Can anyone explain why México is considered (by many, at least) to be part of North America? Geographically I can maybe understand, but culturally and linguistically - uh uh. So what gives?
Why is it at all difficult to understand why it is geographically part of North America? And why would culture and linquistics matter?
Continents are not cultural or linguistic constructs. If they were, Finland would sure as hell not be considered European.
If you don’t consider Mexico to be part of North America, then the parts of the USA that used to be Mexican would give you problems. Why would parts of New Mexico be considered North American, but not Mexico?
Why is Mexico culturally and linguistically distinct from the other North American states?
If you’re looking at things linguistically, then which continent is Quebec in? Except for maybe Australia, no continent is monolingual.
Why is your abdomen considered part of your trunk, rather than part of your legs? Because it’s above your waist.
Basically, the only thing about the traditional (in English-speaking countries) continents that ISN’T obvious to a three-year-old* looking at a globe is the division of Eurasia into Europe and Asia. In that one case, human geography trumped physical geography. Europeans just couldn’t fathom being on the same landmass as Asians.
*I mean this in all seriousness – I tested my three-year-old son just a week ago.
Perhaps–just trying to make sense of the OP–the question is more why isn’t Mexico considered “Central America”? At least that would somewhat explain how Mexico is “maybe” geographically North America, because the OP is dividing the continents into North America, Central America, and South America, where the Central American subcontinent is distinct from North and South America.
Hell, “culturally and linguistically” Mexico is descended from Spain, while the USA is descended from Britain, and Canada is descended from Britain and France. Do you know what Spain, Britain, and France all have in common? They are all part of the same continent!
If Mexico not part of N.A. because of cultural and linguistic differences, then “Europe” must be a hundred different continents.
That would explain why he’s not also asking why Central America is part of North America.
Well, that’s the only thing that makes sense, isn’t it? Surely, he’s not saying Mexico be considered part of South America, right? Or maybe he is. We’ll have to wait and see.
North America and South America are two parts of the same continent joined by an isthmus known as “Central America.”
Ignoring political boundaries, where would anyone sensibly place the dividing line between North America and South America?
Somewhere in the middle of the isthmus? At what is more or less the northern border of Mexico? Where the isthmus connects to South America? What makes the most sense?
A very large part of the good ole USA used to be Mexico! And many people in the United states speak Spanish as there primary language. There is no “official” language for the United States nor is there any one culture. We are a melting pot, a mongrel nation.
I guess it’s not so totally odd a question because according to Wikipedia some have considered the dividing line to be in Mexico:
(bolding mine)
Also at one point Colombia, before we decided to separate Panama from it, was considered to cross the dividing line. Still, the southern border of Panama makes a lot of sense right now as long as we consider there to be two American continents.
“North America” is, fundamentally, a geographic descriptor. Therefore, the geography of the places involved is the only relevant fact.
Maybe in Darien (the lower part of Panama, and the little bit of Colombia that is on the isthmus). Not only is it the narrowest part (or near as dammit), but it is virtually impassable over land.
I do not mean to disagree with the consensus that Mexico is firmly part of North America, but you can’t draw the line on this basis. Culture and language are very much within the purview of the discipline of geography.
I won’t disagree with this in general, but how does it apply in this case? The same language and culture crosses the border with Mexico, which hasn’t been consistent over time. Although north of Mexico the majority of people speak English this is something that occured in recent history.
Huh. I thought SMART people were supposed to come to the SDMB. Just as some of you claim to not understand why I’m posing this question, I really fail to understand why México really being more a part of Central America than of North America is such a difficult concept for some of you to “get.” As far as I’m concerned anybody who says that México is part of North America is just going by convention and not really thinking it through very much. México is part of CENTRAL America - now THAT’s a statement that I can believe in!
Because no SMART people ever considered CENTRAL America to even be a continent? Nor did they ever type in all CAPs to make a point. Central America is region. The North and South American continents are actually one and only called by separately due to the hemispheres they reside in. Makes for less confusion.
What you believe in is irrelevant, unnecessary and most likely wrong. As a concept of geography, Mexico is quite firmly part of North America, no matter what you believe.
Well, South America is partly in the northern hemisphere. The entire land mass is, from north to south, “fat bit, skinny bit, fat bit”, so it makes sense to have separate names for the two fat bits. Mexico is clearly part of the northern fat bit. It’s not as fat as the more northern parts, but it certainly gets a fuckload skinnier before it gets fat again.