Key Difference: North America and South America are two continents. Both North America and South America are located in the Western Hemisphere, i.e. west of the prime meridian. However, North America is in the Northern Hemisphere, i.e. north of the equator, while South America is in the Southern South America, i.e. south of the equator. Together, North America and South America are often referred to as the Americas.

The world is divided into approximately 70% water and 30% land mass. Of this 30% land mass, the land is further divided into seven continents. Conventionally, "continents are understood to be large, continuous, discrete masses of land, ideally separated by expanses of water." North America and South America are two such continents. From largest in size to smallest, the seven continents in the world are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.

North America is the third largest continent in the world according to area, while South America comes in fourth. It has an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), which amounts to 4.8% of the planet's surface or about 16.5% of its land area. South America, on the other hand, has an area of 17,840,000 square kilometers (6,890,000 sq mi).

In terms of population, North America is the fourth largest continent after Asia, Africa, and Europe. It has a population of approximately, 529 million people, which are divided into 23 independent countries. Whereas, South America is the fifth largest in population, with a population of approximately 371 million people residing in 12 countries.

Both North America and South America are located in the Western Hemisphere, i.e. west of the prime meridian. However, North America is in the Northern Hemisphere, i.e. north of the equator, while South America is in the Southern South America, i.e. south of the equator. Together, North America and South America are often referred to as the Americas. Other times, the Americas are divided into three: North America, Central America, and South America.

While the discovery of America is credited to Christopher Columbus, the truth is that people were living there since as far back as the Ice Age, which was approximately around 18,000 BC. These people were known as Paleo-Indians (Paleoindians) or Paleoamericans. They came over a land and ice bridge called Beringia, which was situated over the Bering Strait from Asia (Eurasia) into North America.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus left Spain in search of a faster route to India, however, instead on 12 October 1492, Columbus landed in The Bahamas, which he thought to be West Indies. Columbus’s discovery launched an Age of Exploration, where every European power wanted a piece of the New World. The Europeans brought with themselves new types of food, animals, improved technology and European diseases, which are credited for the reduction of most of the indigenous population. The rest were conquered in the name of colonization. The colonization of the New World, led to the decline of the civilizations that existed and were thriving in the region. These included the Aztecs, Mayans, Incas, etc.

Depending on who colonized what area, the regions also differ culturally. North America is predominantly influenced by Britain, as majority of the North America, mainly USA and Canada, were colonized by Great Britain. Whereas, Mexico, parts of Central America, and majority of South America were under the rule of Spain, and hence are mainly influenced by them.

Comparison between North America and South America:

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