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North
America is the third largest continent, approx. 24,346,000
sq km, usually considered to include all the lands and islands
in the western hemisphere located north of the Isthmus of
Panama (which connects it with South
America).
America
is named after the Italian merchant and navigator Amerigo
Vespucci, one of the earliest explorers of this continent.
At first, the name America implied to only the southern half,
but the designation soon was used for the entire landmass.
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