The countries of North America

Twenty-three countries, three giants and twenty small states — and one unique feature: not one of them is cut off from the sea.

Reference · 23 countries · game data, updated August 2026

“North America” is taken here in the broad sense used in French-language teaching: it includes Central America and the Caribbean, 23 countries in total. It is a convention, not a truth; Anglo-Saxon splits often separate the three sub-groups. It is stated explicitly so the list surprises nobody.

The only continent with no landlocked country

This is its most useful feature to remember: none of North America's 23 countries is cut off from the sea. Geography explains it — the Central American isthmus is narrow, the Caribbean is insular, and all three continental states touch at least one ocean. South America has two (Bolivia and Paraguay), Africa sixteen, Asia twelve, Europe fourteen.

Three giants and twenty small countries

The United States (around 340 million), Mexico (131 million) and Canada (41 million) hold the overwhelming majority of the population. The other twenty countries together add up to fewer than 100 million, and the smallest — Saint Kitts and Nevis, 47,000 people and 260 km² — are among the smallest sovereign states in the world.

Canada is the second-largest country on the planet after Russia, yet it shares a single land border: the one with the United States, the longest undefended border in the world.

The most surrounded country

Guatemala, with four neighbours: Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. It is few, and it says a lot about a continent whose borders are mostly maritime.

The complete list

Country	Capital	Population	Area (km²)	Neighbours
Antigua and Barbuda	Saint John's	93,772	440	0
Bahamas	Nassau	401,283	13,880	0
Barbados	Bridgetown	282,467	430	0
Belize	Belmopan	417,072	22,966	2
Canada	Ottawa	41,262,329	15,634,410	1
Costa Rica	San José	5,129,910	51,100	2
Cuba	Havana	10,979,783	109,880	0
Dominica	Roseau	66,205	750	0
United States	Washington, D.C.	340,003,797	9,831,510	2
Grenada	St. George's	117,207	340	0
Guatemala	Guatemala City	18,406,359	108,890	4
Haiti	Port-au-Prince	11,772,557	27,750	1
Honduras	Tegucigalpa	10,825,703	112,490	3
Jamaica	Kingston	2,839,175	10,990	0
Mexico	Mexico City	130,861,007	1,957,193.9	3
Nicaragua	Managua	6,916,140	130,370	2
Panama	Panama City	4,515,577	75,320	2
Dominican Republic	Santo Domingo	11,427,557	146,839.46	1
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Basseterre	46,843	260	0
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Kingstown	100,616	390	0
Saint Lucia	Castries	179,744	620	0
El Salvador	San Salvador	6,338,193	21,040	2
Trinidad and Tobago	Port of Spain	1,368,333	5,130	0

Frequently asked

Which countries make up North America?

In the broad sense used here: Canada, the United States, Mexico, the seven Central American countries and the thirteen Caribbean island states — 23 countries.

Are there landlocked countries in North America?

None. It is the only continent in that position — every one of its countries has access to the sea.

How many neighbours does Canada have?

One: the United States. Despite its size — the second-largest country in the world — it shares no other land border.

Can you place these 23 countries on a map?

GeoG's 3D Globe mode plays continent by continent: run North America on its own, or all 195 countries of the world.

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