Welcome to the New World
When people think of North America, what generally comes to mind is Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America. While these three countries certainly make up the bulk of the region, North America also includes many Caribbean and Central American countries, as well as Greenland. What all of these countries share in common is that they possess unique identities borne from their culturally complex histories. In Mexico, the majority of whose population is descended from both European and indigenous ancestry, this has led to a culture which seamlessly mixes Spanish and native traditions and influences. In the Caribbean, cross-cultural interaction has manifested itself in new languages, such as Haitian Creole, in new religions, such as Santeria, and in forms of music, such as reggae. The United States of America - whose history was shaped largely by the influence of African slaves and subsequent waves of immigration from all over the world - is the home of hybrid, yet cohesive, cultural movements that have shaped the culture of the globalized culture of today. Just think of the teeming cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and New Orleans that have created the musical and cultural movements of Jazz, Rock N Roll and Hip Hop. These cultural experiences are inseparable from the landscapes on which they have occurred. North America includes both extremes: the most populous cities in the world, and isolated Arctic expanses. The United States alone encompasses everything from brutal desert to temperate rain forest, as it stretches from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. Head out on the highway, and experience North America.
