歷史

美洲對美洲原住民印第安人來說并不是新大陸，他們早在一萬八千年前就已經(jīng)到達美洲大陸，大約是在一萬八千年前從亞洲渡過白令海峽到達美洲的，或者是通過冰封的海峽陸橋過去的。

克里斯托弗·哥倫布到達美洲只是對西方世界影響很大，印第安人和西方人都是人類，因此是印第安人最早發(fā)現(xiàn)新大陸，只是他們的發(fā)現(xiàn)的影響不大而已。不管是哥倫布還是其他西方人登上的美洲大陸，都不是“首先發(fā)現(xiàn)”，在他們來之前這里已經(jīng)有幾千萬的居民。

2006年1月16日，北京和倫敦的格林威治國家海事博物館同時展出一張1763年繪制的附注有永樂16年（1418年）的中國航海地圖。該中國航海地圖有詳細的航海區(qū)域，以及繪畫美洲、歐洲、非洲的輪廓。除此以外，該圖更附有對美洲原住民（膚色黑紅、頭和腰戴羽毛），以及澳大利亞土著（膚色黝黑、赤身、腰部戴有骨制品）的描述。

20世紀60年代，考古學(xué)家在加拿大的紐芬蘭島和新英格蘭發(fā)現(xiàn)了他們的定居點遺跡。在維京人的英雄傳說中，記載著一位叫埃利克森的水手曾經(jīng)在公元1000年左右從格陵蘭島航行到北美的東海岸。大約在11世紀時，一些普通的北歐商人和農(nóng)人，曾乘坐圓形單桅船只在紐芬蘭北部某地登陸，并在那里建立了一個殖民地，但由于當?shù)赜〉诎踩说臄骋馀c北部海水的威脅，僅在兩三年后就被迫放棄回國。

美洲地區(qū)擁有大約9億居民，占到了人類總數(shù)的13.5%。對于印歐文明來說，美洲最初并不為所知，后被航海家哥倫布于1492年到達，并誤認為是印度，以致稱當?shù)厝藶橛〉诎踩肆鱾髦两?。后以意大利探險家阿美利哥·維斯普西的名字命名并沿用至今。最先是西班牙和葡萄牙向美洲移民，后來荷蘭、英國、法國也向那里移民。1776年，美洲誕生第一個西方殖民獨立國家——美國。

名字由來

美洲的命名，普遍的說法是為紀念意大利的一位名叫阿美利哥·維斯普西（Amerigo

Vespucci）的著名航海家，意大利的商人和制圖師，探索了南美洲的東海岸和加勒比海地區(qū)，他最早意識到哥倫布發(fā)現(xiàn)的“印度”是一塊新的大陸并繪制了新大陸的地圖。他的名字用拉丁文寫就是：Americus Vespucius。因為其他大陸用的名字都是女性化的拉丁語。所以，Americus就變成了女性化的拉丁語：America。

1499年。亞美利哥隨同葡萄牙人奧赫達率領(lǐng)的船隊從海上駛往印度，他們沿著哥倫布所走過的航路向前航行，克服重重困難終于到達美洲大陸。亞美利哥對南美洲東北部沿岸作了詳細考察，并編制了最新地圖。1507年，他的《海上旅行故事集》一書問世，引起了全世界的轟動。在這本書中，引人入勝地敘述了“發(fā)現(xiàn)”新大陸的經(jīng)過，并對大陸進行了繪聲繪色的描述和渲染。亞美利哥向世界宣布了新大陸的概念，一下子沖垮了中世紀西方地理學(xué)的絕對權(quán)威普多列米制定的地球結(jié)構(gòu)體系。于是，法國幾個學(xué)者便修改和補充了普多列米的名著《宇宙學(xué)》，并以亞美利哥的名字為新大陸命名，以表彰他對人類認識世界所做的杰出貢獻。新《宇宙學(xué)》一書出版后，根據(jù)書中的材料，在地圖上也加上了新大陸——亞美利哥洲。后來，依照其他大洲的名稱構(gòu)詞形式，“亞美利哥”又改成“亞美利加”。起初，這一名字僅指南美洲，到1541年麥卡托的地圖上，北美洲也算美洲的一部分了。

英國考察家們提出了一個新的假說。受雇于英國的熱那亞航海家約翰·卡伯特，即約萬尼·卡伯托（約1455-1499）登上美洲大陸的時間，可能還在傳說最早發(fā)現(xiàn)美洲的哥倫布之前。

1497年5月的一個早晨，約翰·卡伯特和他的兒子謝巴斯吉揚（約1475-1557），率船員20名，乘坐自家的50噸位海船“麥吉尤”號，從英國布里斯托爾港出發(fā)，駛向大西洋。他們駛過亞速爾群島后，便掉轉(zhuǎn)船頭，讓右舷對準北極星，一直向西航行。五個星期之后，旅行家們看到了北美洲海岸。7月24日，即約翰洗禮日那天，他們登上了紐芬蘭島。“紐芬蘭”的英語意思就是“新發(fā)現(xiàn)的陸地”。海員們遵照英國國王亨利七世的旨意，把英國國旗插在這塊他們新發(fā)現(xiàn)的陸地上?？ú胤岛交氐讲祭锼雇袪柛邸Ｓ鴩鯙楸碚盟l(fā)現(xiàn)新大陸的業(yè)績，賞賜給他按年領(lǐng)取的保險年金二十英鎊。

歷史學(xué)家們還查明，卡伯特旅行的經(jīng)費是布里斯托爾商人提供的。在保存下來的文件中，有一份寫著“卡伯特旅行的最大捐款人”。付款憑據(jù)是1897年在維斯特明斯杰爾天主教修道院發(fā)現(xiàn)的。這份古老的文件是以交付捐款的布里斯托爾商人、老海關(guān)職員的名字開關(guān)的。這個名字就是理查德·亞美利克（Richard Americ）。而且，印章上蓋有“AMERIC ” 字樣。很可能，卡伯特想要感激裝備他的探險隊的資助人，便決定用其名——亞美利克命名了這塊新發(fā)現(xiàn)的大陸。

經(jīng)濟

北美洲

北美洲的經(jīng)濟發(fā)展很不平衡。除美國和加拿大是發(fā)達國家以外，其他大部分（除古巴外）是資本主義性質(zhì)的發(fā)展中國家（他這么說我就這么說）。

工業(yè)：美國和加拿大是經(jīng)濟發(fā)達的國家，工業(yè)基礎(chǔ)雄厚、生產(chǎn)能力巨大、科學(xué)技術(shù)先進。農(nóng)、林、牧、漁業(yè)也極為發(fā)達。北美洲其他國家除墨西哥有一些工業(yè)基礎(chǔ)外，多為單一經(jīng)濟國家。北美洲采礦業(yè)規(guī)模較大，主要開采煤、原油、天然氣、鐵、銅、鉛、鋅、鎳、硫磺等，而錫、錳、鉻、鈷、鋁土礦、金剛石、硝石、銻、鉭、鈮以及天然橡膠等重要的戰(zhàn)略原料幾乎全部或大部靠進口。主要工業(yè)品產(chǎn)量在世界總產(chǎn)量中的比重為：生鐵、鋼、銅、鋅等均占20%左右，鋁占40%以上，汽車約占37%。

農(nóng)業(yè)：北美洲農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)專門化、商品化和機械化程度都很高。中部平原是世界著名的農(nóng)業(yè)區(qū)之一，農(nóng)作物以玉米、小麥、水稻、棉花、大豆、煙草為主，其大豆、玉米和小麥產(chǎn)量在世界農(nóng)業(yè)中占重要地位。中美洲、西印度群島諸國和地區(qū)主要生產(chǎn)甘蔗、香蕉、咖啡、可可等熱帶作物。

交通：北美洲鐵路總長420000多千米。內(nèi)河通航里程約55000多千米。公路四通八達。美國東北部是交通最發(fā)達的地區(qū)，其次是美國中部、東南部、西部沿海地區(qū)；加拿大東南部；墨西哥東部，以公路和鐵路運輸為主。古巴的糖廠鐵路專用線較發(fā)達。加拿大中部地區(qū)的夏季河運、冬季雪橇運輸也很重要。北部沿海地區(qū)以雪橇運輸為主。

南美洲

第二次世界大戰(zhàn)后，南美洲經(jīng)濟發(fā)展很快，經(jīng)濟結(jié)構(gòu)發(fā)生顯著變化。但各國經(jīng)濟水平和經(jīng)濟實力相距甚遠。巴西、阿根廷已建立了比較完備的國民經(jīng)濟體系，兩國國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值約占全洲2/3。此外，委內(nèi)瑞拉、哥倫比亞、智利、秘魯經(jīng)濟也較發(fā)達。

工礦業(yè)：工業(yè)以采礦業(yè)和制造業(yè)最為重要。采礦業(yè)是南美各國的基礎(chǔ)部門，大部分礦產(chǎn)供出口，委內(nèi)瑞拉、阿根廷、厄瓜多爾、秘魯?shù)葒氖?；巴西、委?nèi)瑞拉、智利的鐵；玻利維亞的錫、銻；智利、秘魯?shù)你~；圭亞那、蘇里南的鋁土；秘魯?shù)你U、鋅、銀、鉍；智利的硝石、鉬；巴西的鈮的產(chǎn)量或出口量在世界占據(jù)重要地位。輕工業(yè)為南美多數(shù)國家制造業(yè)的主體，肉類加工、制糖、飲料、皮革、紡織、服裝等部門較發(fā)達。鋼鐵、汽車、化工、橡膠、電器、機械等重工業(yè)集中在巴西、阿根廷、委內(nèi)瑞拉、智利、秘魯、哥倫比亞等國家。

農(nóng)業(yè)：農(nóng)業(yè)在南美各國經(jīng)濟中具有重要意義。種植業(yè)中經(jīng)濟作物占據(jù)絕對優(yōu)勢。南美洲是可可、向日葵、菠蘿、馬鈴薯、木薯、巴西橡膠樹、煙草、金雞納樹、玉米、番茄、巴拉圭茶、辣椒等栽培植物的原產(chǎn)地。甘蔗、香蕉、咖啡分別占世界總產(chǎn)量的20%-35%，其中巴西的咖啡和香蕉產(chǎn)量均居世界第一位；可可、柑橘均占世界總產(chǎn)量的25%左右，其中巴西的可可產(chǎn)量居世界第三位；劍麻產(chǎn)量居各洲第二位，主要產(chǎn)在巴西；巴西木薯產(chǎn)量居世界第一位。南美洲向世界提供所需咖啡、香蕉、蔗糖的絕大部分及大量的棉花、可可、劍麻等。東南部阿根廷等國則大量出口肉類和糧食。牛、羊的總頭數(shù)在世界上占重要地位。沿海盛產(chǎn)鳀魚、沙丁魚、鰻魚、鱸魚、金槍魚等，秘魯和智利為世界著名漁業(yè)國。南美洲大部分國家中多數(shù)人從事農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)，但糧食生產(chǎn)仍不足自給，大多數(shù)國家需進口糧食。有點像中國。

history

America was not a new continent for theNative American Indians. They had arrived eighteen thousand years earlier,crossing the Bering Strait from Asia about eighteen thousand years ago, orcrossing the ice-bound Strait land bridge.

Christopher Columbus's arrival in Americaonly had a great impact on the Western world. Indians and Westerners are bothhuman beings, so it was the Indians who first discovered the New World, buttheir discovery had little impact. Neither Columbus nor any other Westerner was"the first to discover" America. Before they arrived, there werealready tens of millions of inhabitants.

On January 16, 2006, both the NationalMaritime Museum in Greenwich, London, and Beijing, a 1763 map of the Chinesesea, annotated with the 16th year of Yongle (1418), were on display. TheChinese navigation map has detailed navigation areas, as well as drawing theOutlines of America, Europe, and Africa. In addition, there are depictions ofNative Americans (with black and red skin, feathers on the head and waist) andAustralian Aborigines (with dark skin, nakedness, and bone objects on thewaist).

In the 1960s, archaeologists discovered theremains of their settlements on the Canadian island of Newfoundland and in NewEngland. In Viking legend, a sailor named Elixen sailed from Greenland to theeast coast of North America around the year 1000. Around the 11th century, someordinary northern European traders and farmers landed in smasts somewhere innorthern Newfoundland. They established a colony there, but were forced toreturn home after only two or three years because of the hostility of the NativeAmericans and the threat of the northern waters.

The Americas are home to about 900 millionpeople, or 13.5 percent of the human population. To THE Indo-EuropeanCIVILIZATION, America was not known at first, but the navigator Columbusarrived in 1492 and mistook it for India, so that the native people are stillcalled Indians. It was named after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci and isstill used today. The first immigrants came from Spain and Portugal, and laterfrom Holland, England, and France. In 1776, the first Western colonialindependent country was born in America -- the United States.

Name origin

The naming of the americas, common sayingis in memory of a man named Italy may Jericho, weiss's west (Amerigo Vespucci)famous navigator, Italian merchants and cartographer, explored the east coastof South America and the Caribbean, he realized that the earliest Columbusdiscovered "India" is a new continent and made maps of the new world.His name was written in Latin: Americus Vespucius. Because the names used byother continents are feminine Latin. So Americus became the feminine Latinword: America.

In 1499. Amerigo sailed from the sea toIndia with a fleet led by Ojeda, a Portuguese. They followed the route taken byColumbus and overcame many difficulties to reach the American continent.Amerigo made a detailed survey of the northeast coast of South America andprepared an updated map. In 1507, his book "Tales of Sea Travel" waspublished, which caused a sensation around the world. In this book, the"discovery" of the new world is engagingly recounted, and thecontinent is vividly described and rendered. Amerigo announced to the world theconcept of the new world, suddenly broke down the medieval Western geography ofthe absolute authority of the earth structure system formulated by Pudolemy.Therefore, several French scholars revised and supplemented Pudolemy's famousbook Cosmology, and named the new Continent after Amerigo, in recognition ofhis outstanding contribution to human understanding of the world. When the newbook Cosmology was published, the new World, America, was added to the mapbased on the material in the book. Later, according to the name of othercontinents, "America" was changed to "America". At first,the name referred only to South America. By 1541, Mercator's map included NorthAmerica as part of America.

British researchers have come up with a newhypothesis. John Cabot, the Genoese navigator employed by England, known asJovani Cabot (c. 1455-1499), probably arrived in America before Columbus, whois said to have first discovered America.

One morning in May 1497, John Cabot and hisson, Sheba Kiyan (c. 1475-1557), with a crew of 20, set out from Bristol,England, for the Atlantic Ocean on their 50-ton ship, the McGee. When they hadpassed the Azores, they turned to starboard and kept on heading west. Afterfive weeks, the travelers saw the coast of North America. On July 24, John'schristening day, they landed in Newfoundland. Newfoundland means "newlydiscovered land" in English. In accordance with the orders of King HenryVII of England, the sailors planted the Union Jack on their newly discoveredland. Cabot sailed back to Bristol harbour. The King of England awarded him anannuity of twenty pounds a year in recognition of his discovery of the NewWorld.

Historians have also established thatCabot's travels were financed by Bristol merchants. Among the documents thathave survived is one that lists "the largest contributor to Cabot'strip." The payment voucher was found in 1897 at the Catholic monastery ofWestminsgel. The old document was opened and closed in the name of the Bristolmerchant and old customs clerk who delivered the donation. The name was RichardAmeric. Also, the seal was stamped with the word AMERIC. It is likely thatCabot wanted to thank the benefactor who equipped his expedition and decided toname the newly discovered continent after it, Americ.

economic

In North America

The economic development of North Americais very uneven. With the exception of the United States and Canada, which aredeveloped countries, most of the rest (except Cuba) are capitalist developingcountries (he said so and I said so).

Industry: The United States and Canada areeconomically developed countries with strong industrial foundation, hugeproduction capacity and advanced science and technology. Agriculture, forestry,animal husbandry, fishery is also extremely developed. With the exception ofMexico, which has some industrial base, most of the other countries in NorthAmerica have a single economy. North America has a large mining industry,mainly mining coal, crude oil, natural gas, iron, copper, lead, zinc, nickel,sulfur and so on, while tin, manganese, chromium, cobalt, bauxite, diamond,saltpetre, antimony, tantalum, niobium and natural rubber and other importantstrategic raw materials almost all or most of them are imported. The proportionof major industrial products in the world's total output is: pig iron, steel,copper and zinc all account for about 20 percent; aluminum accounts for morethan 40 percent; and automobiles account for about 37 percent.

Agriculture: Agricultural production in

North America is highly specialized, commercialized and mechanized. The Central

Plain is one of the famous agricultural areas in the world. The crops are

mainly corn, wheat, rice, cotton, soybean and tobacco. The yield of soybean,

corn and wheat China。