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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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This city is criminally slept on. One of the best spots in North America: RT: @imsikk: I love my city, Real City - #Montreal
couchsessions (couchsessions) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:50:59 -0000
This city is criminally slept on. One of the best spots in North America: RT: @imsikk: I love my city, Real City - #Montreal
RT @OMGFacts: A full grown grizzly bear from Western North America can bite through a piece of steel that is half an inch thick. #omgfacts
Thegull85 (Bryan Gulley) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:48:19 -0000
RT @OMGFacts: A full grown grizzly bear from Western North America can bite through a piece of steel that is half an inch thick. #omgfacts
QS World MBA Tour – North America Spring 2010 http://bit.ly/7lGFYH
F1GMAT (F1GMAT) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:45:58 -0000
QS World MBA Tour – North America Spring 2010 http://bit.ly/7lGFYH
Good morning, North America. ... and good !morning to the rest of you, I guess?
tallin32 (Chris Meredith) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:44:05 -0000
Good morning, North America. ... and good !morning to the rest of you, I guess?
there are only three countries i would want to live in - England, Australia and North America..
OneTreeHiller_x (Laura Jedward) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:42:31 -0000
there are only three countries i would want to live in - England, Australia and North America..
http://i2mob.com/news/2010/01/spotify-coming-to-north-america-preloaded-on-nexus-one/
i2mob_ (ali) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:41:57 -0000
http://i2mob.com/news/2010/01/spotify-coming-to-north-america-preloaded-on-nexus-one/

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