Countries of the Americas

About the Americas

The Americas span two continents — North and South America — linked by the isthmus of Central America and fringed by the islands of the Caribbean. From the Arctic tundra of Canada to the tip of Patagonia, they cover every climate zone on Earth. The Andes form the world’s longest mountain range, the Amazon carries more water than any other river, and the Amazon rainforest is the planet’s largest tropical forest.

The region’s 35 countries are home to more than a billion people. They include the world’s largest economy (the United States), the largest Portuguese-speaking nation (Brazil), the largest Spanish-speaking nation (Mexico), and a mosaic of Caribbean island states — a hemisphere shaped by indigenous civilizations, European colonization and centuries of migration from every corner of the globe.

The Americas in figures

• The largest country by area is Canada (9,984,670 km²) and the smallest is Saint Kitts and Nevis (261 km²).
• The United States, Brazil and Mexico are the most populous, together home to 66% of the people in the Americas; Saint Kitts and Nevis has the fewest inhabitants (46,992).
• The most densely populated country is Barbados, with about 657 people per km²; the most sparsely populated is Guyana (3.9 per km²).
• By GDP per person in 2024, the United States is the richest (US$86,170) and Haiti the poorest (US$2,060) — a gap of 42 to 1.
• Canada has the highest Human Development Index (0.939) and Haiti the lowest (0.554).
• 2 countries are landlocked and 13 are island nations.

Regions of the Americas

Countries.World groups the 35 countries of the Americas into 4 regions, listed here by number of countries; within each region, countries are ordered by population.