The American continent-geography and history.

American continent.

This time we will have some geography and history. I have heard several people from other countries who, speaking of America, refer only to the United States, and clearly the American continent is made up of different countries.

Geography.

 America is the second largest continent in the world, after Asia. It occupies much of the western hemisphere of the Earth. It extends from the Arctic Ocean to Cape Horn to the south, at the confluence of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which in turn delimit the continent by the east and west, respectively.

It covers an area of more than 42,000,000 square kilometers, the second largest land mass in the world, representing 8.3% of the total surface of the planet and 30.2% of the land area, 12% of the surface of the human population.

The American continent is formed by 3 denominated blocks: North America, Central America and South America. And considering its cultural characteristics, distinguish Anglo-Saxon America and Latin America.

America is currently politically subdivided into 35 sovereign nation states, of which 3 are in North America, 7 in Central America, 13 in the Caribbean Sea and 12 in South America, a Free State associated with the United States (Puerto Rico) and another 24 dependent territories. 

History.

Until a few years ago it had always been thought that the first settlers of America were of Asian origin and that they passed from Asia to North America through Strait of Bering. But scientists recently discovered that possibly the first settlers of America did not only pass through the Strait of Bering some 11,000 years ago. Rather, they migrated across the Atlantic and / or across the Pacific Ocean from Australia or Polynesia.

There are several evidences that show these conclusions, some fossilized bones found, flint lances worked in a similar way to those that were worked at that time in the south of France, many evidences that corroborate that the arrival to America occurred not only by The Bering Strait, but also by Europe and Oceania in earlier dates. 

As for the discovery of America, it is well known that Christopher Columbus was the one who discovered this continent, but in recent years has gained weight the theory that points to the Vikings as the protagonists of such an adventure.
 

Archaeological discoveries in Newfoundland endorsed the ever-shaky stories of the Nordic sagas.

Inhabited only for two decades, this European visit did not transcend and did not acquire the idiosyncrasy of discovery and colonization that Columbus would start in 1492.

Other theories, for the moment lacking in confirmation, say that long before the Vikings had arrived Polynesians and that the Chinese would have achieved 70 years before Columbus thanks to the impulse of Emperor Yongle, who had turned the country into a great sea power.

Indeed, on the site of L'Anse aux Meadows appeared the remains of settlement that would have established Leif Eriksson and his men a thousand years ago.

And like these theories there are many more like that of Abubakari II, the mansa of the Malian empire, Madog ab Owain Gwynedd who was a Welsh prince and navigators of India who lived among the Maya.