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ONCE POPULATED BY TRIEES of native peoples who lived off the land, the vastmajority of North America's population now consists of immigrants who arrived over thé last 400 years. Today, in terms of both population and économie wealth, the continent is dominated by the US, the richest country in the world. To the north, Canada covers a vast area, but much of it is cold and inhospitable, and so it has a much smaller population. Both countries were once British colonies and are still mostly English speaking. In contrast, Mexico is Spanish speaking, reflecting ils past as a Spanish colony. Mexico is a relatively poor country, despite its vast oil and gas reserves.

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
In général, North America is one of the most sparsely populated continents. Over two-thirds of the population lives in the US. Mexico has the next largest population, followed by Canada. Historically, the eastern US has been the most densely populated area, but in the past few decades, many people have moved to the warmer southern and western states. In Canada, people have also left the east coast for the Great Lakes and cities such as Toronto, or for west coast cities such as Vancouver.

A CONTINENT OF IMMIGRANTS

There have been many waves of immigrants to North America, mostly from Europe, but from South America and Asia, too. Not everyone chose to go. Today's black Americans are descended from African slaves who were forced to the US between 1619-1808 to work on plantations. Slavery was not abolished in the US until 1865. Today, African Americans are a vital part of American culture, from politics to sports. 

 

The colorful land of Mexico was once home to the golden civilizations of the Maya and Aztecs. These ancient empires were destroyed by the Spanish, who invaded in the 1500s and ruled the country until its independence in 1821. Descendants of the native peoples still live in Mexico, but most people are mestizo, of mixed Spanish and native Indian descent. About half of ail Mexicans are under 19 years old, and the population is growing rapidly, leading to overcrowding in the cities. Mexico has limited farmland, and cannot produce enough food for the growing population.

Tourism is one of Mexico's biggest sources of income. Visitors from ail over the world come to seeChichén Itza, Tenochtitlan, Palenque, and other sites of the ancian Maya and Aztec civilizations. The warm sea and sandy beaches at coastal resorts, such as Acapulco and Cancun, also attract many tourists.

 

 

 

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