Greenland ( Kalaallit Nunaat )

3. Greenland (KalaallitNunaat) • The capital of Greenland isNuuk • Greenland is a located between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans • Greenland is technically a part of the North American continent but historically it has been more linked with European countries like Denmark and Norway • Today, Greenland is considered an independent country within the Kingdom of Denmark • By area, Greenland is distinctive in that it is the world's largest island with an area of 836,330 square miles (2,166,086 sq km). It is not however a continent • Due to its large area and small population of 57,600 people, Greenland is also the most sparsely populated country in the world) • Greenland is thought to have been inhabited since prehistoric times by various Paleo-Eskimo groups; however, specific archaeological research does shows the Inuit entering Greenland around 2500 B.C.E. • Greenland's current head of state is Denmark's queen, Margrethe II • Greenland's capital, Nuuk, is one of the world's smallest capital cities • All of Greenland's cities are built along the coast because it is the only area in the country that is ice-free • Greenland's name originated with Scandinavian settlers, particularly Erik the Red, when he was exiled from Iceland. It is believed he called the area Groenland (translated as "Greenland") to attract more settlers to the area

5. Jamaica • Jamaica gained full independence from the UK on August 6, 1962 • Jamaica is slightly smaller than Connecticut • The languages spoken in Jamaica are English and patois English • The capital of Jamaica is Kingston • The currency of Jamaica is the Jamaican dollar (JMD)

7. Mexico • Mexico is the site of advanced Amerindian civilizations • Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence on September 16, 1810 • The languages spoken in Mexico are Spanish and various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages • The conventional long form of Mexico is the United Mexican States or EstadosUnidosMexicanos • The capital of Mexico is Mexico, also called Mexico City. In Spanish it is called Distrito Federal • The currency of Mexico is the Mexican peso (MXN)

9. United States of America • The United States is divided into 50 states • Although English is the most commonly spoken language used in the U.S. and is the language used in government, the country has no official language • The tallest mountain in the world is located in the United States, Mauna Kea, located in Hawaii. It is only 13,796 feet (4,205 m) in altitude above sea level, however, when measured from the seafloor it is over 32,000 feet (10,000 meters) high, making it taller than Mount Everest (Earth's tallest mountain above sea level at 29,028 feet or 8,848 meters) • The deepest lake in the U.S. is Crater Lake, located in Oregon. At 1,932 feet (589 m) it is the world's seventh deepest lake. Crater Lake was formed via snowmelt and precipitation that gathered in a crater created when an ancient volcano, Mount Mazama, erupted about 8,000 years ago. • The capital of the United States of America is Washington D.C. • The United States of America is the third largest country in the world based on population and land area

11. Alaska (U.S.) • Alaska belongs to the United States of America • Alaska is 2 times the size of Texas • There are 29 volcanoes in Alaska • Alaska has over ½ of the world’s Glaciers • Alaska was purchased from Russian in 1867 for under 2 cents an acre • Alaska’s state motto is North to the future • Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America as 20,320 feet, is located in Alaska

13. Hawaii (U.S.) • The state of Hawaii belongs to the United States of America • The state of Hawaii consists of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii  • There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: Vowels: A, E, I, O, U and Consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W • From east to west Hawaii is the widest state in the United States  • The Hawaiian Islands are the projecting tops of the biggest mountain range in the world  • Under-sea volcanoes that erupted thousands of years ago formed the islands of Hawaii. • Hawaii was the 50th state admitted to the union on August 20th, 1959  • Hawaii has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time) • There is no daylight savings time • There are four counties in Hawaii (Kauai; city and county of Honolulu; Maui; and Hawaii)

15. Puerto Rico (U.S.) • Puerto Rico belongs to the United States of America • The capital of Puerto Rico is San Juan • Taíno Indians who inhabited the territory, called the island Boriken or Borinquen which means: "the great land of the valiant and noble Lord" or "land of the great lords" • On November 19, 1493 Christopher Columbus discovered the island in his second voyage to the New World • Originally the newcomers called the island San Juan Bautista, for St. John the Baptist and the town Puerto Rico because of its obvious excellent potentialities. The names were switched at a later time

17. Canada • The capital of Canada is Ottawa, which is located in Ontario (a state of Canada) • Canada is the world’s second largest country • The entire population of Canada is slightly less than that of the state of California • Canada’s largest cities are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Calgary • The first people to live in Canada were the Inuit and First Nation Peoples • The first Europeans to reach the country were likely the Vikings and it is believed that Norse explorer Leif Eriksson led them to the coast of Labrador or Nova Scotia in 1000 C.E. • European settlement did not begin in Canada until the 1500s. • In 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier discovered the St. Lawrence River while searching for fur and shortly thereafter, he claimed Canada for France. • The French began to settle there in 1541 but an official settlement was not established until 1604. That settlement, called Port Royal, was located in what is now Nova Scotia. • In addition to the French, the English also began exploring Canada for its fur and fish trade and in 1670 established the Hudson's Bay Company. • The country of Canada was officially established in 1867. It was comprised of Upper Canada (the area that became Ontario), Lower Canada (the area that became Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. • The official languages of Canada are French and English • Nearly 99% of Canadians live within 99 miles of the U.S. border (because of the harsh weather and the expense of building on permafrost in the north) • The Trans-Canada Highway is the longest highway in the world at 4,725 miles (7,604 km)

19. The Bahamas • The Bahamas was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 • When Christopher Columbus discovered the island, it was inhabited by the Arawak Indians • The Bahamas attained independence from the UK in 1973 • The island is slightly smaller than Connecticut • English is the official language of the Bahamas • Creole is spoken on the Bahamas among the Haitian immigrants • The Capital of the Bahamas is Nassau • The Bahamas achieved independence from the UK on July 10, 1973 • The currency of the Bahamas is the Bahamian dollar (BSD)