North America - Location North America stretches for more than 5,000 miles to within 500 miles of both the North Pole and the Equator and is plagued by geographical boundaries which hindered the spread of humans, and technologies. From the Arctic circle to the Rocky Mountains this is a continent of environmental extremes. Prone to dramatic phenomena, including earthquake, volcano, flood, drought, hurricane and tornado, life in North America can be precarious. Its only land connection is to South America, at the 50-mile wide Isthmus of Panama. Back | Next