North America lies in the northern hemisphere and most of the western hemisphere bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, by the North Atlantic Ocean to east, by the Caribbean Sea to the southeast and by the North Pacific to the west while connected to South America – a region that lies to the southeast – by the Isthmus of Panama. North America is also composed of numerous islands that lie off its coast including the Arctic Archipelago north of the Canadian mainland, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Alexander Archipelago off the south-eastern coast of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean west of the Alaskan Peninsula.
The three main ethnic groups that compose North America include the whites, mestizos and African-Americans with a minority of Amerindians and Chinese. The main languages spoken are English, Spanish and French. It is a continent of rich social and cultural history. Being former British colonies, the United States and Canada share common cultural traditions. The North American Spanish-speaking regions share a common past with other regions of Central and South America as former Spanish colonies.
North America is bustling with tourist destinations and activities that await travellers from all over the world, featuring a natural diversity of flora and fauna, extravagant festivals, native traditions, delectable cuisines, and all the adventure sports that you can imagine. The continent is the location of some of the world’s most exciting wilderness areas that offers magnificent setting for hiking and trekking, including the Canadian Rocky Mountains, home to the famous Banff National Park with stunning peaks and glaciers. The historic Goldrush Chilkoot route between Canada and Alaska, the world’s first national park, the Yellowstone National Park, the world famous Grand Canyon and the Yosemite National Park are just some of the magnificent natural sights located in North America.