Map of North America.

North America is the third-largest continent, with a land area of 9.3 million square miles. Only the continents of Asia and Africa are larger. North America includes the world's largest island, Greenland; many small island countries in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; and the seven countries of Central America. North America's terrain includes the Rocky Mountains in the West and the Appalachians in the East. The continent has massive plateaus, plains, tropical rain forests, and deserts. Its waterways include the Mississippi River, five Great Lakes, and Canada's Hudson Bay. North America's highest point is Alaska's Mount McKinley (20,320 ft); its lowest point is in California's Death Valley (282 ft below sea level). The population of North America is about 515 million.

Name: --

For #1-5, locate and identify the countries of North America that match these descriptions:

1. The five countries of Central America with a shoreline on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea: --

2. Illegal immigration is a major concern in these two countries on the 30[degrees]N parallel of latitude: -- *

3. The four countries along the 80[degrees]W meridian of longitude: -- *

4. North America's land link to South America, with a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans: --

5. North America's coldest, largest, and northernmost country: --

For #6-9, locate and identify the geographical features of North America that match these descriptions:

6. The body of water at 60[degrees]N, 85[degrees]W: -- *

7. The river that begins in western Canada and flows through Alaska to reach the Bering Sea: -- *

8. The four Great Lakes that form part of the United States-Canada boundary: -- *

9. The major mountain chain that extends through western Canada and the United States: -- *

For #10-11, calculate the distance (to the nearest 100 miles) between each pair of cities:

10. Managua, Nicaragua, and El Paso, Texas: --

11. Denver, Colorado, and Ottawa, Canada: --

For #12-15, imagine that you are taking a cruise that begins in Juneau, Alaska, and ends in San Jose, Costa Rica. Name the cities at these coordinates, which you will visit along the way:

12. 49[degrees]N, 123[degrees]W: --

13. 38[degrees]N, 123[degrees]W: --

14. 24[degrees]N, 110[degrees]W: --

15. 14[degrees]N, 89[degrees]W: --

16. Which river connects the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean? --

17. Which waterway separates Russia and the U.S.? --

For #18-20, use the "Who's Who Among World Leaders" and the "Economic Map of the World" to identify the countries.

18. The three most-prosperous countries of Central America: --

19. The country that led the war to defeat Saddam Hussein: --

20. Of North America's three largest countries, which one is both the smallest and the least prosperous? --

Where you see an asterisk (*), write the name of the country and/or geographical feature on the outline map.

Answers

1. Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama

2. Mexico, United States

3. Canada, United States, Cuba, Panama

4. Panama

5. Canada

6. Hudson Bay

7. Yukon River

8. Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario

9. Rocky Mountains

10. 2,000 miles

11. 1,600 miles

12. Vancouver, Canada

13. San Francisco, California 

14. La Paz, Mexico

15. San Salvador, El Salvador

16. St. Lawrence River

17. Bering Strait

18. Belize, Costa Rica, Panama

19. United States

20. Mexico