Looking out from the top of ancient stone ruins in Mexico across verdant green treetops of a forest, with another ancient stone ruin peaking out above the trees in the distance, and dark clouds in the sky overhead.
North America

All About Regions in North America

The text "All About Regions in North America" in a banner atop a trio of photos. The top photo of the three shows a river in Canada, with white rapids and boulders flowing away from the viewer and the river bank rising to hills on either side covered in red, orange, yellow, brown, and green brush and trees. The middle photo below that shows a view from the top of an ancient stone ruin in Mexico, with a stone building rising to the left, a forest of green trees in front, and the top of another two ancient stone ruins peeking out from the treetops. The bottom photo is a landscape shot of the Arizona steppes, with a dizzying array of red, orange, and brown stone in a variety of different formations beneath a cloudy sky.

North America is generally geographically divided into five regions: the mountainous west, the Great Plains, the Canadian Shield, the varied eastern region, and the Caribbean. Some just divide the regions mainly by Canada, Mexico, United States, Central America and the Caribbean, as well. Since my blog gives Caribbean and Central America their own sections, we’ll focus on the three largest countries in North America.

Canada

This country consists of the following provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. Canada has very varied geographic features although the Canadian Shield, the interior plains, and the Great Lakes represents about 80% of the country. It has a broadly divided climate, as well, due to its large land mass, going from the more mild Pacific Northwest to the High Arctic Tundra in the northernmost part of Canada. There are many languages spoken throughout Canada, with some believing that over 70 indigenous languages are represented covering over 12 language families. Today, the majority of Canada speaks English and French due to colonization. The main religion in Canada is Christianity. Popular destinations include: Banff National Park, Whistler, as well as traveling to see the Northern Lights in Canada’s Yukon Territory.

Across a grassy field stands a thick forest of evergreen trees, with green hills rising to either side and rugged snow-capped mountains towering in the distance behind them.
Snow-covered hills and mountaintops extending to the horizon
A river strewn with boulders and white water extends to the distance, with the banks on either side rising quickly to hills covered with trees and brush in all shades of yellow, orange, red, and green.
Beth stands on the left of the photo, facing towards the right and framed to show her shoulders to her waist, with her hands cupping her very pregnant tummy. She wears a dress of horizontal stripes in shades of dark blue and teal, a black and white striped shawl, and long black sleeves. Behind her lies a valley with the opposite slope rising sharply in the distance, in rocky colors of brown and red, with some green brush dotted on the slope.
A white lighthouse with a red light chamber at the top stands on a rocky promontory overlooking the dark blue waters of the ocean. A wave is breaking against the dark brown rocks of the shoreline, while in the foreground a small pool of water lies tranquil amid a sandbar, with the top of the lighthouse reflected upside down in the water. The sky behind the lighthouse ranges from deep blue nearly to white as it approaches the horizon, and is streaked with wispy white clouds.

Mexico

Looking out from the top of ancient stone ruins in Mexico across verdant green treetops of a forest, with another ancient stone ruin peaking out above the trees in the distance, and dark clouds in the sky overhead.
A small red motorboat with two crew speeds across a tranquil blue ocean, pulling a line that leads up to a multicolored parachute holding two passengers parasailing far above. The sky is a mix of dark clouds and intermittent patches of brilliant blue.
A stone semicircular wall with intricate engravings surrounds a stone statue of a snake curling around the neck and forearm of a person with large butterfly-like wings. The flag of Mexico with its green, white, and red colors hangs limply from a flagpole at the rear center of the semicircle, and a small stone ledge completes the rest of the circle around the statue.
Ellie plays in the sand and surf on a beach in Mexico, sitting at the waterline wearing a pink swimsuit and holding a small red bucket. A small wave is washing over her, and behind her the water quickly goes from light blue to darker blue as it goes out towards the horizon. A man stands on a yellow paddleboard just past the change in the water's colors, facing away with a long paddle in one hand, wearing blue shorts, blue sleeves, and an orange lifejacket.
A large pool of still water with a few ripples, bordered by a short wooden railing and a grove of trees, with a dirt path winding its way through the trees. Ryan's head is visible in the middle of the pool, next to Ellie's head rising above a pink inflatable flotation device. On the far side of the pool, a thatch roofed hut stands nearly hidden in the trees, with more people in swimsuits near the edge of the pool and a large sign, illegible at this distance, standing in a wooden frame. An orange life preserver hangs from a tree branch on the right side of the pool near some benches among the trees.

This country consists of 32 federal entities: 31 states and the capital, Mexico City, which is a separate entity and is not formally recognized as a state.  While mountains cover most of Mexico, you’ll also experience deep canyons, large deserts, and dense rain forests, as well as stunning coastal beaches. Its climate is divided into three regions: Tierra Caliente, Tierra Templada and Tierra Fría, due to the variety in geographical features, as well as varied latitude coverage. There are many languages spoken throughout Mexico, including at least 63 indigenous languages recognized by the Mexican government. That being said, there are likely nearly 300 indigenous languages spoken in Mexico. Today, the majority of Mexico speaks Spanish due to colonization. The main religion in Mexico is Catholicism. Popular destinations include: Beaches, like Tulum, Cancun and Cozumel. Chichen Itza (Mayan Ruins). So many stunning cenotes, like Cenote Oxmán.

United States

This country consists of 50 states and a federal district, as well as a number of recognized territories.  Due to the size of the United States, it has a varied geography from volcanic topography in Hawaii to the rugged mountains of Alaska. Similarly, you’ll see great variety in climate with a decent percentage of the United States considered temperate, but also seeing climate regions ranging from Arctic tundra to tropical. There are believed to be over 400 languages modernly spoken in the United States. Today, the majority of the United States speaks English, although it is not considered the official language of the country. The main religion in the United States is Christianity. Every state offers their own very best attractions, including seeing the sights in New York City, exploring natural wonders in Arizona, or hitting the theme parks in Florida.

Beth at Batuu in Disneyland, cloaked in black with her long hair streaming in front of her down to her waist, staring at the camera, lit primarily by green coming from a lightsaber in the center of the photo held point-first towards the camera. In the background stands an Imperial transport ship with an ominous red light in a bar across its front top above a boarding ramp.
A large red trailer home with wooden steps leading to a black door in its middle, a small square window to the left and a large white sign on the right with the word "Glacier" in large black print, and smaller text in black print reading "Skagway 1.1 Mil". Metal rungs form a ladder on the front corner and side of the trailer, leading up to the roof, and a thin metal chimney stack rises from the left side of the trailer's roof. Behind, a row of trees makes up the background, primarily a deep forest green color with some lighter brown towards the bottom just above the roof of the trailer.
A picture of the statue at the Bunker Hill Monument, with the stone obelisk of the monument rising behind it. The statue is of a man with a broad brimmed hat set at a jaunty angle, a long trench coat, a vest, and breeches, holding a saber in his right hand and with the other hand partially outstretched behind him.
The wide plains of Arizona, this landscape shot shows a diverse array of red, orange, and brown colors on the desert steppes and rocks, with a small ledge of rock and brush in the foreground and white clouds criss crossing a bright blue sky above.
Beth stands on a beach in Hawaii, facing away with her long green hair streaming down her back, wearing a long black cloak. Several large rocks and a bit of green brush are prominent in the foreground on one side, while behind Beth is a dark rocky shore that drops away to white ocean waves that shift to a deep blue as the water continues on to the horizon.

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