North America vs. South America: Key Differences

Continent Comparison

Geography

• Size: North America (3rd largest) vs. South America (4th).
• Borders: North: Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, South America. South: Atlantic, Pacific, North America.
• Major Ranges: Rockies (North) vs. Andes (South).
• Key Features: Great Plains, Sonoran Desert (North); Amazon Rainforest, Pampas (South).

Climate

• North: Tropical (south) to polar (north). US temperate, Canada continental, Alaska subarctic.
• South: Tropical (north coast) to temperate (south); Andes cold; Amazon hot/humid; Pampas temperate.

Population

• North: ~579M (US 332M, Mexico 126M, Canada 38M).
• South: ~422M (Brazil 212M, Argentina 45M, Colombia 50M).

Economy

• North: ~$25T GDP (US $20T, Mexico $1.2T, Canada $1.7T).
• South: ~$6T GDP (Brazil $1.8T, Argentina $450B, Colombia $330B).

Culture

• North: European, African, Indigenous blend; US (European), Mexico (Spanish/Indigenous), Canada (British/French/Indigenous).
• South: European, African, Indigenous blend; Brazil (Portuguese/African/Indigenous), Argentina (Spanish/Italian/Indigenous), Colombia (Spanish/African/Indigenous).