The Americas encompass the continents of North America and South America and comprises the so-called New World from a European colonial perspective. Humans first settled the Americas from Asia between 42,000 and 17,000 years ago. The voyages of Christopher Columbus from 1492 to 1502 resulted in permanent contact and influence from Europe.
Following a long history of Revolution and Decolonization of the Americas, today, the people of the Americas resides in independent countries. The legacy of the colonization and settlement by Europeans is that the Americas share many common cultural traits, most notably Christianity and the use of Indo-European languages, primarily Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French.
This hand-colored map of North and South America, created in 1746. This map is the second issue of this map based on an earlier edition by J. B. Homann. The Map reflects the considerable advancement in American cartography of the time as well as the increasing knowledge of America’s interior from explorations and colonisations.
The map precedes the French and Indian War, so the French are shown to dominate North American while the Spanish are preeminent in the south. At this time, the Pacific Northwest is mostly unexplored, but the map shows the mythical Northwest Passage. The map’s title cartouche in the lower left depicts two erupting volcanoes and several American Indians.
The Americas is the home of many unique and diverse cultures. America’s major cities host some unique and fascinating museums. Below is a list of some of the leading museums by significant countries that will be highlighted in “Joy of Museums.”
Museums in the Americas
Canada Museums
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Ottawa Museums
- National Gallery of Canada
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Toronto Museums
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Royal Ontario Museum
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Montreal Museums
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
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Vancouver Museums
- Vancouver Art Gallery
Mexico Museums
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Mexico City Museums
- Museo Soumaya
Colombia Museums
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Bogotá Museums
- Botero Museum
Brazil Museums
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Rio de Janeiro Museums
- Museu Nacional de Belas Artes
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São Paulo Museums
- São Paulo Museum of Art
Chile Museums
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Santiago Museums
Argentina Museums
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Buenos Aires Museums
United States of America Museums
Americas
- Demonym: American
- Countries: 35 Countries
- Population: 1 Billion
North America Facts
- North America is the 3rd largest continent in size and 4th largest in population.
- There are 23 countries in North America. The ten biggest are:
- Canada
- USA
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Honduras
- Cuba
- Guatemala
- Panama
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- There are nine dependencies in North America. The five biggest are:
- Puerto Rico (USA)
- US Virgin Islands (USA)
- Bermuda (UK)
- Greenland (Denmark)
- Cayman Islands (UK)
- Canada is the largest country in North America, covering more than half the North American continent’s landmass.
- More than 550 million people live in North America. The biggest cities in North America and their inhabitants in the metropolitan area are:
- Mexico City (Mexico): 21 million
- New York (USA): 20 million
- Los Angeles (USA): 13 million
- Chicago (USA): 10 million
- Dallas-Fort Worth (USA): 7 million
- Houston (USA): 7 million
- Toronto (Canada): 6 million
- The most popular tourist attractions in North America are:
- New York City for museums, culture, and shopping
- California, USA, for popular culture and beaches
- World Disney World in Florida. USA
- Yucatan, Mexico for Mayan ruins and beaches
- Rocky Mountains in the USA and Canada for skiing, hiking and winter sports
- Hawaii, USA, for islands and beaches
- Grand Canyon, USA, for hiking and nature parks
- Las Vegas, USA, for the casino, popular shows, and entertainment
- Kennedy Space Centre, USA, for space history and tours
South America Facts
- South America is the 4th largest continent in size and 5th largest in population.
- There are 12 countries in South America.
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Chile
- Venezuela
- Colombia
- Peru
- Suriname
- Bolivia
- Uruguay
- Paraguay
- Guyana
- Equador
- There are 3 dependencies in south America.
- French Guiana (France)
- Falkland Islands (Britain, but Argentina also claims it.)
- South Sandwich and South Georgia Islands (Britain)
- The largest country in South America is Brazil, which covers more than half the continent’s landmass.
- The most popular tourist attractions in South America are:
- Macchu Picchu, Peru, the 15th-century Inca citadel on a high mountain
- Iguazu Falls, Argentina, and Brazil
- Angel Falls, Venezuela
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for its Carnival
- Patagonia, Argentina, and Chile
- Amazon in Ecuador, with the most significant water river volume in the world and the Amazon rainforest representing over half of the planet’s remaining rainforests.
- Pantanal in Paraguay and Brazil, the world’s largest tropical wetland area
- Torres del Paine National Park in Chile
Americas Map
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“Become famous, then go to sleep.”
– South American Proverb
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Photo Credits: http://www.geographicus.com/mm5/cartographers/homannheirs.txt [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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