As epitomized in the vibrant cities from New York to Las Vegas, life in North America appears larger than life, and nature it appears is competing. Yellow Stone National Park, home to grizzlies, wolves, bison and elk has more geysers than any other place on earth.
The Grand Canyon, boasting natural arches carved from the surrounding red stone, is 1.8 kilometers deep, exposing two billion years of the earth’s geographic history.
The Everglades is a massive 1.5 million acres, and provides a home for many rare and endangered species. North America is also home the world’s longest known cave system and the tallest trees on earth.
Carved by glaciers during the last ice age, cliffs four thousand feet high with water plunging down enormous heights create a beautiful spectacle in the Yosemite National Park.
In Alaska and Canada mountain glaciers, rivers and lakes in the verdant mountain valleys, and in California and Hawaii some of the loveliest beaches on earth.
Countries in North America
Bermuda
In the North Atlantic, Bermuda is a British island chain consisting of one hundred and eighty one islands. Lapped by the warm clear water of the Sargasso Sea, the islands are surrounded by reefs making them one of the most sought after diving destinations in the world.
With a history going back just five hundred years, the tiny island of Bermuda was not populated when discovered by Europeans. It is famous for its unusual pink beaches. Visitors are not permitted to drive cars but there are plenty of scooters available to rent.
Hamilton is the capital city. Here you can play golf overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Visit the aquarium, museum and zoo or the underground crystal caves where stalactites fall into turquoise pools of water on the ground below.
Canada
Canada is a huge country, the second biggest on earth, with a diverse landscape stretching from the glaciers in the north to the Vancouver rainforests, remote beaches on the West coast and Calgary’s towering mountains. Find polar bears, grizzly bears, bison, whale, wolves, bald eagles and moose. Skate on the world’s largest ice skating rink when the Rideau Canal, which runs through beautiful Ottawa freezes over in winter. On the Whistler Mountain ski at the largest ski resort in North America.
Canada’s cities are developed and sophisticated with museums, art galleries, theaters, top cuisine and high-end shopping. Enjoy sophisticated French cuisine in Quebec, whilst appreciating the splendid French inspired architecture of the surroundings, or enjoy Indian or Italian in Toronto, the most culturally diverse city on earth.
Getting up close and personal with nature is just a stone’s throw away in Canada, regardless of where you start your adventure from. You could do a Jeep tour in Whistler, rafting in Ottawa or rent an RV and live in the wilderness for a while. The possibilities are exciting and endless.
Greenland
The largest island on earth, Greenland is full of beautiful, isolated and mysterious landscapes. Tranquil, silver lakes are lined with colorful wooden houses and green pastures, against a backdrop of the dark and light of snow lined mountains.
Small glaciers sculpted by wind and water lie scattered on the lakes and rivers, where local fishermen cast their lines.
Relax in thermal spas where the water is bath warm even when surrounded by ice. Hike, ski or take a dog sled through the wide-open and unfenced places that are rare in today’s world. Kayak or rock climb through the mountainous landscape.
Travel to the Arctic Circle to view the midnight sun in summer and the Northern Lights in the winter, or watch a calving glacier in the summer. Visit Viking ruins outside the capital Nuuk, which also has the second largest fjord system on earth.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Located in the North Atlantic Ocean, this small group of islands is a French territory with a population of a little over six thousand. Despite the fact that it is just off the coast of Newfoundland, there is no sign of Canadian influence.
Here the wine, the food and the language are all French. Tourists are lured to the island by the duty-free luxuries available in the stores. The main city Ville de Saint Pierre is home to almost all the inhabitants and it has plenty of restaurants serving excellent French cuisine.
During the Prohibition St Pierre was one of the main transit ports for bootlegged alcohol. This led to a brief period of wealth for the islands, which are now largely dependent on tourism and crabbing.
United States
The landscape of the United States is as diverse as its people. It is a vast country spanning a variety of environments, from the snowy Rocky Mountains, to the grasslands of California, from frozen Alaska, to the desert in Nevada and the tropical Florida beaches.
The country incorporates densely populated cities, small towns and desolate natural reserves. Largely populated by immigrants over the past few centuries, the United States has a varied cultural background and many areas in the country have their own very distinct culture with food that reflects this cultural diversity.
The United States is home to some of the most beautiful and unusual natural phenomena from Yellow Stone National Park, to the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to Yosemite National Park.
In contrast it is also home to some of the most expensive shopping blocks in the world, some of the world’s greatest amusement parks and cities that boast magnificent skyscrapers and busy commercial centers.
