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.

Mexico is bounded on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico.

On September 16, 1810, independence from Spain was declared by Priest Miguel Hidalgo. A long war ensued that eventually led to recognized independence in 1821. Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836. The annexation of Texas by the United States created a border dispute that would cause the Mexican-American War. Mexico was defeated and as a result of the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo (1848), Mexico lost one third of its surface area to the United States.