Northern America is a subregion of the Americas, defined by the UN geoscheme to exclude Mexico and the Caribbean. It consists of:
Although Spanish speakers generally place Mexico in "North America" (see Norteamérica), the UN geoscheme places Mexico in Central America, a subregion of "Latin America and the Caribbean" (see also Location of Mexico).
Northern America includes the Canada-U.S. dyad, developed countries that exhibit very high human development and share many socioeconomic characteristics. Relatedly, the UN subregion of Central America includes Mexico – a newly industrialised country – and other mainland North American states north of South America (including Panama); this contrasts with other reckonings of Central America which often exclude Mexico geopolitically. The Caribbean includes the West Indies: all islands in and around the Caribbean Sea.
Geopolitically, Hawaii – a U.S. state located in the Pacific Ocean – is included in North America. Due to its distant location, physiographically, the Hawaiian archipelago is commonly included with the other Polynesian territories of Oceania.
North America __NOTOC__
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"Northern America".
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