Americas
Americas, the vast and crazy continent with with 35 countries. It constitute a vast and diverse region extending from the Arctic in the north to the southern tip of South America, encompassing two major continental landmasses - North America and South America - along with Central America and the Caribbean. This region spans nearly every major climatic zone, from polar and subpolar environments through temperate forests and grasslands to tropical rainforests and arid deserts. Its physical geography has been shaped by plate tectonics, mountain-building processes such as the uplift of the Rocky Mountains and the Andes, and long-term interactions between atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere.
The Americas, comprising North America, Central America (including the Caribbean), and South America, form one of the largest continental regions of the world. Together, they cover an area of approximately 42 million square kilometres, accounting for nearly 28% of Earth’s land surface. The total population of the Americas is about 1.04 billion people, which represents roughly 13% of the global population. Due to the vast size of the landmass and the presence of extensive sparsely inhabited regions—such as northern Canada, Greenland, the Amazon Basin, deserts, and mountain ranges—the average population density is relatively low, at around 25–27 inhabitants per square kilometre. However, this average masks strong regional contrasts: densely populated urban and coastal areas coexist with vast rural and wilderness zones. Overall, the Americas are characterized by a large territorial extent, moderate population size, and low to medium population density when compared with other major world regions such as Europe or Asia.
Biologically, the Americas are among the most diverse regions on Earth. The Amazon Basin represents the largest tropical rainforest system in the world and plays a critical role in global carbon cycling and climate regulation. At the same time, the region contains extensive agricultural landscapes, major freshwater systems, and highly urbanized corridors. Environmental pressures, including deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change, increasingly affect these systems and have consequences that extend far beyond the region itself.
Human history in the Americas is marked by deep Indigenous roots, with complex societies developing long before European contact. From the late fifteenth century onward, colonization by European powers profoundly transformed the region through population collapse among Indigenous peoples, the transatlantic slave trade, and the integration of the Americas into global economic networks. Today, the Americas comprise more than 30 sovereign countries and numerous territories, reflecting wide variation in political systems, economic development, and cultural expression. In the contemporary world, the region plays a central role in global trade, scientific research, cultural production, and geopolitics, while continuing to grapple with social inequality, environmental sustainability, and questions of historical justice.
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Agriculture in the Americas is one of the most significant and productive agricultural systems in the world, reflecting the continent’s vast size, climatic diversity, and long history of crop domestication. Approximately 30–35% of the total land area of the Americas is used for agricultural purposes, including arable land, permanent crops, and pastures, with especially large areas devoted to livestock grazing.
The Americas play a central role in global food production and trade. The region accounts for a substantial share of the world’s output of key agricultural commodities. For example, North and South America together produce over 50% of global soybeans, about 30% of maize (corn), and a major proportion of wheat, sugarcane, and beef. Countries such as the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and Canada rank among the world’s leading agricultural producers and exporters.
Historically, the Americas are one of the world’s primary centers of crop domestication. Indigenous societies domesticated crops such as maize, potatoes, cassava, tomatoes, cacao, peanuts, chili peppers, and tobacco, which later became globally important after the Columbian Exchange. Today, these crops remain fundamental both regionally and worldwide.
Agricultural systems in the Americas range from highly mechanized, technology-intensive farming in North America to small-scale and subsistence agriculture in parts of Central America, the Caribbean, and the Andean and Amazonian regions. In North America, large commercial farms dominate, with high yields supported by mechanization, irrigation, fertilizers, and biotechnology. In contrast, many Latin American regions rely on labor-intensive farming, though export-oriented agribusiness - particularly for coffee, bananas, sugarcane, and soybeans - is economically crucial.
Livestock farming is especially prominent, with the Americas producing roughly 40% of the world’s beef. Extensive cattle ranching is characteristic of the Great Plains of North America and the Pampas of South America. Poultry and dairy farming are also highly developed, particularly in the United States and Brazil.
Despite its productivity, agriculture in the Americas faces significant challenges. Issues such as deforestation (especially in the Amazon Basin), soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate change threaten long-term sustainability. At the same time, agriculture remains vital for employment, food security, and export income, particularly in rural areas. Overall, agriculture is a defining economic and environmental factor in the Americas, with both global importance and ongoing sustainability concerns.