111-612: The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads stretching across the Americas , measuring about 30,000 kilometres (19,000 mi) in total length. Except for a break of about 100 km (60 mi) across the border between Colombia and Panama known as the Darién Gap , the roads link most of the Pacific coastal countries of North America and South America in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records ,
222-408: A sea level rise of hundreds of meters following the last ice age. Both routes may have been taken, although the genetic evidences suggests a single founding population. The micro-satellite diversity and distributions specific to South American Indigenous peoples indicates that certain populations have been isolated since the initial colonization of the region. A second migration occurred after
333-743: A concurrency with US 60 . Further north, State Road 6 (NM 6), former US 66 , meets up with I-25 in Los Lunas . Through Albuquerque, I-25 is named the Pan American Freeway, and there are frequent exits to city streets. A major interchange with I-40 (which is styled as the Coronado Freeway in the city) is named the Big I . It was given an honorable mention by the US Department of Transportation and
444-573: A few hidden documents remain today, leaving modern historians with glimpses of ancient culture and knowledge. The first inhabitants migrated into the Americas from Asia. Habitation sites are known in Alaska and Yukon from at least 20,000 years ago, with suggested ages of up to 40,000 years. Beyond that, the specifics of the Paleo-Indian migration to and throughout the Americas, including
555-520: A highway through the Darién Gap that separates the two continents. A Cuban proposal that was not carried out was to include a "circuito del Caribe" (Caribbean circuit). This would have expanded the highway to Puerto Juárez , Mexico ( Cancún ), and from there by ferry to Pinar del Río, Cuba , from there by road to Havana , and by ferry again to Key West , Florida , and the Overseas Highway . The deterioration of relations between Cuba and
666-625: A lesser extent, Dutch . The Americas are home to more than a billion inhabitants, two-thirds of whom reside in the United States , Brazil , and Mexico . It is home to eight megacities ( metropolitan areas with 10 million inhabitants or more): Greater Mexico City (21.2 million), São Paulo (21.2 million), New York City (19.7 million), Los Angeles (18.8 million), Buenos Aires (15.6 million), Rio de Janeiro (13.0 million), Bogotá (10.4 million), and Lima (10.1 million). The name "America"
777-427: A million years, with the total spread of South American genera into North America far more limited in scope than the spread of North American genera into South America. There are 35 sovereign states in the Americas, as well as an autonomous country of Denmark , three overseas departments of France , three overseas collectivities of France, and one uninhabited territory of France, eight overseas territories of
888-538: A natural extension of several key American highways that reach the Canada–US border. British Columbia Highway 97 and Highway 2 to Alberta both pick up where the southern end of the Alaska highway leaves off. Highway 97 becomes U.S. Route 97 at the Canada–US border. British Columbia Highway 99 provides an alternate route from Highway 97 just north of Cache Creek ; it runs through Whistler and Vancouver before ending at
999-472: A north and northeast orientation as it leaves New Mexico traversing Raton Pass (7,798 ft or 2,377 m ) and enters Colorado. Due to its elevation and frequent winter snowstorms, I-25 is sometimes impassible and closed in both directions at Raton Pass during winter months. From Santa Fe to Trinidad, Colorado , I-25 approximates part of the route of the Santa Fe Trail . For its entire length in
1110-485: A number of islands. The gaps in the archipelago of Central America filled in with material eroded off North America and South America, plus new land created by continued volcanism. By three million years ago, the continents of North America and South America were linked by the Isthmus of Panama , thereby forming the single landmass of the Americas. The Great American Interchange resulted in many species being spread across
1221-722: A series of rivers and streams that flow east with their terminus in the Atlantic Ocean, such as the Hudson River , Saint John River , and Savannah River . A similar instance arises with central Canadian rivers that drain into Hudson Bay ; the largest being the Churchill River . On the west coast of North America, the main rivers are the Colorado River , Columbia River , Yukon River , Fraser River , and Sacramento River . The Colorado River drains much of
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#17327807158541332-541: A shared population of flora and fauna around 2.5 million years ago, when continental drift brought the two continents into contact via the Isthmus of Panama . Initially, the exchange of biota was roughly equal, with North American genera migrating into South America in about the same proportions as South American genera migrated into North America. This exchange is known as the Great American Interchange . The exchange became lopsided after roughly
1443-707: A synonym). Latin America is typically contrasted with Anglo-America , where English, a Germanic language , is prevalent, and which comprises Canada (with the exception of Francophone Canada rooted in Latin Europe [France]—see Quebec and Acadia ) and the United States. Both countries are located in North America, with cultures deriving predominantly from British and other Germanic roots. The transatlantic slave trade brought millions of Africans to
1554-453: A wide variety of indigenous religions, many of which can be categorized as animistic ; new age religions and many African and African-derived religions. Syncretic faiths can also be found throughout the Americas. Various languages are spoken in the Americas. Some are of European origin, others are spoken by indigenous peoples or are the mixture of various languages like the different creoles. The most widely spoken first language in
1665-554: Is about 148 km (92 mi). From Honduras, it passes into Nicaragua at El Espino , passing through the Nicaraguan cities of Somoto , Estelí , Sebaco, Managua , Jinotepe , and Rivas before entering Costa Rica at Peñas Blancas. From the crossing at the Honduras-Nicaragua border , the highway continues as Central America Highway 1 to the town of Ocotal , about 42 km (26 mi). From Ocotal to Estelí
1776-481: Is about 50 km (31 mi) and another 55 km (34 mi) to Jutiapa . The highway continues as CA Highway 1 and approaches the border with El Salvador . It is 50 km (31 mi) to the border crossing at San Cristobal Frontera. In Guatemala , the Pan-American highway passes through 10 departments , including The Department Of Guatemala , where it passes through Guatemala City . El Salvador
1887-511: Is about 58 km (36 mi), and on to the village of Sébaco is about 46 km (29 mi). At this point, the Inter-American Highway turns from southeast to south towards Ciudad Darío , which is 15 km (9.3 mi) from Sébaco. From Ciudad Dario to the village of San Benito is 55 km (34 mi). From San Benito, it is about 38 km (24 mi) to the Nicaraguan capital and largest city of Managua , on
1998-761: Is commonly considered a de facto northerly extension of the Pan-American Highway, which continues further north with the Dalton Highway in Alaska. With this route, the Pan-American Highway begins in Prudhoe Bay , Alaska near Deadhorse . Traveling south, the route follows the length of the Dalton Highway (Alaska Route 11) changing to Alaska Route 2 , the Alaskan portion of the Alaska Highway, near Fairbanks , Alaska. From Fairbanks,
2109-470: Is generally quite flat. Similarly, the north-east of South America is covered by the flat Amazon basin . The Brazilian Highlands on the east coast are fairly smooth but show some variations in landform, while farther south the Gran Chaco and Pampas are broad lowlands . The climate of the Americas varies significantly from region to region. Tropical rainforest climate occurs in the latitudes of
2220-476: Is known as Carretera Interamericana (Inter-American Highway) and is composed of two segments Carretera Interamericana Norte (Route 1) and Carretera Interamericana Sur (Route 2). It passes through Liberia , San José , Cartago , Pérez Zeledón , Palmares, Neily, before crossing into Panama at Paso Canoas. The highest point in the entire Pan-American Highway occurs at the Cerro de la Muerte (Death Hill) in
2331-488: Is known as the Inter-American Highway ) starts at Nuevo Laredo , Tamaulipas (opposite Laredo, Texas ), and goes south to Mexico City along Mexican Federal Highway 85 . An alternative route begins at the border crossing between San Diego, California and Tijuana, Baja California . Interstate 5 in the United States connects to Mexican Federal Highway 1 at the busiest international border crossing in
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#17327807158542442-785: Is named the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. In the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 , a transcontinental highway was named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower , in commemoration of the route of the US Army's 1919 convoy . This route, rather than following a single highway, spans several, including I-25 in Denver. This combination of routes was intended to approximate the original 1919 convoy route. The designation of this highway, while clear in intent, has not seen widespread adoption in terms of signage or recognition, likely due to
2553-691: Is that of the Mississippi , covering the second largest watershed on the planet. The Mississippi-Missouri river system drains most of 31 states of the United States, most of the Great Plains , and large areas between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. This river is the fourth longest in the world and tenth most powerful in the world . In North America, to the east of the Appalachian Mountains , there are no major rivers but rather
2664-589: Is the 2nd largest continent right after Asia, and is the 3rd largest continent by population. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth 's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World . Along with their associated islands , the Americas cover 8% of Earth's total surface area and 28.4% of its land area. The topography is dominated by the American Cordillera , a long chain of mountains that runs
2775-437: Is the smallest country (by area) along the route of the Pan-American Highway. After crossing into El Salvador at Candelaria de la Frontera , the Inter-American Highway continues on toward Santa Ana as Central America Highway 1. From the border crossing to Santa Ana is about 13 km (8.1 mi). From Santa Ana it's about 45 km (28 mi) San Salvador, El Salvador 's capital and largest city. At Nueva San Salvador ,
2886-533: The Amazon , American cloud forests , southeastern Florida and Darién Gap . In the Rocky Mountains and Andes , dry and continental climates are observed. Often the higher altitudes of these mountains are snow-capped. Southeastern North America is well known for its occurrence of tornadoes and hurricanes , of which the vast majority of tornadoes occur in the United States' Tornado Alley , as well as in
2997-715: The Arctic small tool tradition , a broad cultural entity that developed along the Alaska Peninsula , around Bristol Bay , and on the eastern shores of the Bering Strait c. 2500 BCE moved into North America. The Arctic small tool tradition, a Paleo-Eskimo culture branched off into two cultural variants, including the Pre-Dorset , and the Independence traditions of Greenland. The descendants of
3108-606: The Arkansas River Valley . I-25 enters Wyoming eight miles (13 km) south of the state capital, Cheyenne . After traveling through Cheyenne, I-25 continues north to Douglas , passing many plateaus and also railroad tracks. Commonly, very long trains can be seen slowly moving alongside this highway. Around Douglas, this Interstate Highway curves somewhat to the west toward Casper . Once through Casper, I-25 turns due north, and it goes as far as Buffalo , where it ends at an interchange with I-90 . I-90 then provides
3219-600: The Boothia Peninsula in northern Canada and Cape Froward in Chilean Patagonia , is roughly 14,000 km (8,700 mi). The mainland's most westerly point is the end of the Seward Peninsula in Alaska; Attu Island , further off the Alaskan coast to the west, is considered the westernmost point of the Americas. Ponta do Seixas in northeastern Brazil forms the easternmost extremity of
3330-637: The Federal Highway Administration for excellence in urban highway design in 2002. Leaving Albuquerque to the north, I-25 curves to the northeast as it approaches Santa Fe . Continuing 'northbound' at Santa Fe, I-25 heads southeast for approximately 45 miles (72 km) traveling through the Santa Fe National Forest and crossing Glorieta Pass (elevation 7,452 ft or 2,271 m). It turns north again at Blanchard toward Las Vegas . The highway maintains
3441-889: The Front Range of the Rocky Mountains . That stretch was involved in a large-scale renovation named the Transportation Expansion (T-REX) Project in Denver and the Colorado Springs Metropolitan Interstate Expansion (COSMIX). These projects, and others in New Mexico, were necessary because these stretches of I-25 were originally inadequately designed and constructed (the pavement was deteriorating rapidly) and also because urban areas, like Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, and Denver, had tripled and quadrupled in population much earlier than anyone had anticipated back in
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3552-495: The Latin version of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci 's first name. The feminine form America was originally used to refer to the newly discovered continent, which is why it was accorded with the feminine names of the other continents: Asia , Africa , and Europa . Since the 1950s, however, North America and South America have generally been considered by English speakers as separate continents, and taken together are called
3663-695: The Maya ruins of Zaculeu . The Pan-American Highway crosses the Continental Divide again, and into the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes mountains. From Huehuetenango to Chimaltenango is roughly 160 km (99 mi) with Mayan ruins at Iximché , just north of Tecpán Guatemala . From Chimaltenango, it is about 35 to 40 km (22 to 25 mi) to Guatemala City , the capital and largest city in Central America. From Guatemala City to Cuilapa
3774-594: The Mexican Federal District . Later branches were built to the border as follows: From Mexico City to the border with Guatemala , the highway follows Mexican Federal Highway 190 . In the inaugural Carrera Panamericana road race, organized by the Mexican government, the terminus of this southern route was said to be at Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chiapas , at the Guatemalan border. Specifically, as
3885-646: The Montana –Wyoming border). It passes through or near Albuquerque, New Mexico ; Pueblo, Colorado ; Colorado Springs, Colorado ; Denver, Colorado ; Fort Collins, Colorado ; and Cheyenne, Wyoming . The I-25 corridor is mainly rural, especially in Wyoming, excluding the Albuquerque metropolitan area and the Front Range urban corridor from Pueblo to Cheyenne. The part of I-25 in Colorado passes just east of
3996-527: The Pan-American Freeway , is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States . It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico , Colorado , and Wyoming . I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico (approximately 25 miles [40 km] north of El Paso, Texas ) to I-90 in Buffalo, Wyoming (approximately 60 miles [97 km] south of
4107-519: The Quaternary glaciation . These people are believed to have followed herds of now-extinct pleistocene megafauna along ice-free corridors that stretched between the Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets. Another route proposed is that, either on foot or using primitive boats , they migrated down the Pacific coast to South America. Evidence of the latter would since have been covered by
4218-654: The Santa Rosa National Park to the west and Guanacaste National Park to the east. From the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border to the town of Liberia is about 76.8 km (47.7 mi). In the region of Costa Rica, the Pan-American Highway runs just west of the Cordillera de Guanacaste (Guanacaste Mountains), which includes the active volcanoes of Rincón de la Vieja and Miravalles . While travelling through Costa Rica north of San Jose,
4329-708: The Southern Rockies and parts of the Basin and Range Province . The river flows approximately 1,450 miles (2,330 km) into the Gulf of California , during which over time it has carved out natural phenomena such as the Grand Canyon and created phenomena such as the Salton Sea . The Columbia is a large river, 1,243 miles (2,000 km) long, in central western North America and is the most powerful river on
4440-606: The United Kingdom , three constituent countries of the Netherlands , three public bodies of the Netherlands, two unincorporated territories of the United States , and one uninhabited territory of the United States. In 2021 the total population of the Americas was about 1.03 billion people, divided as follows: There are three urban centers that each hold titles for being the largest population area based on
4551-477: The enslavement of large numbers of the indigenous population of America. Diseases introduced from Europe and West Africa devastated the indigenous peoples , and the European powers colonized the Americas . Mass emigration from Europe , including large numbers of indentured servants , and importation of African slaves largely replaced the indigenous peoples in much of the Americas. Decolonization of
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4662-708: The 1950s and 1960s. Major highway work for the T-REX project ended on August 22, 2006. The COSMIX project was completed in December 2007. Several other smaller improvement projects for I-25 are still ongoing within New Mexico and Colorado. I-25 begins at I-10 's exit 144 in Las Cruces, just south of the New Mexico State University campus. I-25 runs concurrently with US Route 85 (US 85) at this point and carries this concurrency for
4773-865: The Alberta route, both of which are also part of the CANAMEX Corridor . Crossing the border into Canada, Alaska Highway 2 turns into Yukon Highway 1. The first significant settlement along the way is Beaver Creek, Yukon . At Haines Junction , where it meets Yukon Highway 3 , Yukon Highway 1 turns east toward Whitehorse , the capital of the Yukon Territory . Through most of Whitehorse, Yukon Highway 2 and Yukon Highway 1 share an alignment. Yukon Highway 1 cuts southeast toward Marsh Lake, Yukon while Yukon Highway 2 cuts south to Skagway , Alaska. Eventually, Yukon Highway 1 intersects with Yukon Highway 8 and Yukon Highway 7 at Jake's Corner, Yukon ;
4884-722: The American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic to European colonization during the Early Modern period . The term Pre-Columbian is used especially often in the context of the great indigenous civilizations of the Americas , such as those of Mesoamerica ( Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacano , Zapotec , Mixtec , Aztec , Maya ) and the Andean civilizations ( Inca , Moche , Chavín , Muisca , Cañari ). Many pre-Columbian civilizations established characteristics and hallmarks which included permanent or urban settlements, agriculture, civic and monumental architecture, and complex societal hierarchies . Some of these civilizations had long faded by
4995-478: The Americas began with the American Revolution in the 1770s and largely ended with the Spanish–American War in the late 1890s. Currently, almost all of the population of the Americas resides in independent countries; however, the legacy of the colonization and settlement by Europeans is that the Americas share many common cultural traits, most notably Christianity and the use of West European languages: primarily Spanish , English , Portuguese , French , and, to
5106-422: The Americas from Asia between 20,000 and 16,000 years ago. A second migration of Na-Dene speakers followed later from Asia. The subsequent migration of the Inuit into the neoarctic c. 3500 BCE completed what is generally regarded as the settlement by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas . The first known European settlement in the Americas was by the Norse explorer Leif Erikson . However,
5217-440: The Americas , or more rarely America . When conceived as a unitary continent, the form is generally the continent of America in the singular. However, without a clarifying context, singular America in English commonly refers to the United States of America . The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on
5328-421: The Americas began with the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. The first Spanish settlement in the Americas was La Isabela in northern Hispaniola . This town was abandoned shortly after in favor of Santo Domingo de Guzmán , founded in 1496, the oldest American city of European foundation. This was the base from which the Spanish monarchy administered its new colonies and their expansion. Santo Domingo
5439-409: The Americas is Spanish , followed by English and Portuguese . The dominant language of Latin America is Spanish, though the most populous nation in Latin America, Brazil , speaks Portuguese . Small enclaves of French -, Dutch - and English-speaking regions also exist in Latin America, notably in French Guiana , Suriname , and Belize and Guyana respectively. Haitian Creole is dominant in
5550-421: The Americas is made up of the descendants of four large ethnic groups and their combinations. The majority of the population lives in Latin America , named for its predominant cultures, rooted in Latin Europe (including the two dominant languages, Spanish and Portuguese , both Romance languages ), more specifically in the Iberian nations of Portugal and Spain (hence the use of the term Ibero-America as
5661-438: The Americas, such as the cougar , porcupine , opossums , armadillos , and hummingbirds . The geography of the western Americas is dominated by the American Cordillera , with the Andes running along the west coast of South America and the Rocky Mountains and other North American Cordillera ranges running along the western side of North America. The 2,300-kilometer-long (1,400 mi) Appalachian Mountains run along
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#17327807158545772-438: The Americas. Migration continued as people moved to the Americas fleeing religious persecution or seeking economic opportunities. Millions of individuals were forcibly transported to the Americas as slaves , prisoners or indentured servants . Decolonization of the Americas began with the American Revolution and the Haitian Revolution in the late 1700s. This was followed by numerous Latin American wars of independence in
5883-427: The Atlantic Ocean. The Mackenzie River is the largest in Canada and drains 1,805,200 square kilometers (697,000 sq mi). The largest river basin in South America is that of the Amazon , which has the highest volume flow of any river on Earth. The second largest watershed of South America is that of the Paraná River , which covers about 2.5 million km . North America and South America began to develop
5994-447: The British Columbia–Yukon border, the Pan-American Highway reaches the first settlement in British Columbia at Lower Post . After travelling about 32 km (20 mi) east, the highway once again re-enters the Yukon for roughly 8 mi (13 km). The Highway then re-enters British Columbia (as BC 97) for the final time. The Pan-American Highway continues south to southeast through a long uninhabited stretch until it passes through
6105-432: The Canada–US border at the north end of Interstate 5 in Washington state , the beginning of the official Pan-American route south of British Columbia. Meanwhile, Alberta Highway 2 runs south and east to Alberta Highway 3 leading into Lethbridge , then south on Alberta Highway 4 to the Canada–US border, where it becomes Interstate 15 in Montana . This is the first official stretch of the Pan-American Highway south of
6216-497: The Caribbean began to achieve peaceful independence well after World War II . Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago became independent in 1962, and Guyana and Barbados both achieved independence in 1966. In the 1970s, the Bahamas , Grenada , Dominica , St. Lucia , and St. Vincent and the Grenadines all became independent of the United Kingdom, and Suriname became independent of the Netherlands. Belize , Antigua and Barbuda , and Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence from
6327-438: The Carretera Interamericana Sur segment, at 3,335 m (10,942 ft). An alternative route used by cross country buses and freight transportation that avoids crossing through the Greater Metropolitan Area and Cerro de la Muerte, is by taking Route 23 in Puntarenas canton from Route 1, then Route 27 and Route 34 , and taking Route 2 in Osa canton. After entering Costa Rica, the Highway separates two national parks,
6438-742: The Highway travels south for about 290 km (180 mi) until it reaches Fort St. John . It continues on B.C. Highway 97 southeast for another 60 km (37 mi) to reach the end of the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek . After B.C Highway 97, the unofficial route becomes Alberta Highway 43 . In approximately 7.2 km (4.5 mi), Highway 43 enters into the first settlement Demmitt. For about 75 km (47 mi), Highway 43 goes into Grande Prairie . At Clairmont , Highway 43, turns to Alberta Highway 2 , Highway 43 goes left. Highway 43 goes for 455 km (283 mi) before reaching Edmonton . The unofficial route turns 2 ways, one way goes to Lloydminster , Minneapolis , and Dallas and merges with
6549-463: The Hudson River Valley, and what later became New Jersey. The spread of new diseases brought by Europeans and African slaves killed many of the inhabitants of North America and South America, with a general population crash of Native Americans occurring in the mid-16th century, often well ahead of European contact. One of the most devastating diseases was smallpox . European immigrants were often part of state-sponsored attempts to found colonies in
6660-496: The Norse colonies and Europe was maintained, as James Watson Curran states: From 985 to 1410, Greenland was in touch with the world. Then silence. In 1492 the Vatican noted that no news of that country "at the end of the world" had been received for 80 years, and the bishopric of the colony was offered to a certain ecclesiastic if he would go and "restore Christianity" there. He didn't go. Although there had been previous trans-oceanic contact , large-scale European colonization of
6771-402: The Oaxaca state capital of Oaxaca is about 140 km (87 mi). From the city of Oaxaca, the Highway continues southeast as Mexico Highway 190 for about 230 km (140 mi) to the village of Juchitán de Zaragoza . The Pan-American Highway is now in southern Mexico, which is a combination of small mountains, hills, and jungles. It is another 90 km (56 mi) to the border with
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#17327807158546882-531: The Pan-American Highway continues on Yukon 1 east-northeast from this junction. At Johnson's Crossing , Yukon Highway 1 meets Yukon Highway 6 and travels southeast through Teslin, Yukon . The Pan-American Highway continues on Yukon 1 as it crosses over into British Columbia (B. C.). After several miles, the Highway reenters the Yukon (once again as Highway 1) and continues southeast of Watson Lake until it, once again, enters British Columbia as B.C. Highway 97. After travelling about 8 km (5.0 mi) past
6993-442: The Pan-American Highway continues south of Mexico City, it runs through the city of Cuernavaca about 48 km (30 mi) south of the Mexican capital. Here, the Pan-American Highway heads east along Federal Highway 190 through the state of Puebla ; for about 32 km (20 mi), it is a limited-access divided highway. The route then reverts to an undivided highway and enters the state of Oaxaca . From Huajuapan de León to
7104-406: The Pan-American Highway is the world's longest "motorable road". The Pan-American Highway passes through many diverse climates and ecological types—ranging from dense jungles to arid deserts and barren tundra . Some areas are fully passable only during the dry season . There is no official authority for its composition, but it extends in de facto terms from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska , in the north, to
7215-455: The Pre-Dorset cultural group, the Dorset culture was displaced by the final migrants from the Bering sea coast line, the Thule people (the ancestors of modern Inuit ), by 1000 CE . Around the same time as the Inuit migrated into Greenland, Viking settlers began arriving in Greenland in 982 and Vinland shortly thereafter, establishing a settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows , near the northernmost tip of Newfoundland . Contact between
7326-418: The U.S. after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 ended talk of this project. The concept of an overland route from one tip of the Americas to the other was originally proposed as a railroad. In 1884 the U.S. Congress passed a law with a plan to build an inter-American rail system. This was discussed at the First Pan-American Conference in 1889; however, construction never started. It was abandoned in concept after
7437-496: The United Kingdom in the 1980s. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere . The northernmost point of the Americas is Kaffeklubben Island , which is the most northerly point of land on Earth. The southernmost point is the islands of Southern Thule , although they are sometimes considered part of Antarctica . The mainland of the Americas is the world's longest north-to-south landmass. The distance between its two polar extremities, Murchison Promontory on
7548-421: The United Kingdom, starting with the Balfour Declaration of 1926 , Statute of Westminster 1931 , and ending with the patriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982. The Dominion of Newfoundland similarly achieved independence under the Balfour Declaration and Statute of Westminster, but relinquished self-rule in 1934. It was subsequently confederated with Canada in 1949. The remaining European colonies in
7659-496: The United States, and more specifically in the US state of Colorado . The highest peaks of the Americas are located in the Andes , with Aconcagua of Argentina being the highest; in North America Denali (Mount McKinley) in the US state of Alaska is the tallest. Between its coastal mountain ranges, North America has vast flat areas. The Interior Plains spread over much of the continent, with low relief. The Canadian Shield covers almost 5 million km of North America and
7770-433: The West Coast of the Americas. In the far northwest of North America, the Yukon drains much of the Alaskan peninsula and flows 1,980 miles (3,190 km) from parts of Yukon and the Northwest Territory to the Pacific. Draining to the Arctic Ocean of Canada, the Mackenzie River drains waters from the Arctic Great Lakes of Arctic Canada, as opposed to the Saint-Lawrence River that drains the Great Lakes of Southern Canada into
7881-443: The border into Honduras at El Amatillo near Nacaome (40 km (25 mi) from border). Just past Nacaome is a highway traveling north to Tegucigalpa , the capital of Honduras. Traveling south, it is 40 km (25 mi) to Choluteca , the fourth-largest city in Honduras. From Choluteca to the border crossing, just past San Marcos de Colón , is about 68 km (42 mi). The Pan-American Highway's total distance in Honduras
7992-421: The city of Trinidad . It is the main north–south route through Colorado with a length of 300 miles (480 km). The Interstate exits Colorado in the north about eight miles (13 km) south of Cheyenne, Wyoming . I-25 serves all the major cities in Colorado that are east of the Rocky Mountains , such as Denver, Colorado Springs , Pueblo, Fort Collins , and Greeley . For the entire distance in Colorado, from
8103-481: The colonization never became permanent and was later abandoned. The Spanish voyages of Christopher Columbus from 1492 to 1504 resulted in permanent contact with European (and subsequently, other Old World ) powers, which eventually led to the Columbian exchange and inaugurated a period of exploration , conquest, and colonization whose effects and consequences persist to the present. The Spanish presence involved
8214-549: The dates and routes traveled, are subject to ongoing research and discussion. Widespread habitation of the Americas occurred after the Late Glacial Maximum , from 16,000 to 13,000 years ago. The traditional theory has been that these early migrants moved into the Beringia land bridge between eastern Siberia and present-day Alaska around 40,000–17,000 years ago, when sea levels were significantly lowered during
8325-685: The early 1800s. Between 1811 and 1825, Paraguay , Argentina , Chile , Gran Colombia , the United Provinces of Central America , Mexico , Brazil , Peru , and Bolivia gained independence from Spain and Portugal in armed revolutions. After the Dominican Republic won independence from Haiti , it was re-annexed by Spain in 1861, but reclaimed its independence in 1865 at the conclusion of the Dominican Restoration War . The last violent episode of decolonization
8436-655: The east coast of North America from Alabama to Newfoundland . North of the Appalachians, the Arctic Cordillera runs along the eastern coast of Canada. The largest mountain ranges are the Andes and Rocky Mountains . The Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range reach similar altitudes as the Rocky Mountains , but are significantly smaller. In North America, the greatest number of fourteeners are in
8547-470: The entire length of its run in New Mexico. Immediately, three exits provide access to the city, including one for US 70 . When I-25 reaches Truth or Consequences , it is parallel to Elephant Butte Lake State Park . From Las Cruces to Santa Fe, I-25 follows the route of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro . As I-25 nears Albuquerque , it has interchanges with highways, such as US 380 , and
8658-645: The first half of the 16th century, Spanish colonists conducted raids throughout the Caribbean Basin , bringing captives from Central America, northern South America, and Florida back to Hispaniola and other Spanish settlements. France, led by Jacques Cartier and Giovanni da Verrazzano , focused primarily on North America. English explorations of the Americas were led by Giovanni Caboto and Sir Walter Raleigh . The Dutch in New Netherland confined their operations to Manhattan Island, Long Island,
8769-602: The highway is not marked. Much of the highway in Latin America is marked as Vía Panam or Vía Panamericana . The Northern Pan-American Highway travels through nine countries, including in Central America: The Southern Pan-American Highway travels through five countries: Important spurs also connect with four other South American countries: The Alaska Highway through Alaska , Yukon and British Columbia
8880-560: The highway passes near the Volcano de San Salvador. From San Salvador to Cojutepeque is about 15 km (9.3 mi); following the highway southeast to San Miguel is about 65 km (40 mi). From San Miguel to the El Salvador-Honduras border is about 30 km (19 mi). In El Salvador, the highway also passes through the cities of, Santa Tecla , Antiguo Cuscatlán , and San Martín . The highway crosses
8991-414: The highway route is known as Costa Rica Highway 1 instead of CA Highway 1. From San Jose south to Panama, the highway route is known as Costa Rica Highway 2. Americas The Americas , sometimes collectively called America , known initially as India Nova , are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America . When viewed as a single continent, the Americas or America
9102-571: The highway's most scenic views of the Rocky Mountains and its foothills. Blizzards and high winds on this stretch (particularly over Monument Hill) are notorious for causing traffic problems during the winter months. The section of I-25 that is between the northern border of Pueblo County and the New Mexico state line is named the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway" in honor of President Kennedy's support of water resources development in
9213-530: The highway. No single route in the United States (except in Alaska) has been designated, much less marked, as the U.S. portion of the Pan-American Highway. However, I-25 is labeled as the Pan-American freeway in states such as New Mexico and Colorado. According to the federal Department of Transportation, the Interstate Highway System is the United States' section of the highway. In Canada
9324-524: The independence of Panama in 1903, when work on the canal began. The concept of building a highway, rather than a railroad, emerged at the Fifth International Conference of American States in 1923, after the automobile and other vehicles had begun to replace railroads for both passenger and goods transportation. The first conference regarding construction of the highway occurred on October 5, 1925. Finally, on July 29, 1937, in
9435-525: The initial peopling of the Americas; Na Dene speakers found predominantly in North American groups at varying genetic rates with the highest frequency found among the Athabaskans at 42% derive from this second wave. Linguists and biologists have reached a similar conclusion based on analysis of Amerindian language groups and ABO blood group system distributions. Then the people of
9546-568: The irregular nature of the route. Despite this, a commemorative sign was installed in 1986 in the tourist information center off I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas . Congress attempted to honor Eisenhower's contributions to the Interstate System once more in 1990, leading to the renaming of the Interstate System as the "Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways". I-25 enters Colorado 14 miles (23 km) south of
9657-630: The latter years of the Great Depression , Argentina , Bolivia , Chile , Colombia , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Mexico , Nicaragua , Panama , Peru , Canada , and the United States signed the Convention on the Pan-American Highway , whereby they agreed to achieve speedy construction, by all adequate means. Thirteen years later, in 1950, Mexico became the first Latin American country to complete its portion of
9768-549: The length of the west coast. The flatter eastern side of the Americas is dominated by large river basins, such as the Amazon , St. Lawrence River – Great Lakes , Mississippi , and La Plata basins. Since the Americas extend 14,000 km (8,700 mi) from north to south, the climate and ecology vary widely, from the arctic tundra of Northern Canada , Greenland , and Alaska , to the tropical rainforests in Central America and South America. Humans first settled
9879-453: The main Mexican route and its spurs, as well as to key routes in Canada that link to the Alaska Highway. These include the following: Several North American routes have names that make no direct reference to the Pan-American Highway, in part because some sections follow highways that are not up to full freeway standard. The official route of the Pan-American Highway through Mexico (where it
9990-604: The mainland, while Nordostrundingen , in Greenland, is the most easterly point of the continental shelf. South America broke off from the west of the supercontinent Gondwana around 135 million years ago, forming its own continent. Around 15 million years ago, the collision of the Caribbean Plate and the Pacific Plate resulted in the emergence of a series of volcanoes along the border that created
10101-529: The nation of Haiti , where French is also spoken. Native languages are more prominent in Latin America than in Anglo-America , with Nahuatl , Quechua , Aymara , and Guaraní as the most common. Various other native languages are spoken with less frequency across both Anglo-America and Latin America. Creole languages other than Haitian Creole are also spoken in parts of Latin America. Interstate 25 Interstate 25 ( I-25 ), also known as
10212-653: The north to the south, the Rocky Mountains are clearly visible. There are also several important military and air bases and institutions along this route, such as Buckley Space Force Base , the Cheyenne Mountain Complex headquarters of NORAD , Fort Carson , Peterson Space Force Base , and the United States Air Force Academy . I-25 crosses the Palmer Divide between Denver and Colorado Springs, providing some of
10323-679: The route follows Alaska Route 2 southeast to the Canada–United States border southeast of Northway , Alaska, and adjacent to the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge . In Canada, no particular road has been officially designated as the Pan-American Highway. The National Highway System , which includes but is not limited to the Trans-Canada Highway , is the country's only official inter-provincial highway system. However, several Canadian highways are
10434-571: The second way. The second way goes to Calgary and the US border. In 1966, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration designated the entire Interstate Highway System as part of the Pan-American Highway System, but this has not been expressed in any of the official interstate signage. Of the many freeways that make up this very comprehensive system, several are notable because of their mainly north–south orientation and their links to
10545-535: The shores of Lake Managua . From Managua south to the town of Jinotepe is about 50 km (31 mi), and Jinotepe to the town of Rivas is about 70 km (43 mi). Around this area the Highway is in view of Lake Nicaragua , which is the largest lake in Central America. From Rivas to the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border is about 35 km (22 mi). In Costa Rica, the Pan-American Highway
10656-556: The southerly Dixie Alley in the North American late-winter and early spring seasons. Often parts of the Caribbean are exposed to the violent effects of hurricanes. These weather systems are formed by the collision of dry, cool air from Canada and wet, warm air from the Atlantic. With coastal mountains and interior plains, the Americas have several large river basins that drain the continents. The largest river basin in North America
10767-540: The southern cities of Puerto Montt and Quellón in Chile , and Ushuaia in Argentina . The highway was built in stages. The first, not long after one could drive across the United States on a paved road, was the highway from Laredo, Texas , to Mexico City . The second stage was the Inter-American Highway to Panama City ; previously there were no roads, and little commerce between most Central American countries. There
10878-763: The state of Chiapas where the Highway crosses the Continental Divide . From the Oaxaca-Chiapas state border, it is 160 km (99 mi) to the Chiapas state capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez . The Highway then crosses the Mexico-Guatemala border at Ciudad Cuauhtémoc . The Pan-American (or Inter-American) highway passes through the Central American countries with the highway designation of CA-1 (Central American Highway 1). Belize
10989-689: The state, I-25 shares its alignment with US 85, although the latter is unsigned. I-25 has many nicknames through the state's larger cities. In Denver , it is called the Valley Highway, as the highway parallels the course of the South Platte River throughout the downtown area and is often sunken below ground level. The section in El Paso County is named the Ronald Reagan Highway , and, through Pueblo , it
11100-473: The territories of the Americas under the colonial rule of European powers. In South America, Portugal played a significant role in the trafficking of enslaved Africans, with estimates suggesting that around 40% of all Africans forcibly brought to the Americas were taken to Brazil alone, to work primarily in sugar cane plantations, mining, and agricultural endeavors. In North America, the British Empire
11211-475: The three main demographic concepts: In accordance with these definitions, the three largest population centers in the Americas are: Mexico City , anchor to the largest metropolitan area in the Americas; New York City, anchor to the largest urban area in the Americas; and São Paulo, the largest city proper in the Americas. All three cities maintain Alpha classification and large scale influence. The population of
11322-533: The time of the first permanent European arrivals ( c. late 15th –early 16th centuries), and are known only through archeological investigations. Others were contemporary with this period, and are also known from historical accounts of the time. A few, such as the Maya, had their own written records. However, most Europeans of the time viewed such texts as pagan, and much was destroyed in Christian pyres. Only
11433-494: The villages of Fireside and Coal River , then runs east parallel to the Liard River . The Pan-American Highway continues on B.C. Highway 97 as it passes through Toad River Post , and then Summit Lake, which is nested between Stone Mountain and Mount Saint George. Further down the road, B.C. Highway 97 intersects with B.C. Highway 77; the Pan-American Highway continues along B.C. 97 east to Fort Nelson . From Fort Nelson,
11544-491: The world. The Pan-American Highway continues south to Mexico City along two separate routes; historic Mexican Federal Highway 1 and toll Mexican Federal Highway 1D via Baja California Peninsula or Mexican Federal Highway 2 via the mainland. The Pan-American Highway (as Mexico Highway 85D) enters Mexico City, but downtown Mexico City can be bypassed using Mexico Highway 136 (a divided limited-access route) and Mexico Highway 115, which reconnects to Mexico Highway 95D south of
11655-566: Was first recorded in 1507. A two-dimensional globe created by Martin Waldseemüller was the earliest recorded use of the term. The name was also used (together with the related term Amerigen ) in the Cosmographiae Introductio , apparently written by Matthias Ringmann , in reference to South America. It was applied to both North and South America by Gerardus Mercator in 1538. "America" derives from Americus ,
11766-508: Was heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade, with the establishment of colonies such as Virginia, where enslaved Africans were primarily used as labor in tobacco plantations and later in other agricultural and domestic sectors. This system perpetuated for centuries, shaping the socio-economic landscape of all nations of the hemisphere. After the Haitian Revolution led by Jean-Jacques Dessalines , which started in 1791 and
11877-497: Was no road between Costa Rica and Panama until, concerned about access to the Panama Canal in a war situation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a highway in 1941. The third stage, which has not been completed and may never be, continues onward to the southern tip of South America at Tierra del Fuego National Park , near Ushuaia, Argentina . Both Panama and Colombia, as well as environmentalists, are opposed to building
11988-625: Was subject to frequent raids by English and French pirates . On the continent, Panama City on the Pacific coast of Central America, founded on August 15, 1519, played an important role, being the base for the Spanish conquest of South America. Conquistador Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón established San Miguel de Guadalupe , the first European settlement in what is now the United States , on the Pee Dee River in South Carolina . During
12099-425: Was supposedly included in the route at one time, after it switched to driving on the right. Prior to independence, as British Honduras, it was the only Central American country to drive on the left side of the road. Upon crossing into Guatemala, Mexico Highway 190 becomes Central America Highway 1 and continues for about 80 km (50 mi) from the border village of La Mesilla to the city of Huehuetenango near
12210-647: Was the Cuban War of Independence which became the Spanish–American War , which resulted in the independence of Cuba in 1898, and the transfer of sovereignty over Puerto Rico from Spain to the United States. Peaceful decolonization began with the United States's purchase of Louisiana from France in 1803, Florida from Spain in 1819, of Alaska from Russia in 1867, and the Danish West Indies from Denmark in 1916. Canada became independent of
12321-505: Was the only successful slave revolt in history, the world's first black republic was established. It started with the massacre of the white population, between 3,000 and 5,000 white men and women of all ages were killed. Dessalines declared: — Dessalines, first president of the Republic of Haiti, 1804 The most prevalent faiths in the Americas are as follows: Other faiths include Buddhism ; Hinduism ; Sikhism ; Baháʼí Faith ;
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