North America (Continents of the World)

This authoritative new series describes the history, landscape, culture, economy and people of this continent. This title is also packed full of fascinating facts, maps and statistics. A statistical compendium at the back provides a handy reference guide for key statistical data. North America is a huge and spectacular continent containing many varied landscapes, from polar deserts to sub-tropical forests, coastal coral to mangroves and lofty mountain peaks to rolling grasslands. The vast continent contains the biggest freshwater lake in the world; boasts the world's largest island, Greenland; and the immense Mississippi and Missouri rivers carry water away from almost half of the continent. North America includes the world's only superpower, the United States, and so has a major influence on global affairs. In other parts of the continent such as Mexico, Haiti and Nicaragua, poverty is a major problem with people lacking jobs, access to water and having poorer education and health systems. Addressing these inequalities across the continent will be a major challenge for its future.