North America – interesting facts

September 20, 2010 | In: Geography Facts

Few continents of the world have as much variety as North America.

Included in the vast expanse of Canada and the United States are the wide rolling plains of the Midwest; the rugged Rocky Mountains; one of the world’s great rivers, the Mississippi; the Great Lakes, some of the largest fresh-water lakes in the world; primitive forests; jungles; swamps and frozen tundra.

North America was first settled by tribal peoples who are believed to have entered the continent across the Bering Strait, that point where Alaska and Asia almost come together.

Later, following the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the continent was settled by various European groups.

The United States secured its independence from Great Britain following the American Revolution (1776-1781) and began expanding to the west across the continent, purchasing vast tracts of land from France (the Louisiana Purchase) and Russia (Alaska) and taking much of what is now the Western United States from Mexico in what many feel was an unjust war.

Since then, the United States has grown into one of the world’s greatest economic and military powers.