North America is the third largest continent, spanning over 24 million square km between latitudes of 7-85 degrees north and longitudes of 20-179 degrees west. Its major physical features include the Canadian Shield of old rocky areas, the Eastern Highlands including the Appalachian Mountains, the vast Central Lowlands agricultural region, and the Western Cordilleras mountain range extending from Alaska to Panama. The climate varies significantly from tundra and taiga in the north to grasslands, Mediterranean, desert, and tropical rainforest zones in the south, influenced by proximity to oceans and mountain ranges. The continent's economy is based around agriculture in the central plains, dairy farming, fishing, and major industries like mining, manufacturing,