Alaska The largest state in the USA, separated from the other states by Canada.

Antilles A group of islands that form the greater part of the Caribbean Islands. The Greater Antilles, to the north and west, include the larger islands of Cuba and Jamaica. The Lesser Antilles to the south and east consist of smaller islands such as Grenada and Barbados.

Appalachian Mountains A mountain range in eastern North America, running 2500 kilometres (1500 miles) from New England to Alabama, USA. Its highest peak, Mount Mitchell, is 2037 metres (6684 feet) high.

Aztecs A people that dominated central Mexico from 1200 to 1521. Their empire was based around the city of Tenochtitlán, where Mexico City stands today.

Baja California A long peninsula in northwest Mexico, separated from mainland Mexico by the Gulf of California.

Belize Barrier Reef A string of coral reefs along the coast of Belize. It is the second largest barrier reef in the world.

California The third largest state in the USA by area. Located on the west coast, it has a warm, sunny climate. It lies on the San Andreas Fault, the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates.

Caribbean Sea Part of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Central and South America and the Antilles islands. The warm waters of the Caribbean are full of wildlife.

Central America The countries that make up Central America form a link between the two continents of North and South America. To the north lies Mexico. Central America has a tropical climate, and rainforest covers much of the uplands. Spanish is the main language of the region today.

Central Mexican Plateau A large area of high, flat land in northern and central Mexico. It is mostly covered by desert.

Chicago A large city on the banks of Lake Michigan, USA. Chicago has some of the USA's oldest and tallest skyscrapers.

Chichén Itzá A ruined ancient city on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, founded in around AD 500 by the Maya civilization. It is famous for its stepped temple pyramids.

CN tower A 553-metre (1814-feet) tower in Toronto, Canada. It is a TV transmitter and tourist attraction, with two observation decks.

Death Valley A deep desert valley in California, USA. It is the lowest, hottest and driest point in the country.

Denali (McKinley, Mount) The highest mountain in North America, located in the US state of Alaska. It is 6194 metres (20,321 feet) high.

Dutch Caribbean Caribbean islands under Dutch rule. They consist of two groups: the "ABC" Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao (located just off the Venezuelan coast) and the "SSS" islands of Sint Maarten (part of the island of St Martin, shared with the French), Saba and Sint Eustatius (in the Leeward Islands).

Eastern Seaboard The states along the eastern coast of the USA. It is the part of the country that was first settled by Europeans in the 16th century.

Everglades A large area of wetlands in southern Florida, USA. It is a haven for rare animals such as alligators and wading birds.

Golden Gate Bridge A long suspension bridge that crosses the entrance to the San Francisco Bay, California, USA.

Grand Canyon A deep gorge in Arizona, USA, carved out by the flow of the Colorado River. At its deepest, the Grand Canyon is 1820 metres (5970 feet) deep.

Great Lakes Five large lakes formed from the meltwater of the ice cap at the end of the last Ice Age. Lake Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario all lie on the USA–Canada border. Lake Michigan is entirely within the USA.

Great Plains A large expanse of flat grasslands between the Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains in the USA and Canada.

Guatemala City The capital of Guatemala, and the largest city in Central America. It has a population of around 1.2 million.

Gulf of Mexico Part of the Atlantic Ocean, almost completely enclosed by the United States, Mexico and the island of Cuba.

Hawaii A state in the USA, consisting of 132 islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Inuit The native people of the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland and Alaska. Other Arctic peoples are the Yupik and Aleut.

Los Angeles (LA) The largest city in California, USA, with an urban population of 12.2 million. It is the home of Hollywood, the centre of the film industry in the USA.

Maya A civilization that flourished around the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, from the 3rd century to the 10th century AD. The Maya built cities with stepped temple pyramids.

Mestizos People with both Spanish and Native American ancestors. Many people in Mexico and Central America are mestizos.

Mexico City The capital of Mexico, and one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of 22.5 million. Located at about 2200 metres (7200 feet) above sea level, it is rimmed by mountains to the south and east.

Mississippi The second-longest river in the USA, flowing 3730 kilometres (2320 miles) from from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

Missouri The longest river in the USA, flowing 3767 kilometres (2341 miles) from its source in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana to where it meets the Mississippi River north of St Louis, Missouri.

Native Americans The people that lived in North America thousands of years before Europeans arrived in the 16th century. Native American peoples include the Apache, Cherokee, Chippewa, Navajo, Pueblo and Sioux.

New England A region on the northeast coast of the USA. It was the site of one of the earliest English settlements in North America.

New Orleans A city in Louisiana, USA, near the mouth of the Mississippi River. It is is known for its festivals and music, especially jazz.

New York City The largest city in the USA, with a population of 19.4 million. Its skyline is dominated by skyscrapers.

Niagara Falls Two waterfalls formed where the Niagara River plunges 50 metres (165 feet) over a cliff. The Horseshoe Falls lie on the Canadian bank; the American Falls on the US bank. In the past, some daredevils have gone over the falls in barrels.

Nicaragua, Lake The largest lake in Central America. It is the only freshwater lake in the world to contain oceanic wildlife, such as sharks and swordfish.

North America The continent of North America stretches from the Arctic islands of Greenland and northern Canada to the hot, tropical forests of Central America. Canada and the USA take up around three-quarters of the continent. Before the first settlers arrived from Europe in the 16th century, Native Americans were the only inhabitants of Canada and the USA. Today, most people in North America have ancestors from all parts of the world.

Ottawa The capital of Canada, situated on the Ottawa River in Ontario.

Panama Canal A man-made channel linking the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The 77-kilometre (48-mile) canal was opened in 1915 and has six locks.

Panama, Isthmus of A narrow strip of land joining the continents of North and South America and dividing the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Pyramid of the Sun A huge pyramid built 2000 years ago in what is now central Mexico by the Teotihuacán civilization.

Québec The only predominantly French-speaking province of Canada.

Rio Grande A river that flows 3051 kilometres (1896 miles) from Colorado in the USA to the Gulf of Mexico. For much of its length, the Rio Grande forms the border between the USA and Mexico.

Rocky Mountains A mountain range stretching 4830 kilometres (3015 miles) from northern Canada to the USA–Mexico border. Its highest peak, Mount Elbert, is 4401 metres (14,440 feet) high.

St Lawrence A river that flows from Lake Ontario northeastwards about 1200 km (744 miles) to meet the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of St Lawrence. It forms part of the St Lawrence Seaway, a system of canals, locks and channels that links all the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Seattle The largest city in the northwest USA, with an urban population of 3.5 million.

Sierra Madre Two mountain ranges—the Occidental to the west and the Oriental to the east—that bound the Central Mexican Plateau. Their highest peak, Cerro San Rafael, is about 3700 metres (12,100 feet) high.

Sierra Nevada A mountain range in eastern California, USA. Its highest point, Mount Whitney, is 4421 metres (14,505 feet) high.

Superior, Lake The largest lake in North America and the deepest of the Great Lakes.

Tikal An ancient city in Guatemala, which was once a centre of the Maya civilization. It contains five stepped pyramid temples as well as several large palaces.

Toronto The largest city in Canada, with a population of 2.8 million. It is built on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario.

US Capitol The meeting place of Congress, the legislative (law-making) branch of the US government. It is a domed building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. The capital city of the USA and the home of the US government. Washington is not a part of any US state.

West Indies A group of island nations around the eastern Caribbean Sea, so-called because European explorers originally thought they were part of Asia. The West Indies include the Lesser and Greater Antilles and the Bahamas.

Yucatán Peninsula A wide peninsula in southeastern Mexico, separating the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.

Consultant: Lloyd Jenkins