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How is North America connected to South America?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Map of North America showing international boundaries, country names, and capital cities. The map includes Canada, the United States, Mexico, Greenland, Central American countries, and Caribbean nations, with a locator inset at the bottom left for global context. Major bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea are labeled.
North America

North America and South America are connected by the Isthmus of Panama, a narrow land bridge that extends approximately 400 miles (640 km) from the border of Costa Rica to the border of Colombia.1

This isthmus has historically served as a vital land bridge for the migration of plant and animal species between the two continents. While the region provides an overland route, it is also home to the Darién Gap, a 60-mile (100-km) break in the Pan-American Highway characterized by dense marshland and tropical rainforests.21

Geographically, the isthmus separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Panama and is traversed by the Panama Canal.1