North America occupies the northern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west by the North Pacific Ocean.

North America covers an area of about 24,490,000 square kilometers (9,450,000 sq mi), about 4.8 percent of the planet's surface or about 16.4% of its land area.