America

America is the second largest continent in the world after Asia, and can claim to have the richest and most diverse flora and fauna on the planet.

Fauna

On the plains of North America live bison, moles and coyotes, while the woods are home to bears, wolves, lynx, moose, deer, elk and beavers. In the Arctic area there are seals, walruses and polar bears. In South America the fauna is very rich, especially in terms of birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians.  In the Amazonian basin, which has the richest fauna in the American continent, it is possible to find platyrrhini apes (new world monkeys) toucans, alligators, piranha fish and catfish, amongst other unique animals.  On the savannah and in the tropical jungle two large herbivores live: the puma and the jaguar.  In addition, the lama, alpaca and the condor bird are symbols of the Andes.

Flora

In North America we can find woods of oak, beech, chestnut, lime, birch and holm oak trees, amongst others, as well as tundra (mosses and lichen) and prairies in the coldest areas.  Tropical or sub-tropical forest and savannah extend throughout Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and part of Florida and Mexico.  South America is covered either by equatorial jungle or tropical moist forests, which are especially dense and diverse throughout the whole of the Amazonian basin.  The Andes regions have a high mountain landscape, with vast expanses of green prairies.  The desert extends throughout some regions of the United States and Chile.  Pampas can be found in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina and steppes in Patagonia.  Shrubs, cacti and all types of vegetation with thorns can be found in these landscapes.

Climate

Due to length, extending from the north to the south of the planet, almost all the world’s climates can be found there.  Generally South America enjoys tropical and equatorial climates, while North America has a continental climate, with very cold winters and very hot summers.

California and Chile’s central valley are exceptions, where the climate is typically Mediterranean, while the coldest areas in the south of the continent are the Andes mountain range and Patagonia.  The extreme north of America has a polar climate.