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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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Heavy snow slams North America and Europe; slows business http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKTRE6064K120100107
harindermann (Harinder) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:38:50 -0000
Heavy snow slams North America and Europe; slows business http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKTRE6064K120100107
RT @ATTNews: Top Analyst Firm Positions AT&T in the Visionaries Quadrant for Oracle Outsourcing in North America: http://bit.ly/5o81W0
TechnicalJones (Talking Technology) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:36:33 -0000
RT @ATTNews: Top Analyst Firm Positions AT&T in the Visionaries Quadrant for Oracle Outsourcing in North America: http://bit.ly/5o81W0
Final round for TTXGP NORTH AMERICA Championship 2010 now confirmed.Details nxt wk.2010 calender is complete.Now for the racing.
TTXGP (TTXGP) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:35:02 -0000
Final round for TTXGP NORTH AMERICA Championship 2010 now confirmed.Details nxt wk.2010 calender is complete.Now for the racing.
Currently reading 'Why I Live Beyond the DisUnited States of North America' : http://scribd.com/doc/16954689
thewordwarrior (Anthony St. John) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:33:53 -0000
Currently reading 'Why I Live Beyond the DisUnited States of North America' : http://scribd.com/doc/16954689
@md20737 I hope you are on another continent and no where near North America where someone thinks American is a language
Patricialicious (Patricia Bynes) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:32:35 -0000
@md20737 I hope you are on another continent and no where near North America where someone thinks American is a language
Auto execs say there are still too many plants in North America http://bit.ly/5VsS0t
eGMCarTech (egmCarTech) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:30:01 -0000
Auto execs say there are still too many plants in North America http://bit.ly/5VsS0t

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