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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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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Confirmed For North America #playstation - http://bit.ly/TGOqy
videogameprevie (videogamepreview) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:31:17 -0000
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Confirmed For North America #playstation - http://bit.ly/TGOqy
Entertainment Images Photo from Getty Images by Getty Images North America http://ow.ly/15ZMiC
iNewsStand (iNewsStand 4 iPhone) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:25:36 -0000
Entertainment Images Photo from Getty Images by Getty Images North America http://ow.ly/15ZMiC
Entertainment Quotes Photo from Getty Images by Getty Images North America http://ow.ly/15ZMiA
TheySayUTweet (Chirr.me) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:25:36 -0000
Entertainment Quotes Photo from Getty Images by Getty Images North America http://ow.ly/15ZMiA
Entertainment Quotes Photo from Getty Images by Getty Images North America http://ow.ly/15ZMiy
TheySayUTweet (Chirr.me) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:25:35 -0000
Entertainment Quotes Photo from Getty Images by Getty Images North America http://ow.ly/15ZMiy
LEARN ABOUT AIRBORNE PESTICIDE DRIFT---Pesticide Action Network North America: http://ow.ly/zIK5
BoquuTerra (Boquu Terra) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:25:31 -0000
LEARN ABOUT AIRBORNE PESTICIDE DRIFT---Pesticide Action Network North America: http://ow.ly/zIK5
#yegdata - Open Data Report Update - On Track for rpt 2 #yegcc Exec Comm Jan 13/10 - 26 contributors on report from across North America
chrisj_moore (Chris Moore) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:25:23 -0000
#yegdata - Open Data Report Update - On Track for rpt 2 #yegcc Exec Comm Jan 13/10 - 26 contributors on report from across North America

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