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North America is the third largest continent, extending from the Arctic to the tropics and covering 24 million km2 / 9.4 million mi2. It is separated from Asia by the Bering Strait and bounded by the Beaufort Sea (north-west), Arctic Ocean (north), Baffin Bay and Davis Strait (north-east), Atlantic Ocean (east), and Pacific Ocean (west).
Natural features are the Rocky Mountains (on the west) and Appalacian Mountains (on the east), the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi, Missouri, Rio Grande, and St Lawrence Rivers. Between the two mountain ranges is a vast grassland, known as the prairies.
Climate depends, to a large extent, on the latitude, rangeing from the artic cold in the north to tropical heat in the south. The area along the west coast tends to be milder and wetter than other areas at the same latitude.
North America is the fourth largest continent by population. Three countries, Canada, the United States,and Mexico, comprise most of the land mass, with 34 smaller nations, largely south of Mexico and in the Caribbean. Most people live in towns and cities with the larger cities along the east and west coasts.
