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North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere, bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west by the North Pacific Ocean; South America lies to the southeast. It covers an area of about 24,480,000 km² (9,450,000 sq mi), or about 4.8% of the planet's surface. As of July 2002, its population was estimated at more than 514,000,000. It is the third largest continent in area, after Asia and Africa, and is fourth in population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Etymology

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A number of theories exist regarding the naming of North and South America. The most widely recognized is that they are named after Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not the East Indies, but a New World, previously undiscovered by Europeans. The second and less generally accepted is that the continents are named after an English merchant named Richard Amerike from Bristol, who is believed to have financed John Cabot's voyage of discovery from England to Newfoundland in 1497. A third and minutely explored belief that has been advanced is that America was named for a Spanish sailor bearing the ancient Visigothic name of 'Amairick'.

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How do we know the Indians were the first people in North America.They had reservations.
sam_john_ (sam) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:25:27 -0000
How do we know the Indians were the first people in North America.They had reservations.
The Pollstar Top 50 - Pollstar has compiled its Top 50 Tours of North America for 2009 and, although there is no su... http://ow.ly/16fomW
fmodyssey (Fred Migliore) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:25:26 -0000
The Pollstar Top 50 - Pollstar has compiled its Top 50 Tours of North America for 2009 and, although there is no su... http://ow.ly/16fomW
U2 tour tops annual rankings in North America http://bit.ly/8VZOIr
sportMGTweet (Ben Goss) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:23:25 -0000
U2 tour tops annual rankings in North America http://bit.ly/8VZOIr
5 myths about keeping America safe from terrorism: The Defense Department's North American Aerospace Defense Command didn't inter..
rello_qwstion (rello qwstion) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:22:12 -0000
5 myths about keeping America safe from terrorism: The Defense Department's North American Aerospace Defense Command didn't inter..
Now almost half of the World is in the next decade. Asia, Europe, Africa. We'll meet you there guys. South and North America still in 2009..
wtfitsalltaken (Uriel Duran) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:16:58 -0000
Now almost half of the World is in the next decade. Asia, Europe, Africa. We'll meet you there guys. South and North America still in 2009..
So its 2010 in all of Asia,Africa and Europe! Still awaitin North & South America
KrisKay_ (Krissy) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:11:50 -0000
So its 2010 in all of Asia,Africa and Europe! Still awaitin North & South America

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