions, offers some of the best services across all major economic sectors, and much more.
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24,709,000 km2 (9,540,000 sq mi)
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17,840,000 km2 (6,890,000 sq mi)
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528,720,588 (2008)
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385,742,554 (2011)
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English, Spanish, French and many others.
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Portuguese, Spanish, and many others.
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North America observes 11 time zones.
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South America uses 5 time zones.
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23 countries
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States.
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12 countries
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
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South America – Land, Population, Climate & Facts
South America is a continent that is located mainly in the Southern Hemisphere and entirely in the Western Hemisphere, with a minor section located near the northern tip of the continent in the Northern Hemisphere.
Boundaries
The Atlantic and Pacific oceans encircle South America to the west and east, and to the northwest are North America and the Caribbean Sea.
Sovereign States and Dependent Territories
The continent comprises the following twelve sovereign states: Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Bolivia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, and Peru; two dependent territories: The South Sandwich Islands, and the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. There is also one internal territory, which is French Guiana.
Area and Population
The total area of South America is 17,840,000 square kilometers (6,890,000 square miles). Over 434 million people are expected to live there as of 2021. After Asia, Africa, and North America, South America comes in fourth place in terms of area and fifth place in terms of people. With over half of the continent’s population, Brazil is by far the most populous nation in South America. Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and Peru are the next most populous countries.
Language
There are over 200 million speakers of each of the two most common languages in South America: Spanish and Portuguese. Along with other native languages in some countries, Spanish is the official language of most of them. Brazil’s official language is Portuguese. Although there are at least twelve additional languages spoken in the nation, including Portuguese, Chinese, Hindustani, and many native tongues, Dutch is the official language of Suriname and English is the official language of Guyana. The Falkland Islands are home to English speakers as well. French is the second language in Amapa, Brazil, and the official language of French Guiana.
Climate
South America contains all of the major climate zones in the planet. The average temperature distribution in the area has a consistent pattern starting about 30° latitude south, after which the isotherms begin to increasingly resemble latitude degrees. The regime of winds and air masses affects how rainfall is distributed. Winds from the northeast, east, and southeast bring moisture from the Atlantic to much of the tropical region east of the Andes, resulting in an abundance of rainfall. Nonetheless, South Atlantic tropical cyclones are uncommon because of persistently high wind shear and a feeble Intertropical Convergence Zone.
Fauna
Of all the continents on Earth, South America has the highest level of biodiversity. Many rare animal species can be found in South America, such as the tapir, jaguar, vicuña, llama, anaconda, and piranha. A significant portion of all species on Earth can be found in the Amazon jungles, which are rich in biodiversity.
North America – Land, Population, Climate & Facts
North America is a continent located in both the Northern and Western Hemispheres. Christopher Columbus’s exploration expeditions in 1492 started a transatlantic trade that included European residents during the Age of Discovery and the early modern era. The relationships between European colonists, native peoples, African slaves, immigrants from Europe and Asia, and the progeny of these many groups are reflected in contemporary cultural and ethnic trends.
Boundaries
The Arctic Ocean borders North America to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South America and the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south. The United States, Greenland, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and Mexico are all included in the region.
Sovereign States
North America constitutes the following 23 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States.
Area and Population
With a total size of over 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), North America makes up 4.8% of the Earth’s surface and about 16.5% of its land area. After Asia, Africa, and Europe, it is the fourth-largest continent in terms of people and the third-largest in terms of size. North America included up 23 independent states and an estimated 579 million people as of 2013, making up 7.5% of the world’s population. The phrases “North America” and “North American” are usually defined in human geography as referring to the region that includes only the United States and Canada, as well as the English-speaking world outside of the United States, especially in Canada.
Language
Three languages are most common in North America: English, Spanish, and French. In Greenland, alongside Greenlandic, Danish is widely spoken, while in the Dutch Caribbean, Dutch is spoken with regional tongues. The anglophone countries of the Americas, specifically the United States and Canada, as well as occasionally Belize and regions of the tropics, particularly the Commonwealth Caribbean, are collectively referred to as “Anglo-America.”
Climate
Stretching from north of the Arctic Circle to south of the Tropic of Cancer, North America is a very big continent. Greenland is a tundra region with average temperatures between 10 and 20 °C, similar to the Canadian Shield. However, the center of Greenland is made up of a sizable ice sheet. Although this tundra extends throughout Canada, its boundaries terminate close to the Great Lakes at the foot of the Canadian Shield. It is said that the climate west of the Cascade Range is temperate with 20 inches of precipitation on average. Coastal California is known for its Mediterranean climate, with year-round average temperatures in places like San Francisco ranging from 57 to 70 °F.
Fauna
The bison, black bear, jaguar, cougar, prairie dog, turkey, pronghorn, raccoon, coyote, and monarch butterfly are among the famous animals of North America. In North America, important plants that were domesticated include avocado, cotton, chile pepper, tobacco, maize, squash, tomato, sunflower, blueberry, and vanilla.
FAQs- South America and North America
1. Are North America and South America Different?
When referred to collectively, the Americas—or, less frequently, just America—in modern English, North and South America are typically understood to be separate continents. The form is often the continent of America in the singular when seen as a unitary continent.
2. What Separates South America from North America?
At some point on the Isthmus of Panama, between North and South America; the most widely used separation in atlases and other sources follows the watershed of the Darién Mountains along the Colombia–Panama border, where the isthmus joins the continent of South America.
3. What are the Cultural Differences Between North America and South America?
Language is the primary area of differentiation between the two cultures. Spanish is the main language in Latin America, despite English being the official language of the United States. With more than 230 million speakers, English is the most widely spoken language in the US. Second with more than 37 million speakers is Spanish.
4. Why is North America Not Connected to South America?
A two-kilometer-deep expanse of ocean and hundreds of miles separated Central and South America fifty million years ago. The deep Central American Seaway (CAS) established a distinct boundary not only between the landmasses of North and South America but also between the animals that inhabit them.
5. What is the Gap Between North and South America?
Situated on one of the riskiest migratory routes in the world, the Darien Gap is a strong barrier. More than sixty miles of lush rainforest, high mountains, and large marshes around the isolated, unmarked border crossing between Colombia and Panama.
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