“The General Characteristics of the American Continent:
America is the longest continent in the north-south direction, extending from the North Pole to the South Pole. It is shaped like two large land masses joined by the Isthmus of Panama in its central part.
It is divided into three parts: the northern part is North America, the southern part is South America, and the region between Mexico and the Panama Isthmus is Central America. Central America also includes the Greater and Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea.
The American continent is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Bering Strait separates the continent from the Asian mainland.
The mountain ranges along the west coast of the continent extend in a north-south direction. The reason why the Alpine folds here run in a north-south direction, unlike the east-west direction of the Alpine System on the Old World continents, is due to the constant westward movement of the ancient platforms that formed the basic terrain of North and South America after the fragmentation of the world continent and the subduction of the oceanic mass of the Pacific Ocean beneath the continental mass.
America, after Asia (1010m) and Africa (660m), is the third highest continent in the world. The mountains in the western part of the continent are classified as young mountains. The Rocky Mountains in the north and the Andes Mountains in the south are the major mountain ranges. This region is also a belt where earthquakes and volcanic activities frequently occur. The highest point on the continent is the Aconcagua Peak, located in the middle of the border between Argentina and Chile (6959m). The Appalachian Mountains in the eastern part, on the other hand, are older, worn-down mountains with relatively lower elevations.
Plateaus and plains are surrounded by low and fragmented mountains. The plains, which could not develop due to the mountain system on the coast, spread over large areas with the size of large rivers in the interior.
The continent’s climate consists of hot, desert, temperate, and cold climates. While most of North America is located in the temperate zone, South America is within the tropical zone.
The key characteristic of American agriculture is its diversity. While North America is generally engaged in trade and tertiary and quaternary activities, it obtains the agricultural products it needs through imports. South American countries, on the other hand, are leading producers in many agricultural products. The homeland of tobacco is in the tropical regions of South America, while cocoa and rubber are native to the tropical regions of South America. Products such as cotton, corn, wheat, and rice, grown in the belt zones, are prominent.
41% of the world’s cattle and buffalo population is found in the Americas. The extensive plains of the United States, Brazil, and Argentina are significant production areas with modern livestock farms.
Considered rich in both underground and surface resources, North America is one of the continents. North America is one of the four major coal mining regions, and Canada ranks second in iron among world countries. Diamonds extracted from Brazil and Venezuela constitute important sources of income.
It is a continent with high potential in terms of energy. The countries with the highest hydroelectric energy potential in America are the United States, Canada, and Brazil.
Especially in South American countries, regions where traditional lifestyles continue are quite attractive for tourists. It is possible to see leading countries in the continent where tourism has developed in the sector.”