America consists of 57 countries with a total land area of 43 million km² (16 million square miles), representing 28% of the Earth’s habitable surface. America’s coastlines have a combined length of 329,888 km (205,027 miles). There are 1.03 billion people living in America — that’s 13.0% of the world’s population — and they account for around 32% of global economic output.
Federal parliamentary republic (under constitutional monarchy)
Independent since 1867
Local name: Canada
Region: North America
Area: 9,984,670 km²
Capital: Ottawa
Parliamentary democracy (territory of the Kingdom of Denmark)
Local name: Kalaallit Nunaat / Grønland
Region: North America
Area: 2,166,000 km²
Capital: Nuuk
Parliamentary democracy (territory of France)
Official: Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Local name: Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
Region: North America
Area: 242 km²
Capital: Saint-Pierre
Federal presidential republic
Independent since 1776
Region: North America
Area: 9,831,510 km²
Capital: Washington, D.C.
Parliamentary democracy (under constitutional monarchy)
Independent since 1981
Local name: Belize
Region: Central America
Area: 22,970 km²
Capital: Belmopan
Presidential republic
Independent since 1821
Official: Republic of Costa Rica
Local name: Costa Rica
Region: Central America
Area: 51,100 km²
Capital: San José
Presidential republic
Independent since 1841
Official: Republic of El Salvador
Local name: El Salvador
Region: Central America
Area: 21,040 km²
Capital: San Salvador
Presidential republic
Independent since 1821
Official: Republic of Guatemala
Local name: República de Guatemala
Region: Central America
Area: 108,890 km²
Capital: Guatemala City
Presidential republic
Independent since 1838
Official: Republic of Honduras
Local name: Honduras
Region: Central America
Area: 112,490 km²
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Federal presidential republic
Independent since 1810
Official: United Mexican States
Local name: México
Area: 1,964,375 km²
Capital: Mexico City
Presidential republic
Independent since 1838
Official: Republic of Nicaragua
Local name: Nicaragua
Region: Central America
Area: 130,370 km²
Capital: Managua
Presidential republic
Independent since 1825
Official: Plurinational State of Bolivia
Local name: Bolivia
Region: South America
Area: 1,098,580 km²
Capital: Sucre
Territory of Norway
Local name: Bouvetøya
Region: South America
Area: 49 km²
Population: uninhabited
Federal presidential republic
Independent since 1822
Official: Federative Republic of Brazil
Local name: Brasil
Region: South America
Area: 8,515,770 km²
Capital: Brasilia
Presidential republic
Independent since 1810
Official: Republic of Chile
Local name: Chile
Region: South America
Area: 756,700 km²
Capital: Santiago
Presidential republic
Independent since 1810
Official: Republic of Colombia
Local name: Colombia
Region: South America
Area: 1,141,749 km²
Capital: Bogota
Presidential republic
Independent since 1822
Official: Republic of Ecuador
Local name: Ecuador
Region: South America
Area: 256,370 km²
Capital: Quito
Parliamentary democracy (self-governing territory of the UK)
Local name: Falkland Islands
Region: South America
Area: 12,173 km²
French overseas territory
Official: Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana
Local name: Guyane française
Region: South America
Area: 83,534 km²
Capital: Cayenne
Parliamentary republic
Independent since 1966
Official: Republic of Guyana
Local name: Guyana
Region: South America
Area: 214,970 km²
Capital: Georgetown
presidential republic
Independent since 1811
Official: Republic of Paraguay
Local name: Paraguay
Region: South America
Area: 406,752 km²
Capital: Asuncion
Presidential republic
Independent since 1821
Official: Republic of Peru
Local name: Perú/Piruw
Region: South America
Area: 1,285,220 km²
Capital: Lima
British overseas territory
Local name: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Region: South America
Area: 3,903 km²
Capital: King Edward Point
Presidential republic
Independent since 1975
Official: Republic of Suriname
Local name: Suriname
Region: South America
Area: 163,820 km²
Capital: Paramaribo
Presidential republic
Independent since 1828
Official: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Local name: Uruguay
Region: South America
Area: 176,220 km²
Capital: Montevideo
Parliamentary democracy (self-governing territory of the UK)
Local name: Anguilla
Region: Caribbean
Area: 96 km²
Capital: The Valley
Parliamentary democracy (under constitutional monarchy)
Independent since 1981
Local name: Antigua and Barbuda
Region: Caribbean
Area: 440 km²
Capital: Saint John’s
Parliamentary democracy (territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Official: Country of Aruba
Local name: Aruba
Region: Caribbean
Area: 179 km²
Capital: Oranjestad
Parliamentary democracy (under constitutional monarchy)
Independent since 1973
Official: Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Local name: The Bahamas
Region: Caribbean
Area: 13,878 km²
Capital: Nassau
Special municipalities of the Netherlands
Local name: Caribisch Nederland
Region: Caribbean
Area: 322 km²
Parliamentary democracy (self-governing territory of the UK)
Local name: Cayman Islands
Region: Caribbean
Area: 264 km²
Capital: George Town
Republic (communist one-party system)
Independent since 1902
Official: Republic of Cuba
Local name: Cuba
Region: Caribbean
Area: 109,880 km²
Capital: Havana
Parliamentary republic
Independent since 2010
Official: Country of Curaçao
Local name: Curaçao / Kòrsou
Region: Caribbean
Area: 444 km²
Capital: Willemstad
Presidential republic
Independent since 1844
Local name: República Dominicana
Region: Caribbean
Area: 48,670 km²
Capital: Santo Domingo
Parliamentary democracy
Independent since 1974
Local name: Grenada
Region: Caribbean
Area: 340 km²
Capital: Saint George’s
Semi-presidential republic
Independent since 1804
Official: Republic of Haiti
Local name: Ayiti / Haïti
Region: Caribbean
Area: 27,750 km²
Capital: Port-au-Prince
French overseas territory
Official: Territorial Collectivity of Martinique
Local name: Martinique / Matinik / Matnik
Region: Caribbean
Area: 1,128 km²
Capital: Fort-de-France
Parliamentary democracy (self-governing territory of the UK)
Local name: Montserrat
Region: Caribbean
Area: 102 km²
Capital: Brades
Presidential democracy (unincorporated territory of the US)
Official: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Local name: Puerto Rico
Region: Caribbean
Area: 8,870 km²
Capital: San Juan
Corporation of France
Official: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy
Local name: Saint-Barthélemy
Region: Caribbean
Area: 21 km²
Federal parliamentary republic (under constitutional monarchy)
Independent since 1983
Official: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Local name: Saint Kitts and Nevis
Region: Caribbean
Area: 260 km²
Capital: Basseterre
Parliamentary democracy (under constitutional monarchy)
Independent since 1979
Local name: Saint Lucia
Region: Caribbean
Area: 620 km²
Capital: Castries
French overseas territory
Official: Collectivity of Saint Martin
Local name: Saint Martin
Region: Caribbean
Area: 53 km²
Parliamentary democracy (under constitutional monarchy)
Independent since 1979
Local name: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Region: Caribbean
Area: 390 km²
Capital: Kingstown
Republic (autonomous territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Independent since 2010
Local name: Sint Maarten
Region: Caribbean
Area: 34 km²
Capital: Philipsburg
Parliamentary republic
Independent since 1962
Official: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Local name: Trinidad and Tobago
Region: Caribbean
Area: 5,130 km²
Capital: Port-of-Spain
Parliamentary democracy (self-governing territory of the UK)
Local name: The Turks and Caicos Islands
Region: Caribbean
Area: 950 km²
Presidential democracy (self-governing territory of the US)
Local name: Virgin Islands of the United States
Region: Caribbean
Area: 350 km²
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
