America: Origin of the Name
• America is called after
Amerigo Vespucci, a
Florentine navigator.
North America
• Third largest continent.
• It’s boundaries are; from Asia by
the Bering Strait; bounded
Columbia (south), Arctic Ocean
(north), Atlantic Ocean (east), and
Pacific Ocean (west); includes
Canada, USA, and Mexico.
North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)
• An association of the USA, Canada,
and Mexico, established in 1992 to
create a free-trade area covering all of
North America, eliminating over a
period of time customs duties and other
restrictions, Chile to join in due course.
North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)
• The bloc is the second largest
free-trade area in the world
(after the European Economic
Area), with 360 million
customers.
Central America
• A geographical region that
encompasses the independent states to
the S of Mexico and to the N of South
America; includes Guatemala, El
Salvador, Belize, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama;
the area gained independence from
Spain in 1821.
Middle America
• A geographical region
encompassing Mexico, Central
America, and the West Indies;
includes the Gulf of Mexico and
the Caribbean.
Caribbean Free Trade Area
(CARIFTA).
• In 1968 many of the islands agreed
to the establishment of the
Caribbean Free Trade Area
(CARIFTA). Suriname joined
CARICOM in 1995, making its
membership 14. It also includes
Barbados, Jamaica
Canada
Canada
• Independent country in North
America, divided into 10 provinces
and two territories; capital, Ottawa;
other chief cities include Calgary,
Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal,
Quebec, Toronto, St John's,
Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg;
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
• Federal republic in S North America;
divided into 31 states and the federal
district of Mexico City; capital,
Mexico City.
• Religion, Roman Catholicism (80%)
• Official language, Spanish with over
50 Indian languages also spoken; unit
of currency, the peso of 100 centavos.
Government
• Governed by a president, elected
for 6 years, and a bicameral
Congress with a 128-member
Senate elected for 6 years and a
500-member Chamber of Deputies
elected for 3 years.
Economy
• Important trading relationship with
USA, especially after free-tradearea agreement in 1993; major
economic crisis (Dec 1994),
followed by package of loan
guarantees from the USA (Feb
1995).
The End