Continents

How Many Countries are there in America

Mary Smith
By Mary Smith. Updated: January 16, 2017
How Many Countries are there in America

Known as the new continent, America has a surface area of 42.9 million square kilometers, and is the world's second largest continent after Asia. Although it is often divided into North, Central and South America, it is important to note that this is a single continent, so it's correct to refer to it simply as America or the American continent.

Another common mistake when referring to this territory is that America is merely thought of as the United States, when that is actually a country located in North America, so the correct way to refer to it by name is United States of America. In addition to these curiosities, do you know how many countries there are in America? If you're not sure, read on, because this OneHowTo.com article will explain in detail.

You may also be interested in: How Many States Are there in America

Contents

  1. How many countries are there in America?
  2. What are the 25 American dependencies?
  3. Which are the largest and smallest countries in America?

How many countries are there in America?

If you've wondered how many countries there are in America, the answer is very simple: 35 nations form this continent. These countries are, in alphabetical order:

Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

If you are familiar with the geography of America, you may have noticed that some islands are missing from this list. Why are some not listed among the countries of America? The answer is simply because they are not considered to be independent nations but are dependencies i.e. autonomous territories which do not enjoy all the privileges of independence because they have a state that governs them.

There are 25 dependencies or non-self-governing territories in this continent.

How Many Countries are there in America - How many countries are there in America?

What are the 25 American dependencies?

Although they are not listed as countries in America, 25 dependencies also form part of this continent and should be considered separately. These are, in alphabetical order:

Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, Dutch Caribbean, Clipperton Island, Curacao, Greenland, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Cayman Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Falkland Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands of the United States, Martinique, Montserrat, Navassa Island, Puerto Rico, Island of Saba, St. Bartholomew, St. Martin, St. Pierre and Miquelon, St. Eustatius.

Which are the largest and smallest countries in America?

In a territory as vast as the American continent, there is a large difference in surface area between the 35 nations, so some countries cover a large territory and others are more modest in size.

America's largest country is Canada with an area of 9,984,670 square kilometers. Ottawa is the capital and Canada is ranked as the world's second largest country, preceded by Russia.

Meanwhile the smallest nation in America is Saint Kitts and Nevis and is made up of just 261 square kilometers. Its capital is Basseterre and it ranks as the eighth smallest country in the world.

How Many Countries are there in America - Which are the largest and smallest countries in America?

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