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Northern Canada

The North of Canada consists of three territories: Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. They extend into the Arctic, and have just over 100,000 inhabitants spread across a land area larger than India.

Cities
In this area the term "city" becomes a relative term, especially when measured by population. However, some rather small places (by Southern standards) can have tremendous importance for huge areas as the only thing even approaching a city for hundreds or even thousands of miles. The most important places are:
 * — historic Klondike gold rush town, now a national historic site
 * — capital and largest settlement of Nunavut
 * — the most populous town in the Canadian Arctic, almost 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, at the inland end of the Mackenzie Delta and the northern end of the Dempster Highway
 * — the capital and largest city of the Yukon
 * — the NWT's capital and largest settlement, with several scenic walking trails, and the territorial museum

Other destinations
Much of this area is untouched wilderness or sparsely populated mining and logging country. As such national parks have a natural draw to them, with North American wildlife. Examples include:

 * — its name means "the land that never melts", and it includes many terrains of the Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, glaciers, and ice fields
 * — generally accessible only via a flightseeing tour or on a serious mountaineering or ski touring expedition
 * — a home to the South Nahanni River, one of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America, also accessed by chartered plane
 * – a hidden gem containing rugged mountains for kilometres on end
 * – a and the world's second largest national park protecting some of the last remaining wild populations of wood buffalos

Understand
The North of Canada is a vast area made up of many different environments; ranging from boreal forest, to mountains, to subarctic all the way to high arctic. This is one of the most remote places on Earth and even the vast majority of Canadians will never visit the region. Travel here is extremely difficult and expensive. Most will want to visit during the summer when the territories aren't shrouded in near constant darkness, snow and freezing temperatures (to put it lightly). However, for those with the funds and motivation, visiting the North of Canada can be an extremely rewarding experience. This is one of the world's most remote and sparsely populated regions. Owing to its huge size and variety of landscapes and climates, not much can be generalized about the region. Larger towns with road access are not so different from the rest of Canada, but most of the region is "trackless" wilderness: there are literally no roads. In these communities, the only access is by sea (seasonally in the autumn only) or air (usually on small "bush planes").

Much of the population are Indigenous peoples, namely the Inuit and Inuvialuit (formerly, but never now, called "Eskimos"), the Dene and Cree peoples (still legally called "Indians", but more frequently now called "First Nations"), and the Métis (formerly, but never now, called "half-breeds"). The lifestyles of these people have been dramatically changed in the last century or so by the arrival of Southern government authorities, businesses, and religious missionaries. Many have wage-paying jobs in the towns, shop in grocery stores stocked with imported produce, watch TV, and attend Christian churches. Nevertheless, they still to varying degrees rely on hunting, trapping, fishing, and gathering to supplement their diets and incomes, many speak their local language in preference to English, and often follow cultural practices and ceremonies that the Christian missionaries couldn't suppress.

The wildlife here are truly wild and free ranging. This is perhaps the largest piece of the earth outside of Antarctica that is basically not enclosed or fenced in any meaningful way. Moose and deer roam the forests. Bears forage for berries along the valleys. Caribou (reindeer) herds in the tens of thousands migrate across the region. Muskox and wolves confront each other on the tundra. Polar bears walk across the sea ice to hunt seals. Likewise the seas are mostly safe from commercial fishing and shipping, and can therefore support elephant seals, belugas and other large mammals.

Travel to this region presents challenges, but provides the opportunity to see something truly distinct.

By car
There are highways through the Yukon which reach Whitehorse, Dawson and even Inuvik. Another road goes to Yellowknife. All these roads are open year round but may be closed temporarily by storms; see winter driving.

Many other locations (including all of Nunavut) can only be accessed by sea or air. Flights to these areas can often be extremely expensive; see general aviation. A few cruise ships go to the Canadian arctic; this is likely the most comfortable way to visit.

By plane
The largest airports in the region are in Whitehorse and Yellowknife. Whitehorse has limited seasonal international flights, and otherwise there are no international flights directly to the region.

Churchill, Manitoba is reachable by rail and by air from Thompson and Winnipeg; from there, flights depart for Arviat, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Coral Harbour, Rankin Inlet, Repulse Bay and Whale Cove.

All communities in Nunavut are fly-in/fly-out.

Get around
Distances tend to be large and there are few roads and no passenger railways north of the 60th parallel. There are no roads connecting between any communities in Nunavut. Weather may impede movement during parts of the year and often access is only by boat or plane. Winter roads are available in some places but the road conditions are poor.

Itineraries
The major route across the southern part of the Yukon is the famous Alaska Highway, which originates in British Columbia.

The main route into the NWT from the south (Alberta) is the Mackenzie Highway which has an extension to Yellowknife.

The only highway in Canada that crosses the Arctic Circle is the Dempster Highway, from Dawson City to Inuvik, and since 2017 an extension has allowed vehicle travel to the shores of the Arctic Ocean for the first time.

Do

 * Going for dog sled rides is a popular activity in the winter.
 * Hunting and fishing are popular in the summer, ice fishing in the winter.
 * Hike or paddle sections of the Trans Canada Trail.
 * Camping is very popular in summer, and locals even do it in winter.
 * Cross country skiing, ice skating, and snowmobiling
 * Guided excursions and Arctic expeditions organized by outfitters are an excellent way of seeing the great white north

Eat
Look out for traditional foods, including fish, caribou, and other "country food", which is distinguished from food brought in from southern Canada.

In many communities, food must be shipped in on planes, so be prepared to pay extraordinarily high prices for perishables, such as milk, fruit, and vegetables.

Drink
Pay attention to your destination and research in advance whether alcohol is allowed. Some villages are dry communities (no alcohol permitted). Carrying alcohol into dry communities is considered to be bootlegging and you may be fined or imprisoned for violating this policy.

Stay safe
There is no 9-1-1 emergency number in most communities in the Canadian high Arctic. As of 2016, the Yukon is making efforts to expand a very basic 9-1-1 (which is already available in Whitehorse) territory-wide. Elsewhere, 1-1-2 or 9-1-1 may merely reach a recording with no useful information.

Use the seven-digit local numbers for the individual services in each community to summon help in an emergency.

The articles cold weather, winter driving and dangerous animals all have advice which will be relevant to many travellers in the Arctic.

Go next

 * Alaska
 * Greenland
 * North Pole

title: Northern Canada


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Northern India

Northern India is the most-populous and the most-visited part of the country. It mainly consists of the Gangetic Plains, the Thar Desert, the northern Himalayan region and the northern parts of the Deccan.

Cities

 * — the capital of both Punjab and Haryana, designed by Le Corbusier
 * — the bustling capital of India and the heart of Northern India
 * — the Pink City, a major exhibit of the Hindu Rajput culture of medieval Northern India
 * — the cultural capital of India, known as the City of Joy, and home to numerous colonial buildings
 * — the largest city and the financial capital of India, the city that never sleeps, home of "Bollywood", the Hindi film industry
 * — one of the four sacred Hindu dhams, Lord Jagannath temple, famous sea beach
 * — capital of Himachal Pradesh, perched high on the Himalayas, more than 2 km above sea level
 * — the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Famous for Dal Lake and in a valley surrounded by the picturesque Himalayas
 * — considered the most sacred Hindu city, on the banks of the Ganges, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world

Talk
Hindi is the lingua franca of Northern India and many non-native speakers in the region can understand some level of Hindi. Besides, the region is home to almost all of the Indo-Aryan languages, which are derived from Sanskrit. The Indo-Aryan languages other than Hindi include Bengali, Gujarati, Konkani, Marathi, Odia, Maithili and Sindhi.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Northern India


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Northern Louisiana

North Louisiana, also known as the "Sportsman's Paradise" region, comprises the portion of Louisiana north of Sabine, Natchitoches, Grant, LaSalle, Catahoula, and Concordia Parishes. Bordered by Texas to west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east, this region of Louisiana has a far more rural feel to it than the Acadiana region or southeastern Louisiana.

With the exception of Shreveport, Bossier City, Ruston, and Monroe, towns are much smaller in this portion of the state and spread further apart. Towns have fewer amenities and local residents will often drive to Shreveport, Monroe, or Alexandria in central Louisiana for "big city" amenities.

This area of Louisiana has become more renowned due to the popularity of the 2012-17 television show Duck Dynasty, in addition to movies that often use towns in north Louisiana as a backdrop. Another claim to fame for this region is the Air Force base around Bossier City and its status as a backup landing location for the President's jet, Air Force One.

Other destinations

 * — A large lake on the Louisiana-Texas state line. Boating, fishing. Access to the Louisiana portion from Oil City and Mooringsport.
 * — A large lake on the Louisiana-Texas state line. Boating, fishing. Access to the Louisiana portion from Oil City and Mooringsport.

Understand
Unlike the southern portion of Louisiana, northern Louisiana has more in common with the remainder of the American South. The Anglo culture of the American South is more dominant here, with the predominant religious practice being Evangelical Protestant Christianity, versus the French Roman Catholic culture and practices of southern Louisiana. Many points of interest and tourist sites are closed on Sundays, so it is necessary to plan accordingly. Landscapes vary drastically compared to the southern portion of the state. Bayous and swamps are replaced with rolling hills and pine forests in the northwestern areas around Shreveport and Mansfield, while open farmland, rivers, and lakes cover the north central and northeastern areas near Ruston, Monroe, Columbia, and Winnsboro.

Talk
English is almost universally spoken. French, while not uncommon in parts of southern Louisiana, is almost unheard of in northern Louisiana.

By plane
The two main commercial airports in northern Louisiana are Shreveport Regional Airport and Monroe Regional Airport.

By car
Interstate 20 and Interstate 49 are the main highways into northern Louisiana. US Highway 84 enters Louisiana from the west in the city of Logansport, and from the east in the city of Vidalia.

By bus or train
There are bus stations in the cities of Shreveport, Ruston, and Monroe. There are no train stations in northern Louisiana, except for a bus stop in Shreveport that provides transportation to and from the Amtrak station in Longview, Texas.

Get around
Traveling by car is the best way to see northern Louisiana. Interstate 20 runs east-west across northern Louisiana, linking Shreveport-Bossier, Ruston and Monroe. There is bus service between the major cities in northern Louisiana.

Outdoors
Northern Louisiana has several state parks that offer boating, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming.

The National Forest Service also maintains a district of the Kisatchie National Forest near Homer that offers hiking and camping opportunities.

Eat
The cuisine in the northern part of Louisiana differs from the south in that Cajun and Creole cooking does not have a major presence. Instead of gumbo, crawfish etoufee, or red beans and rice, a more likely meal here would be a fried catfish and fries plate. However, this area has several unique dishes and foods that gives it a unique identity. Some examples would be Shreveport's icebox pies from Strawn's and "Muffy" sandwiches from Fertitta's Deli, fresh peaches from the farms around Ruston, and fried catfish and cornbread from Monroe and the northeastern part of the state.

Drink
Have a glass of iced cold Coca-Cola or a sweet tea (which is often as sweet as a soda, so be prepared)!

Alcohol
There is a developing microbrew scene in Northern Louisiana, as well as a couple of vineyards. But by and large, this region of Louisiana does NOT have the same laid-back attitude towards alcohol that you find in the southern half of the state. Abstinence from alcoholic consumption is encouraged by locals and one may often find religious literature distributed that preaches on the issue.

Religious views in Northern Louisiana often shape the public perception on alcohol, and as Baptist Christianity is the largest religious group in this area, there is an extremely conservative attitude towards the consumption of alcohol (refer to the "Drink" section in the article on Christianity for further info).

It is most common in the rural communities of Northern Louisiana. This is also noted by the fact that there are still many parishes (Louisiana equivalent of counties) that are still dry, a vestige of the Prohibition Era of the 1920s and 1930s. While drinking is not downright illegal, understand that depending on where you are, the consumption of alcohol in public may be frowned upon and get you more than a few negative looks. If spending time in Shreveport, Bossier City, Ruston, or Monroe, drinking is far more acceptable and likely will not draw any attention from onlookers.

Crime
Don't be fooled by the relatively small size of the major cities in northern Louisiana; Monroe and Shreveport-Bossier have crime rates on par with much larger metro areas.

Weather
The weather can be hot and humid in the summer, and severe thunderstorms are common in the summer and fall. Tornadoes, while not as common as in "Tornado Alley", do occur. Snow falls occasionally in the winter, and causes more havoc than might be expected by people from colder climates. Hurricanes rarely make it this far inland, and are generally no stronger than a severe thunderstorm when they do.

Go next

 * Central Louisiana - The central portion of the state sandwiched between the state's rural north and Acadiana to the south. Home to the twin cities of Alexandria and Pineville, historic Natchitoches, and a wide range of outdoor activities at the Kisatchie National Forest.
 * Mississippi Capital-River (Mississippi) - Southwestern Mississippi contains some of the oldest towns in the state and is the site of the Civil War city of Vicksburg; as well as Natchez, which claims to have the most antebellum structures of any city in America. This area is also home to the Mississippi State Capital, Jackson.
 * Piney Woods (Texas) - The eastern portion of Texas contains vast pine forests and charming rural towns with historic Main Street districts, such as Jefferson, Nacogdoches, and San Augustine.
 * Timberlands (Arkansas) - Deep southern Arkansas is home to open farmland, small towns, and Civil War battlefields. Birthplace of former US President Bill Clinton.

title: Northern Louisiana


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North (Saudi Arabia)

The North of Saudi Arabia covers the little-visited provinces of Tabuk and Jawf.

Cities

 * — support town for the Aramco oil pipeline, in fertile pasture lands; an ancient city has been unearthed 30 km away
 * — a small port city with ancient traditions, hub for the Neom project
 * — planned city under construction

Other destinations

 * — vast nature reserve
 * — under-construction luxury resort destination

By plane
All airports in this region have domestic flights from larger hubs such as Jeddah and Riyadh.

 * Neom Bay Airport (مطار خليج نيوم ), opened in 2019 near Neom resort, also has flights from Doha and Dubai.
 * Gurayat Domestic Airport (مطار القريات المحلي ) is near Qurayyat in the north.

"Near" in this part of the world is a relative term, so transport to town could be a long expensive taxi ride unless you're being picked up by the company or hire your own car.

By road
The north-south Highway 65 links the capital Riyadh with Sakakah and Qurayyat at the Jordanian border. This wide expressway is maintained in an excellent condition; however, the distance between petrol stations can be long, so it's important to be prepared. Highway 15 links Medina with Tabuk; this road is somewhat smaller and passes through several small villages and towns along the route. Finally, the much smaller road 55 follows the Red Sea from Jeddah to the Jordanian border.

By bus
National bus operator SAPTCO runs daily bus services to all major cities. Journey times are long but the buses themselves are comfortable.

By train
A north-south railway line runs from Riyadh to Qurayyat, on the border with Jordan. However, as of 2023 there is only one train per week that runs to Qurayyat, via al-Jauf, near Sakakah. Most railway stations are several kilometres from the city centers and a connecting taxi or bus is necessary. Trains are operated by Saudi Railway Company.

By ferry
There are passenger ferries between Safaga, just south of Hurghada in Egypt and to a port just north of Duba. Additionally, there has been a limited service between Duba and Sharm el-Sheikh, also in Egypt. Inquiring directly with the port or shipping agency is recommended. Also notice that ferries arrive at Duba Seaport, which is almost 25 km north of Duba town and onward transportation can be an issue. There is however connecting SAPTCO intercity buses several times per day. Taxis should be available too.

Do

 * Superleague Triathlon was held in Neom in Nov 2022. That was a bold experiment because the usual approach is to build your resort first then publicise it by hosting a major event. But Neom remains just an aspiration, an insh'allah around the scrubby edge of the existing beach village of Sharma. A single event won't be enough to launch it so look out for others here, and travel deals.

title: North (Saudi Arabia)


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North Adams

North Adams is a town of 13,000 people (2020) in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. In the 19th century it was the industrial center of the region. Old factory buildings are now being recycled to other uses, including the new Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. The town's rail access was improved by one of the great engineering feats of the 19th century, the Hoosac Tunnel. North Adams is chock-full of interesting historic houses, only a few of which are pictured in this article.

Do
Appalachian Trail

title: North Adams


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North Aegean Islands

The North Aegean Islands are in Greece. These islands are places of mountain villages, fishing harbours, beaches, some ancient ruins, and some natural wonders.

Regions
Major islands:

Get in
Lemnos International Airport is the only airport in the region. It is about a 40 minutes' flight from Athens airport to Lemnos.

By boat
There are ferries in from mainland Greek cities including Lavrio and Piraeus (both serving Athens), Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis, and Kavala.

Get around
Between the islands, you'll travel by ferry.

On the islands, you'll want to rent a car or motorbike to get around. Thasos, Samothrace and Lemnos have bus service, although it may operate only in the summer. Some islands have taxis. Agios Efstratios, however, has neither taxi nor bus service.

See
Thasos has a range of archaeological sites from temples to ancient mines, in addition to mountain villages.

The Sanctuary of the Great Gods, on Samothrace, is a major archeological site of the centre of a mystery cult that rivaled Delphi, dating back to the pre-Greek period (Bronze Age).

Poliochni, on Lemnos, is important archaeological site that was the best-known city in the northern Aegean after Troy in the 3rd millennium BC. Ifestia, also on Lemnos, has remains of a large settlement, with ruins of a castle, a cemetery, a baths, and an Hellenistic theatre.

Do
On land: hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, sunbathing....

In the sea: swimming, sailing, boat trips, diving, fishing....

On land and sea: the Aliki salt lake on Lemnos is a big salt lake you can walk on in summer, but during rainy season it becomes a wetland that is a resting and wintering area for many species of migratory birds.

title: North Aegean Islands


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North Africa

In North Africa (also known as Maghreb), beautiful mosques, bustling markets, and ancient ruins lie between the Mediterranean coast and the Sahara Desert. It has an ancient history, with many Berber kingdoms as well as the Greek, Roman, and Ottoman empires ruling there.

Other territories

 * Atlantic Ocean Islands: Canary Islands (Spain) and Madeira Islands (Portugal) are integrated provinces of their respective countries
 * Bi'r Tawīl – an unclaimed piece of land between Egypt and Sudan, with virtually zero infrastructure whatsoever. It's one of only three unclaimed territories, with the other two being Marie Byrd Land and Liberland.
 * Spanish North Africa: Ceuta, Melilla, and some smaller territories along the coast of Morocco

Cities

 * — Egypt's major Mediterranean city is a pale shadow of its former glorious self but remains a major tourism site
 * — the capital of Algeria with a notable medieval casbah
 * — the largest city in North Africa with major monuments of Ancient Egypt nearby
 * — the largest city in Morocco is of sparse interest to the traveller, but is a major transit point
 * — the capital city of the disputed territory of Western Sahara
 * — this historic Moroccan city close to the foothills of the Atlas Mountains is an extraordinary meeting of the ancient and modern
 * — this historic Algerian city is full of French, Ottoman, Moorish, and Algerian architecture like churches and mosques and parks. It also has a beautiful seashore and buildings.
 * — Libya's capital was long off-limits to most travellers but is experiencing a real resurgence of interest
 * — the capital of Tunisia is a relatively small and sleepy city but is the gateway to the remains of Carthage and other very notable historical sites.

Other destinations

 * — a very remote area in far south Egypt, with some beautiful ancient temples
 * — Phoenician colony in Tunisia and the biggest trade metropolis of the antique world; famously razed by the Romans and the remnants are now encased in a museum
 * — in Algeria with its domed architecture & nearby Grand Erg Oriental — the Sahara's second largest dune field
 * - an ancient settlement in southwest Libya with prehistoric rock paintings and very challenging desert trekking
 * — hiking, skiing and Berber culture amongst these peaks and valleys in Morocco.
 * — extensive Roman ruins in Libya
 * — desert village in Tunisia of cave abodes, where Star Wars's Tatooine was filmed
 * and M'Hamid — from either of these two settlements in Morocco at the edge of the Sahara, ride a camel or 4x4 into the desert for a night (or a week) among the dunes and under the stars
 * — the great site of Ancient Egypt

Understand
North Africa, as a region, is very different from the countries to the South. The people and culture are Arabic, the food is different, and Islam is the dominant religion. Many organizations now group North Africa and the Middle East together as MENA (Middle East North Africa) because North Africa has much more in common with countries like Syria or Jordan than countries like Mali or Ivory Coast.

History
The North African peoples have seen many empires come and go, each bringing both wars, and contributions to local culture. Ancient Egypt was one of the world's longest-living urban civilizations, and Phoenicia, ancient Greece and later the Roman Empire came to dominate the Mediterranean Sea. The Arabs and Islam arrived in the 7th century (see Islamic Golden Age) and were displaced by the Ottoman Empire. The French colonial empire came to include Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and had the Suez Canal completed in 1869, while Egypt became part of the British Empire in 1882 following the Anglo-Egyptian War. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, Libya would become part of the Italian Empire. During World War II in Africa, the Italians and later the Germans failed to conquer the whole of North Africa. After the war, Arab nationalist movements demanded independence. The North African countries took different paths to independence, and in the 2020s only a few coastal territories of Spanish North Africa are under European rule.

North Africa was a scene for the Cold War with mostly authoritarian leaders, with allegiance either to the West or the Soviet Union. In 2010, the Arab Spring began as a series of public revolts. As of 2020, the outcome has been varied, with Tunisia adopting a democratic constitution, and Libya stuck in civil war.

Talk
Arabic is without a doubt the dominant language, and is the official language in every North African country. However Arabic dialects are mutually unintelligible, so there's no way a tourist speaking standard Arabic could understand a Moroccan speaking their dialect. However, standard Arabic is always the official language, and well-educated people will be able to speak it.

French is the most widely known second language in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, due to much of the area's history as a French colony. In Libya and Egypt, English is the dominant second language (except among older Libyans, where Italian is more prevalent).

Many people in North Africa, especially in Algeria and Morocco, speak an Amazigh language (also known as Berber, although that term should be avoided) as their mother tongue.

By boat
There are some ferries from Italy (notably Sicily), Spain, and Gibraltar – see Ferries in the Mediterranean.

Eat
The North African cuisine has a lot in common with the Middle Eastern cuisine.

Drink
Arabic coffee, which involves adding cardamom to flavour the coffee, is popular throughout North Africa.

Stay safe
Avoid drinking untreated ground water. Avoid Libya, southern Algeria, the Sahrawi areas of Western Sahara, and southern Tunisia due to the risk of armed conflict or insurgent violence.

title: North Africa


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North Algona Wilberforce

North Algona Wilberforce is a township in Renfrew County. It has about 3,000 residents (2021). In the wintertime, North Algona Wilberforce attracts many snowmobilers, cross county skiers and ice fishers. In the summer time it turns into cottage country with many lakes for canoeing, kayaking and fishing. It is a great point to launch out and take day trips out to white water rafting, explore the Bonnechere caves or visit Algonquin Park. Some of the main communities are Deacon, Golden Lake and Rankin.

Understand

Wilberforce Township was named in 1851 to honour William Wilberforce, an English politician and leader of the movement to stop the slave trade.

By bus
The nearest intercity bus stop is in Pembroke, with service from North Bay and Ottawa.

June

 * Aboriginal Day This is celebrated at the Algonquin Trading Post in Golden Lake on June 21, where they have music and a potluck made up of traditional Aboriginal foods.

title: North Algona Wilberforce


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Northam

Northam is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, with a population of 6679 in 2021. It's 100 km east of Perth and like other nearby towns it was founded in the 1830s when the Avon Valley was colonised. It was never a mining town, but was a railhead for miners heading east to the goldfields, until the railway pushed further out towards Kalgoorlie.

Get in
From Perth take National Highway 94 for just under 100 km. This continues away out east to Kalgoorlie and Norseman.

Highway 120 approaches from the south via Wagin, Narrogin and York. Highway 115 is a short cut from National Highway 95 from the north.

Transwa buses run Su-F from Perth East and Midland stations, taking 90 min to Northam, and continuing to York, Beverley, Narrogin, Katanning, Tambellup, Tenterden and  Albany. (The Saturday bus bypasses Northam.) The bus stop is at the railway station.

Prospector Train runs from Perth East and Midland stations twice M-F and once Sa Su, taking 80 min via Toodyay. It continues east via Meckering, Merredin and a dozen out-of-the-way places to Kalgoorlie, another five hours. Merredinlink is an additional train M W F from Perth via Northam as far as Merredin.

Avonlink is a commuter train from Northam M-F at 6:30AM via Toodyay to Perth Midland Station, returning east at 5:50PM.

is east side of town. It has a staffed ticket office, toilets, and step-free access to the sole platform.

Trains gallop through the former racecourse station further east, ignoring all cries of "whoa!".

Get around
Town centre is compact and walkable, but the sun is hot.

See

 * Town centre along Fitzgerald Street East has historic buildings dotted about, such as the two post offices, but mixed with modern. And it's the main highway so you don't get the old world ambiance of quieter towns.
 * Bernard Park is a green space on the east river bank, flanked by Minson Ave. A suspension footbridge crosses the river, which is broadened in town by a weir at the north end.
 * is reached by a turnoff from Mitchell Ave, or you can hike up.
 * in the rail depot west of town have been elaborately painted. Problem is, you can't properly see them without trespassing on an industrial site.
 * is reached by a turnoff from Mitchell Ave, or you can hike up.
 * in the rail depot west of town have been elaborately painted. Problem is, you can't properly see them without trespassing on an industrial site.

Do

 * Northam Recreation Centre is on Peel Terrace a quarter mile east of the station. It has a pool and indoor and outdoor sports.
 * Burlong Park is a riverside park and picnic area on Highway 254 five km southwest of town. No toilets. You can kayak here.
 * Golf: Northam Country Club is northeast side of town off Wood Drive.
 * Horse racing: Northam Race Club has 20 flat-racing meetings per year. The track is two miles east of town on Yilgarn Ave opposite the caravan park.
 * Ballooning events are staged in Northam, various dates, typically early morning and evening. Where best to see them is weather-dependent, check an hour or so before the event. Solo round-the-world balloon voyages launched from here in 2002 and 2016.
 * Northam Aero Club offers flight training. The airfield is 4 km northeast of town; it has private aviation but no commercial flights.
 * Vintage motors gather for a race and hill-climb in April.
 * Avon Descent is a two day boat race in August, down the river from Northam to Bayswater. Each town on the route has a festival, with street parades, funfairs and general hoop-de-hoop. The Northam event is called Bilya Festival and focused on the race start, on Avon Mall on Minson Avenue.
 * Northam Farmers Show is in September at the Showgrounds on Chidlow St.

Buy

 * Boulevard Shopping Centre is at 171 Fitzgerald St East, open M-F 8AM-9PM, Sa Su 8AM-5PM.
 * Northam Village Square is on Gardner St (south end of the strip), same hours.
 * Fuel: there are four filling stations. Ampol on Wellington St mid-town is likely to be the cheapest.

Eat

 * Fitzgerald Street East the main drag has Nik's Fish & Chips, Avon Valley Bakery (below), Lume Bistro, Sokun, Maalaa, Northam Asian, Red Rooster, Sandy D's, Macau Cuisine, Northam Hotel (below) and Panda Chinese.

Drink

 * Eating places mostly serve alcohol.
 * Temperance Bar is within Farmers' Rest Hotel, open daily 3-9PM.

Connect
Northam and its approach roads have a patchy mobile signal from Optus and Telstra, but nothing from Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * York 35 km south was bypassed when the goldfields railway was routed via Northam, so its historic centre is better preserved.
 * Toodyay 27 km northwest is another Victorian old town.
 * Kalgoorlie on the goldfields is 500 km east so you can do it in a day, or break the journey at Merredin.
 * Perth is only an hour west, with lots of big city attractions.

title: Northam


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Northam (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Northam:

Australia

 * Northam - A town in Western Australia.

South Africa

 * Northam (Limpopo) - A town in Limpopo.

title: Northam (disambiguation)


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North America

North America is the third largest continent, with the diversity to show for it. Weather ranges from icy Greenland to tropical beaches of the Caribbean, and an incredible array of national parks and preserves show off huge canyons, breathtaking mountains, ancient forests, and fascinating wildlife. Every part of the continent has a complex and mixed cultural heritage, shaped by indigenous peoples, colonization, and waves of immigration.

Regions
North America consists of three large nations and one large island territory that covers most of its area. They are Canada, the United States of America (U.S.), Mexico and Greenland. There are also seven smaller nations at its southern extreme (collectively known as Central America), around two dozen island nations and territories of various sizes in the Caribbean, and one isolated French territory off the Canadian Atlantic coast. Although the Central American and the Caribbean regions are part of the North American continent, they are commonly listed separately from their larger neighbors to the north and hence the distinctive region names for cultural and geographical reasons.

Non-Caribbean territories

 * Bermuda — overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
 * Saint Pierre and Miquelon — overseas territory of France.

Cities

 * — the capital of Cuba is famous for its cigars, its strong Hispanic-Caribbean culture, and its legendary nightlife.
 * — the capital of Jamaica and the center of Afro-Caribbean culture, it is cosmopolitan, diverse and the home of Reggae.
 * — Hollywood and movie stars; mountains and beaches; and lots of traffic.
 * — the capital city of Mexico, the third-largest city in the world is chock-full of museums, centuries-old architecture, modern amenities... and people.
 * — the Big Apple is the center of North American commerce and culture, immortalized in film and song alike.
 * — the capital of Panama, a friendly city sitting at the nexus between two continents.
 * — Canada's largest city, a cosmopolitan mosaic with ethnic enclaves and cultural attractions galore.
 * — a city of steel and glass condominiums and outstanding natural beauty, where you can go skiing and sit on the beach all in the same day.
 * — the capital of the United States, with many cultural and historical attractions.

Other destinations

 * — Canada's first national park is also one of its largest, located in the Rocky Mountains.
 * — the largest of the archaeological cities of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.
 * — very biologically diverse national park in Costa Rica.
 * — a massive canyon in Arizona, carved over several million years.
 * — three grandiose waterfalls on the border between the United States and Canada.
 * — the 'city of the gods', with some of the largest ancient pyramids in the world.
 * — an archaeological site in Guatemala, one of the largest and most important of the ancient Mayan cities.
 * — the flagship of Disney's worldwide theme park network, near Orlando, Florida.
 * — the world's first national park is also home to most of its geysers and an amazing concentration of animals.

Understand
North America is the third largest continent, with a surface area of 24,221,490 km2 (9,351,969 sq mi), in the northern hemisphere, between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean and to the north of South America. North America's highest point is Alaska's Denali, which rises to above sea level.

History
The indigenous cultures of North America, also called Native Americans, Indians or First Nations arrived in Alaska before 10,000 BC, and have populated virtually all parts of North America. Except a short-lived Viking colony around AD 1000, the Americas were isolated from the rest of the world until the voyages of Columbus from 1492, and the subsequent wave of colonization, where first Spain, and later France, the British Empire and the Russian Empire seized parts of the continent. The Caribbean was divided between several European countries; in addition to the aforementioned, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had island colonies. The United States became independent in 1776, was the first country outside the United Kingdom to industrialize (see American Industry Tour), expanded westwards during the 19th century to dominate the continent (see Old West), and became the world's undisputed dominant power by the middle of the 20th century. Haiti was the second country in the Americas to achieve its independence in part as a result of the most successful slave revolt in recorded history.

Climate
North America stretches across all climate zones. Much of Greenland, Alaska and northern Canada are in the Arctic, with cold or cool weather all year round, and few inhabitants. Most of Canada's land area is boreal, with short summers and long winter; most Canadians live in the temperate zone, which makes up southern Canada and most of the United States. Here you can find cosmopolitan and interesting world cities and relatively easily accessible national parks for friends of nature and wildlife.

The southern and southwestern United States, as well as northern Mexico, is in the sub-tropical zone. Southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean are tropical, with warm weather year round.

By plane
You can get into major cities in the USA and Canada by direct flights from all the other inhabited continents. Latin American carriers fly directly between Central and South America and from Europe you can fly directly to many of the Caribbean islands. The cheapest flights and most destinations will be to the United States.

If you do not wish to travel through the US to get to your destination, there is service offered to major airports such as Mexico City, Panama City and Punta Cana from major European and South American hubs. Flying is the fastest and cheapest way to get to North America.

By boat
It is possible to travel across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by freight or cruise ship, but these cruises tend to be quite expensive compared to flying (and infrequent). There are ferries from the northern rim of South America to Central America and to the Caribbean. There is still one old style ocean liner connecting New York City to Southampton, UK, though. So if you have both time and money and want to arrive in style as in the old days, it can certainly be done.

Overland
Even if the Americas are physically connected, there are no roads or railroads between Panama and Colombia. It is possible but hopelessly dangerous to hike through the of jungle at the Darien Gap; if you want to take your vehicle with you, you need to take the ferry.

By plane
Because population centers are often widely spaced, most long-range travel is by air, with an extensive network of major hubs and smaller regional airports, usually supplemented with car rental services to cover local travel when you arrive at your destination (see "By car"). The cheapest fares are between major cities, so you may have to drive a few hours on each end of the trip to get to and from the airports.

By bus
There is prolific long-range bus service across most of the U.S. and Canada, but travel times are excessively long (often substantially longer than a direct trip in a personal vehicle) and stations tend to be poorly maintained and even more poorly secured. Intercity buses generally travel only among significant cities, never to remote locations, and are limited or unavailable outside of business hours.

While there are major national and regional bus operators in the U.S., the withdrawal of the only national bus operator in Canada resulted in numerous regional bus companies providing service instead. Bus routes are typically not timed to enable rapid transfers between the various bus operators in Canada and most operators do not operate routes overnight. Information about available intercity regional bus operators in Canada are listed under the specific region or city.

In Mexico, by contrast, bus service is extensive and a common way to get around. In Central America, buses are the backbone of local transportation, as car ownership remains low and both domestic flights and railways have only a niche role, if any. If you want to meet the locals, hop on a chicken bus and enjoy the bumpy ride.

The following companies operate buses extensively in North America:

Between these major bus lines it is possible to travel by bus across and between the three biggest countries in North America and seven smaller ones in Central America. In addition to the above, there are numerous other companies and local drivers' unions (more in Mexico & Central America) operating buses locally, regionally or even across longer distances as well. See "By bus" in the article for a particular country, state/province, region and/or locality for more. Most locations from small towns up to large cities have bus service within a town or to neighboring towns. The quality of service varies, but how late and often it runs roughly corresponds with city size.

By car
Most travel in Canada, the United States, and Mexico is by personal vehicle. Almost all highways in Canada and the United States are well maintained, with amenities such as gas, food, and lodging ranging from adequate to very convenient. If you experience an emergency that endangers your life, safety, or property, you will be able to dial 911 from a compatible cell phone on almost any major highway and reach an operator at any time. Vehicle and medical insurance issued in either Canada or the U.S. is usually valid in the other, though the wise traveller will confirm with their insurer. Canada and U.S. insurance coverage in Mexico is sometimes limited or not honored. Again, the wise traveler will confirm with their insurer.

Car rental agencies are available at almost every airport. Normally, a valid driver's license and a major credit card or cash deposit are required. Rentals are sometimes restricted for drivers under age 25. Many agencies offer short term insurance and additional coverage.

In much of western Alaska and almost all of Greenland, no major highways connect towns and cities. If roads do exist, they do not usually have the same standards as roads in the rest of North America.

Throughout most of North America, including the entire continent, traffic drives on the right with most cars being left-hand-drive. In about a dozen Caribbean island nations, traffic drives on the left.

By train
Although it once held much of the continent together, and remains useful for local travel in many metro areas, intercity train travel now ranges from relatively convenient in the Northeast Corridor, to manageable in California, around Chicago, and parts of southeastern Canada, to sparse in other parts of the continent. If you prefer to travel by rail, it's still possible (depending on where you go), but is slower and sometimes more expensive than air travel for long distances.

Among the areas with most frequent service is the US Northeast Corridor which links Washington, D.C. to Boston with frequent stops in intermediate cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, New Haven, and Providence. There is at least hourly service in this corridor from 4AM to 1AM. In Canada, the heavily-populated Windsor-Quebec corridor has several trains daily which compare favorably in speed to freeway travel, although the cost to put one passenger on the train often exceeds that of intercity bus or of the fuel to travel by car.

In communities off the beaten track, often the rails have simply been removed and the former rights-of-way used as bicycle, snowmobile or nature trails. There are no railways remaining on Prince Edward Island or the island of Newfoundland.

Most private intercity rail carriers have abandoned passenger service as unprofitable, leaving de facto federally-owned entities such as Amtrak (in the US) and VIA Rail (in Canada) to operate the services that remain. Short commuter train runs are often regionally or municipally operated in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. See Rail travel in Canada and Rail travel in the United States. Compared to Europe and East Asia, speed is low and frequencies are sparse, but the views and the comfort may make up for it. Indeed on the spectacular routes some trains traverse in North America, the journey does indeed become the destination. High speed rail is if anything in its infancy, with only the Boston to Washington, DC Northeast corridor qualifying for even a generous definition, but several projects are either planned or under construction throughout the U.S.

In Mexico and Central America passenger trains are nominal at best (Like the Chihuahua al Pacifico Line through the Copper Canyon) and non-existent at worst (in most places). There are however some tourist trains, and various Central American countries as well as Mexico have actively considered whether to build a new freight or passenger rail line. A modern, high-speed railroad is under construction in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. When completed, the Tren Maya will connect resort areas like Tulum and Cancun with Merida, Mayan sites like Palenque and Chichen Itza, and other destinations throughout the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, and Tabasco. Completion is expected in 2023.

On the sea

The cruise industry is a large industry in some parts of North America, and cruises to places such as Bermuda and the West Indies are readily available, as they are to parts of Mexico. Cruises are offered as tours, and, if your travel begins or ends at a port in the United States, you generally must embark or disembark either at the same port or in a different country at the other end of the cruise. (This is due to cabotage laws.) The exception is if the line is owned and staffed by Americans, using American-built ships. (Most cruise lines are multinational operations.) Generally, cruises stop at a given port for only a few hours, so this method of travel may be inconvenient for people who want to stay longer at a port. Some locations, such as Washington, Alaska, San Francisco, New York City and Boston, have ferry service, allowing trips to various locations in or near them.

On lakes and rivers
North America contains a number of large bodies of fresh water, be it the Great Lakes between Canada and the USA or the various rivers traversing the continent and most of them are used extensively to ferry goods and people. Cruising on small craft certainly is an option in the US, as it is the country with the longest inland waterways in the world. Canada similarly offers a huge number of options for owners or renters of small craft. In the less developed corners of Central America, some places are or were reachable by boat only or the waterway remains one of the more comfortable and faster ways to get there. Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua for instance only got an airport in 2014, but given flight schedules and the view from the boat, most will still want to arrive on the water. Places that are deeper in the jungle or otherwise off the beaten path may be best accessed by boat and some ferries (e.g. between El Salvador and Nicaragua or between Honduras and Belize) will spare you a roundabout route overland.

By foot
If you find yourself in a large city, like New York, walking might be the best way to get around because of the large amount of traffic that many large cities have. There are many sidewalks and footpaths to take in less populated areas. For the dedicated long-distance hikers the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail are United States National Scenic Trails running thousands of miles between Mexico and Canada through some of the most mountainous and rugged areas of North America.

By public transport
While cities such as Managua are a traffic nightmare and the buses are neither all that fast nor all that comfortable (they're cheap, though), others such as Panama City have built modern metros in the 21st century that are very popular with tourists and locals. Almost all self-respecting cities of a certain size in Canada and the USA have some form of metro or light rail to get you around at least downtown. Mexico City has the second biggest metro by ridership in the Americas (after New York City). Many cities were built with automobiles in mind and outside of the downtown core you may be lucky if a bus even comes your way once an hour on weekdays, even in places as big as Dallas. Touring the United States without a car is a particular challenge though doable with advance planning and careful choice of destinations.

By bike
While there is hardly any traditional "bicycle culture" in most places (outside of recreational cycling, that is), there are new "bike-share" programs in many cities in the USA as well as Mexico City and Canada. While primarily aimed at locals, travelers can usually sign up as well (provided they have a credit card and/or passport). In more rural regions with a tradition of recreational cycling, you may very well get traditional bike rental by the day or week. Some cities have an emerging cyclist culture and joining up in a "critical mass" ride is a good way to meet the locals and get into contact with the local cycling scene. Cycling is certainly on the rise in many cities of the continent, but even the most bike friendly places like Portland, Oregon, are a far cry from the like of Copenhagen or Amsterdam in terms of bike culture.

Talk
The three major languages of North America are English, Spanish and French. The United States and Canada are majority-English-speaking countries. English is also spoken in many Caribbean nations and Belize. A Creole variety of English is spoken by a minority along much of the Caribbean coast of Central America as well as on some Caribbean islands, most notably Jamaican Patois, but it will take some getting used to and may be unintelligible to second language speakers of English. Mexico, the majority of Central America (mostly the Pacific side) and portions of the Caribbean are majority-Spanish-speaking. Spanish is also spoken as a mother tongue by a minority of people and second language by others in many parts of the United States. French plays a substantial role in Canada — especially Quebec, but also parts of Ontario, Manitoba, and New Brunswick — and a role in other places, especially the Caribbean (though in some countries a French creole is more common, such as Haitian Creole in Haiti). Dutch is spoken on islands in the southern Caribbean that used to be part of the Netherlands Antilles. Numerous indigenous languages are spoken by Native Americans and the Inuit peoples of North America including Greenland. There are some isolated communities where only a few people speak anything but their indigenous language, and in Mexico, Nahuatl and Maya languages are having a revival of sorts. Danish is spoken along with Greenlandic in Greenland.

Generally, English proficiency tends to be poor in the Spanish- and French-speaking parts of the continent, though people who work in the tourism industry, as well as business people who regularly deal with foreign clients, often speak at least conversational English.

See

The range of things to see in North America is enormous. There is spectacular natural scenery ranging from mountains and tundra to deserts and tropical rain forests. The Rocky Mountains (Rockies) are the continent's largest mountain range, running from northern Canada to the southwestern United States, continuing into Mexico as the Sierra Madre ranges and Mexican Altiplano and on to Central America, making up the northern part of the American Cordillera. The Rockies contain some of the world's most visited national parks including the famous Yellowstone. North American cities like New York City, Mexico City, Chicago, and Washington, DC are home to some of the world's finest museums. Stunning architecture can be found from Panama City to Montreal.

North American wildlife, with iconic species such as the grizzly, the bison, the mustang and the bald eagle, is an attraction in itself. The tropics belong to another biogeographic region; see Central and South American wildlife.

Some of the best scenic areas include:
 * The Appalachian Mountains, stretching from Quebec to the Appalachia region of the Southern United States.
 * The Pacific Coast Highway along the cost of California.
 * The Copper Canyon, with its 1,000 mile long scenic railroad, rugged mountains, and native populations.
 * The Rocky Mountains (including Yellowstone and Banff national parks, among others).
 * The Everglades, a massive wetland in Florida.
 * The Panama Canal, America's shipping "shortcut" between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
 * Niagara Falls on the Canada-USA frontier between Lakes Erie and Ontario.
 * The Grand Canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and the Colorado River in Northern Arizona.
 * The beaches and fishing villages of the East Coast, from Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada to th e Carolinas in the United States.
 * The "Inside Passage" between Vancouver Island and the coast of mainland British Columbia.
 * The Caribbean coast of southeast Mexico, from Cancun south to Belize, the area includes islands, coral reefs, white sand beaches and tropical jungles

Cultural and historical themes

 * American Civil War
 * Pioneer Villages
 * Cold War

Itineraries
.
 * The Alaska Highway (and the various routes that lead to it)
 * Dalton Highway
 * El Camino Real.
 * Route 66
 * Underground Railroad
 * Trans-Canada Highway
 * Panama Canal
 * Ruta del Tránsito – the old interoceanic route through Nicaragua that was a main travel thoroughfare prior to the transcontinental railroad.

Buy

Usually, you can buy large ranges of clothing and lots of electronics. North America is known for manufacturing lots of electronics, such as Apple, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Dell, which are all major electronics manufacturers from North America.

Many North American cities have famous shopping districts such as 5th Avenue in New York City, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, and the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Downtown shopping districts have spawned some of the world's most famous retailers including Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Neiman Marcus.

Many tourists enjoy shopping at the biggest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America. It's located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. As well as having an amazing number of stores, you'll also find a multi-screen movie theater, an amusement park, and many restaurants--including both sit-down and fast-food. Also, the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta is a popular destination having once been the world's largest mall.

Eat
Mexico is the North American country with the most distinctive culinary identity, with ancient flavors and ingredients that have spread throughout the world and permeated even the other "great cuisines". After all, if the pre-Columbian Mexicans hadn't cultivated chocolate, how could the French have created mousse, or without tomatoes, how could the Italians have created pizza or spaghetti sauce? Mexican cuisine is justly famous throughout the world, but today's modern Mexican chefs show innovation that goes well beyond the familiar tacos, tamales, and tortillas. Regional specialties range from cochinita de pibil in the Yucatan, birria in Guadalajara, and cabrito in Monterrey. Oaxaca has become a noted destination for culinary schools (or just hungry travelers wanting to taste something unique). Tequila and mezcal are classic distilled spirits.

Since the United States was heavily populated by pioneering peoples and global immigration, the diversity of its cuisine is immense. Many cosmopolitan cities (Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Las Vegas to name a few) have a broad array of dining options to offer tourists. These cities attract both famous chefs from around the world serving world-class fare in Michelin starred restaurants, as well as enclaves of various ethnic groups offering inexpensive regional cuisines from their homelands. Foreign cuisines have been adapted in many ways to suit American palates and use local ingredients; for instance, the United States and Canada have several distinctive variations of pizza.

Canadian food, like that of the U.S., varies from region to region and is heavily influenced by its immigrant culture. Broadly speaking, you should think seafood on the coasts, meat and potatoes in the center of the country, and pretty much anything you can think of in the cosmopolitan major cities. Poutine, french fries covered in cheese curd and gravy, may be the nation's favorite fast food snack.

The Caribbean is known for its seafood and specialties like Jerk chicken.

While Mexican influence extends into the cuisine of Northern Central America, countries like Nicaragua or Costa Rica have their own distinct flavor, based mostly upon rice and beans that together make up gallo pinto (also known as casamiento in other parts of Central America), a staple food that you will eat at least once during any visit, no matter how short.

Drink

Europeans used to mock American beers for their lack of diversity and flavor. Anyone still mocking should really look again. While a light beer can still be enjoyed in hot regions on sandy beaches, the U.S. has microbreweries dotting the country. Major concentrations of microbreweries can be found in New England, the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, and Northern California. The diversity of beers is now enormous and most beer-lovers will find at least one or two to their liking. Mexico is known for the lighter beers (Corona, Dos Equis, Pacifico) that go well with their cuisine and warm climate, although darker options are also available. The lighter beers are also more common in southern areas and the Caribbean, though many of these areas also have special non-beer options (regional types of rum are quite diverse, for example).

Canada and the U.S. have various wine regions and variants which have become internationally recognized and respected. Try the ice wine from Ontario and you will never forget the clean, clear beauty that is extracted from the frozen grape. The US has become the fourth largest wine making region in the world, with California producing roughly 90% of that volume. A trip to San Francisco should be accompanied by a drive through the famous Napa Valley, although if the crowds deter you, you can easily enjoy lovely wineries a few hours south along the Central Coast of California (add a stop at Hearst Castle) or beautiful Pinot Noirs in Oregon. Upstate New York (Finger Lakes region) is another major wine producing region.

Again, the immigrant influx to North America brought with it culturally diverse methods of alcohol production. Regional drinks and types of liquors abound. Beverages in the southern regions will often be mixed with tropical fruits; and of course, Mexico is famous for fermentation techniques with the agave plant (Tequila, anyone?). Rums abound in Southern areas of Mexico as well as Central America and the Caribbean, and have much diversity in methods of production. Cocktails made with gin and vodkas have undergone a renaissance in the U.S. and Canada, evoking memories of old movie stars from days gone by. And of course, who has not heard of the Mint Julep from Kentucky, or the Hurricane from New Orleans.

As with all cultures, there will be sports bars with large television screens and avid fans. If this is something you enjoy, be certain to check the season and game times to see when the next hockey, (American) football, soccer (association football), basketball, or baseball game is on and join the noisemaking.

North America is the birthplace of another drinking trend that is spreading throughout the world: the Fake Irish Pub. These establishments will usually be decorated with nicknacks from Ireland and may even have an authentic looking 19th century interior. Sometimes the interior is actually imported from a real Irish pub that has gone out of business. The bar menu almost always consists of Guinness, Harp, and Jameson. Fake Irish pubs may seem tacky to those who have been to the real thing, but they are a genuine part of the landscape in the U.S. and Canada and are often among the most popular bars in town. If you're in a major American city on St. Patrick's Day, a visit to one of these establishments is a must.

Drinking ages vary by country. In the U.S., a government-issued ID, demonstrating its holder is 21 or above, is required to purchase or consume alcohol. Availability to purchase will vary as well; some states issue liquor licenses more broadly allowing you to find alcohol in many shops and stores (California, Washington); while others may only be purchased in state run shops (Utah), or licensed bars and restaurants. In Mexico, the drinking age is 18, sending many young US border residents into the casinos and nightclubs on weekends. In Canada, the drinking age (18 or 19) will vary by territory and province. The drinking age is 18 throughout Central America, though enforcement certainly varies.

Sleep
Hostels are available in the cities, though often in less desirable locations. If hostels are your usual lodging choice, consider options such as the YMCA or a cheap hotel. Independent hotels and international and regional hotel chains are widespread across both Canada and the USA. Most hotel chains have free smart phone apps to make it easy to schedule and keep up with travel itinerary while on the road. In these countries, as well as major tourist regions of Mexico and the Caribbean, high-speed internet service is typically available, though sometime at an additional fee. Hotel chains also offer reward programs and bonuses for frequent travelers, as do some of the online options. Bed and breakfasts are available in many cities and other popular tourist destinations. Camping spots are widely available, generally along highways or near lakes and rivers, many require a small fee, so read signs and inquire. In more populated U.S. national parks (Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone) camping and accommodations within the parks will often need booking up to 12 months in advance. You may also experience challenges with accommodations at the small hotels just outside the parks during high-seasons.

To really experience life in the United States, a small bed and breakfast is the way to go! Bed and breakfasts, which are usually run by the owners who live on the property, will give you a better feel of what it's like to "be an American". Many of these owners have traveled widely, read widely and have knowledge of their area to guide you to those unique experiences in the United States.

Stay safe
Police and other emergency services are widely available most anywhere throughout the United States and Canada as well as most areas of Mexico and usually have fast response times. In the United States, Canada and Mexico, police and other first responders can be summoned in an emergency by dialing 9-1-1 on a compatible phone. Safety varies widely from place to place, so see the appropriate article on the region of interest. Like anywhere, remember to practice good common sense safety procedures and you should be fine.

Many places in North America are occasionally affected by severe weather. Since mountain ranges run from north to south, storms can bring dramatic temperature changes. Cold weather is a seasonal concern in parts of the continent; see winter in North America.

Stay healthy
Tap water is usually safe to drink in Canada and the United States.

While hardly present in dogs in the USA, rabies is a concern when bitten in Central America or a bat in the US. As rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms show (there is only one case of symptomatic rabies being survived by a human documented in the medical record) have a rabies vaccination before you head out and get to a doctor as soon as possible if you are bitten.

Tropical diseases such as dengue and malaria are endemic to much of Central America, especially rural areas and the Caribbean side. If you want to go to Panama you will need a certificate of yellow fever vaccination.

The Zika virus has spread through much of Central America, but it is advisable to check official government advisories and individual country guides on Wikivoyage before you go, as the situation can vary drastically between or even within countries. Zika is particularly dangerous to the unborn and thus pregnant women might want to postpone travel to affected areas.

Connect
Mobile telephone frequencies in the Americas (ITU region 2) differ from most of the rest of the world, with 850 MHz/1900 MHz being the most common frequencies in North America for 3G UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA (AT&T, Bell/Telus, Rogers). A few new entrants, regional carriers and higher-speed data services use 1700 MHz or 2100 MHz.

You should check if your phone operates on the North American frequencies, and that it can connect using 3G, 4G LTE, or 5G. As of 2023, some mobile networks have already shut down or are in the process of shutting down their 2G and 3G networks, and the build out of 5G networks is in progress. If your phone does not support the North American frequencies and the generation of network that is rolled out, it will not be able to call, receive calls, or send or receive messages while in North America.

title: North America


text:
Northampton

There is more than one place called Northampton:

United Kingdom

 * Northampton (England) - The county town of Northamptonshire.

United States of America

 * Northampton (Massachusetts) - A college town and LGBT mecca in the Five College area of Massachusetts.
 * Northampton County - A county in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.

title: Northampton


text:
Northampton (England)

Northampton is the county town of Northamptonshire, and is one of the largest settlements in the UK that is not a city. It is about halfway between the cities of Birmingham and London.

Get in
There are numerous routes into Northampton.

By car
If you're driving in, you'll find that Northampton is well connected by road with many distribution companies being based in and around the town. The M1 motorway passes right through South Northamptonshire, and from here it is about 15 minutes to the town centre. Junctions 15, 15A, and 16 all serve the town.

By bus
Alternatively, National Express offer coach services across the country from Northgate bus station, and a coach park near the mounts baths in the town centre. flixbus also operate some services A branch of Grand Union Canal passes directly through Northampton, so if you own a boat, it's easy enough to get to town over water.

By train
offers frequent train links from Birmingham and London every 30 minutes most times of the day with trains operated by London Northwestern railway The trains to Birmingham New Street cost £11.50 for a one way ticket, and due to the unusual pricing system a return ticket is £11.60. Tickets to London Euston cost £22.80 for a one way ticket, although you might want to opt for a return ticket, as that will cost you only £22.90. Avanti West Coast has one train per day on the Crewe - London Euston route, which calls to set down only around midnight.

The railway station is located approximately 15 minutes walk from the town centre and has frequent buses passing the site. Taxis are also available from outside the station.

By plane
The nearest airports to Northampton are Birmingham, East Midlands, and London Luton Airport in Luton. There are rail and bus links from London, home of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports.

Get around
The most common way of getting around is by car, but on Saturdays expect queues because of the football and rugby games that go on.

Northampton also offers a comprehensive bus service. The main operator in the town is Stagecoach Northampton. Service tends to be more patchy on Sundays; however, Monday to Saturday the bus is a viable method of transportation around the town.

Stagecoach Northampton also offer a number of regional bus routes to the outlying villages and towns in Northamptonshire making exploring small towns like Bugbrooke possible. Arrivabus operate the number 33,33X and 33A to the town

See

Do

 * Northampton Balloon Festival is at Billing Aquadrome in August.
 * Northampton Balloon Festival is at Billing Aquadrome in August.
 * Northampton Balloon Festival is at Billing Aquadrome in August.
 * Northampton Balloon Festival is at Billing Aquadrome in August.
 * Northampton Balloon Festival is at Billing Aquadrome in August.

Buy
Shop along Abington Street, the main pedestrianised shopping area in Northampton.

Both the Grosvenor Centre and Market Walk shopping centres have entrances from this street.

Eat
For its size, Northampton has a good range of restaurants to suit any budget.

Budget

 * It also has all the usual fast food restaurants dotted about town but they can get a bit busy from 6 to 7PM.
 * It also has all the usual fast food restaurants dotted about town but they can get a bit busy from 6 to 7PM.

Drink
Clubs and pubs are located all around Northampton town centre and the night life is pretty lively most of the time.

For alternative music, pubs along the Wellingborough Road cater for grunge, punk and rock with local acts performing on Friday nights.

Connect
Police, fire and ambulance services are all reached from 999 or 112 in an emergency. Northamptonshire Police switchboard is 0300 011 1222 for non-emergency calls, or 101.

Go next

 * Stoke Bruerne is halfway between Northampton and Milton Keynes on the canal and offers a picturesque escape from Northampton.
 * Trains also depart at regular intervals from Northampton railway station for every possible destination in the country using either Milton Keynes Railway Station, London Stations or Birmingham New Street as transit points.

title: Northampton (England)


text:
Northampton (Massachusetts)

Northampton is a city in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. It has a picturesque and vibrant downtown, consisting of numerous art galleries, restaurants and quirky shops sprinkled among coffee shops and performing arts venues. It is home to prestigious Smith College and the Clarke School for the Deaf. Northampton lies 15 miles (25 km) north of the City of Springfield, and 6 miles (10 km) west of Amherst, another bohemian college town.

Understanding
Northampton is nationally known for being a bohemian college town and LGBTQ haven. It is home to Smith College, a prestigious women's college. This small city of 30,000 is populated, mostly, by artists, intellectuals, political activists, hipsters, and a large LGBTQ community.

Long-time residents nickname Northampton "Hamp," while newer residents tend to call it "NoHo." Another nickname for Northampton is the "Paradise City", after opera singer Jenny Lind remarked that Northampton was "the paradise of America."

The Town of Northampton (originally named Nonotuck) was granted its charter in 1654; the City of Northampton was incorporated in 1884.

Liberal politics are an important part of Northampton's scene. By one website's criteria, it was pronounced the most liberal mid-sized city in the country in 2004.

By car
From the east: take the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) to exit 4, and get on Route 91 North. Take exit 18 and turn left.

From the south: take Interstate 91 North to exit 18. Turn left at the light.

From the west: take the Massachusetts Turnpike east to exit 4. At exit 4, get on Interstate 91 North, to exit 18. Turn left off the exit.

You can also take Route 9 east, or Route 2 east to I-91 South, exit 20.

From the north: take Interstate 91 South, exit 20.

By bus
Peter Pan Bus Lines has frequent service from Boston and New York to Northampton. All buses run through Springfield first.

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) provides local bus service throughout the Pioneer Valley, from Northampton and Amherst south to the City of Springfield.

Franklin County Transit Authority (FRTA) runs a bus route from the city of Greenfield south to Northampton.

By train

 * Routes stopping at Northampton:
 * Vermonter operates daily between St. Albans and Washington, D.C. including stops in Essex Junction, Waterbury, Montpelier, White River Junction, Claremont, Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Windsor Locks, Hartford, Meriden, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and New Carrollton. Both southbound and northbound trains depart during the afternoon.
 * Valley Flyer operates twice daily between Greenfield and New Haven including stops in Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, and Wallingford.
 * More frequent commuter service is available at Springfield, which is about a 25-minute drive south of Northampton.
 * More frequent commuter service is available at Springfield, which is about a 25-minute drive south of Northampton.

By plane
Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut is 25 miles (40 km) from Northampton with easy access onto I-91 North.

Boston Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts is 90 miles (145 km) from Northampton, and can be reached by taking the Mass Turnpike.

TF Greene International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island is 92 miles (147 km) from Northampton, and can be reached by taking the Mass Turnpike.

Get around
Like many cities in the Pioneer Valley, Northampton is eminently walkable, but is also a very bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly city. You can also take a PVTA bus around town and to other cities (e.g. Springfield) and towns in the Pioneer Valley (e.g. Amherst.) Lyft and Uber are popular in the area.

 * Zipcars are available for rent by the hour.
 * ValleyBike Share provides electric pedal assist bikes in a number of Pioneer Valley locations.
 * ValleyBike Share provides electric pedal assist bikes in a number of Pioneer Valley locations.

See

 * Peanut Gallery, in the Eastworks building in Easthampton, 10 minutes outside of Northampton. Peanut Gallery specializes in contemporary art, exhibiting the work of unknown and established, local and far away (Tokyo, Belgium) artists side by side. Peanut Gallery is also connected to a store called Peanut . The gallery and store also overlap, featuring one-of-a-kind fashions made by artists and artistic printed matter.
 * Michelson's Gallery, Main Street, This gallery has a lovely permanent collection which includes a Dr. Seuss exhibit (great for kids and adults) with many original sketches and paintings, works by John Lennon, Leonard Nimoy, and others.
 * David Ruggles Center, 225 Nonotuck St, email: info@davidrugglescenter.org. Part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, the David Ruggles Center offers walking tours and hosts visiting groups to educate the public about David Ruggles, Sojourner Truth, Lydia Maria Child and the local Underground Railroad.
 * Michelson's Gallery, Main Street, This gallery has a lovely permanent collection which includes a Dr. Seuss exhibit (great for kids and adults) with many original sketches and paintings, works by John Lennon, Leonard Nimoy, and others.
 * David Ruggles Center, 225 Nonotuck St, email: info@davidrugglescenter.org. Part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, the David Ruggles Center offers walking tours and hosts visiting groups to educate the public about David Ruggles, Sojourner Truth, Lydia Maria Child and the local Underground Railroad.
 * Michelson's Gallery, Main Street, This gallery has a lovely permanent collection which includes a Dr. Seuss exhibit (great for kids and adults) with many original sketches and paintings, works by John Lennon, Leonard Nimoy, and others.
 * David Ruggles Center, 225 Nonotuck St, email: info@davidrugglescenter.org. Part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, the David Ruggles Center offers walking tours and hosts visiting groups to educate the public about David Ruggles, Sojourner Truth, Lydia Maria Child and the local Underground Railroad.
 * David Ruggles Center, 225 Nonotuck St, email: info@davidrugglescenter.org. Part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, the David Ruggles Center offers walking tours and hosts visiting groups to educate the public about David Ruggles, Sojourner Truth, Lydia Maria Child and the local Underground Railroad.

Events

 * First Night, Northampton celebrates the New Year with events all over downtown.
 * Four Sundays In February, escape the winter gloom with four events of fun.
 * Smith College Spring Bulb Show, a reminder that spring is just around the corner.
 * Noho Pride, a celebration of Northampton's large lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, typically held the first Saturday in May.
 * Paradise City Arts Festival, every May and October, a nationally renowned arts and crafts event.
 * Three County Fair, One of the country's longest-running county fairs, a tradition that marks the end of summer.
 * New Century Theater In the summertime, New Century Theater comes to Smith College and puts on a season of plays. Excellent performances! They also have children's theater.
 * Hot Chocolate Run Usually held the first Sunday of December, the Hot Chocolate Run is a popular and festive 5k that benefits Safe Passage, a Northampton organization that provides support and services to people affected by domestic violence.
 * New Century Theater In the summertime, New Century Theater comes to Smith College and puts on a season of plays. Excellent performances! They also have children's theater.
 * Hot Chocolate Run Usually held the first Sunday of December, the Hot Chocolate Run is a popular and festive 5k that benefits Safe Passage, a Northampton organization that provides support and services to people affected by domestic violence.

Do

 * Northampton Bike Trail, 2.7-mile-long linear park from Stoddard St/back of the Stop and Shop on King Street to Look Park/Bridge Rd/JFK school,.
 * Norwottuck Rail Trail, more than 10-mile-long linear park from Woodmont Street off of North Street in Northampton to Belchertown via Hadley and Amherst,.
 * Look Park, off Route 9, This park has a zoo, mini golf, tennis, picnic areas, playgrounds, a waterpark for small children, and a duck pond with paddle boats. It is also home to the Pines Theater, Noho's outdoor theater and concert hall.
 * East Heaven Hot Tubs by the Forbes Library features a roof-top hot tub that is open year-round.
 * Northampton Bike Trail, 2.7-mile-long linear park from Stoddard St/back of the Stop and Shop on King Street to Look Park/Bridge Rd/JFK school,.
 * Norwottuck Rail Trail, more than 10-mile-long linear park from Woodmont Street off of North Street in Northampton to Belchertown via Hadley and Amherst,.
 * Look Park, off Route 9, This park has a zoo, mini golf, tennis, picnic areas, playgrounds, a waterpark for small children, and a duck pond with paddle boats. It is also home to the Pines Theater, Noho's outdoor theater and concert hall.
 * East Heaven Hot Tubs by the Forbes Library features a roof-top hot tub that is open year-round.
 * East Heaven Hot Tubs by the Forbes Library features a roof-top hot tub that is open year-round.
 * East Heaven Hot Tubs by the Forbes Library features a roof-top hot tub that is open year-round.

Buy

 * Sweetie's, Main St. Noho's favorite candy shop. All sorts of candies and chocolates, pay by weight.
 * Synergy, Main St. Great shoe shop!
 * The Mountain Goat, Main St. Great for outdoorsy apparel and shoes.
 * Raven, Right off Main St, best used bookshop in town!
 * Unite Footwear Main St, cutting edge of fashion and trends.
 * Flowers A La Carte In Thornes Marketplace, Main Street, great place for fresh flowers.
 * Turn It Up Pleasant St off Main St, great selection of used CDs and vinyl records. Also some VHS and DVDs. You can listen before you buy.
 * Harlow Leather Main St, upscale travel store. Luggage, leather goods (wallets) bags and purses. Also a good place to buy travel items like money belts and toiletry cases.
 * Flowers A La Carte In Thornes Marketplace, Main Street, great place for fresh flowers.
 * Turn It Up Pleasant St off Main St, great selection of used CDs and vinyl records. Also some VHS and DVDs. You can listen before you buy.
 * Harlow Leather Main St, upscale travel store. Luggage, leather goods (wallets) bags and purses. Also a good place to buy travel items like money belts and toiletry cases.

Eat
This little town is full of restaurants, you can pretty much find anything you crave.
 * Jake's, breakfast-brunch. Your typical diner (with diner coffee) but everything else is delicious. Try banana pancakes or waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Jake's, breakfast-brunch. Your typical diner (with diner coffee) but everything else is delicious. Try banana pancakes or waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Jake's, breakfast-brunch. Your typical diner (with diner coffee) but everything else is delicious. Try banana pancakes or waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Jake's, breakfast-brunch. Your typical diner (with diner coffee) but everything else is delicious. Try banana pancakes or waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.
 * Bueno y Sano, Main St, A mix of El Salvadorian, Mexican, and healthy foods. Known for big burritos, great vegetarian options, and the barbecue chicken burrito.

Drink

 * Tunnel Bar Across from Pearl St Nightclub, underneath The Depot Restaurant. Swanky, in a tunnel.  Leather armchairs and expensive, but tasty, martinis.
 * Packard's Only bar that allows 18+, but only on the first floor.  Serves food.  Second and third floors have pool and foosball.
 * Tunnel Bar Across from Pearl St Nightclub, underneath The Depot Restaurant. Swanky, in a tunnel.  Leather armchairs and expensive, but tasty, martinis.
 * Packard's Only bar that allows 18+, but only on the first floor.  Serves food.  Second and third floors have pool and foosball.
 * Tunnel Bar Across from Pearl St Nightclub, underneath The Depot Restaurant. Swanky, in a tunnel.  Leather armchairs and expensive, but tasty, martinis.
 * Packard's Only bar that allows 18+, but only on the first floor.  Serves food.  Second and third floors have pool and foosball.
 * Tunnel Bar Across from Pearl St Nightclub, underneath The Depot Restaurant. Swanky, in a tunnel.  Leather armchairs and expensive, but tasty, martinis.
 * Packard's Only bar that allows 18+, but only on the first floor.  Serves food.  Second and third floors have pool and foosball.

Go next

 * Springfield
 * Amherst

title: Northampton (Massachusetts)


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Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire, or Northants, is a landlocked county in England. At the 2011 census, the county had an estimated population of 693,900.

Towns and villages

There are many towns within Northamptonshire but as of yet no cities, although Peterborough was in Northamptonshire until 1965. Northampton itself applied for city status at the turn of the Millennium, but lost out to Wolverhampton.

Towns

 * – county town

Villages

 * – a village known for its nearby Silverstone Circuit, a must for any Formula 1 motor-racing fans

Understand
In the 18th and 19th centuries, parts of Northamptonshire and the surrounding area became industrialised. The local specialisation was shoemaking and the leather industry and by the end of the 19th century it was almost definitively the boot and shoe making capital of the world. In the north of the county a large ironstone quarrying industry developed from 1850. During the 1930s, the town of Corby was established as a major centre of the steel industry. Much of Northamptonshire nevertheless remains largely rural.

Traditionally, the town of Northampton has been a major centre of shoemaking and other leather related industries. Shoemaking has virtually ceased, though the back streets of the town still show the pattern of small shoe factories surrounded by terraced houses for the outworkers. The main industries now include distribution and finance.

Motor racing and engineering are growing sectors of the county's economy. The Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit has meant that multiple Formula 1 teams, like Mercedes-Benz at Brackley and Force India at Silverstone are based in the county. The Rockingham Motor Speedway, near the town of Corby is home to the likes of British Formula 3 and the British Touring Car Championship.

By train

 * Avanti West Coast from London Euston to Northampton (45 min).
 * West Midlands Railway from Birmingham International to Northampton (50 min).
 * East Midlands Railway from London St Pancras to Kettering (1 hr) and Corby (1 hr 10 min).

Get around

 * Stagecoach Buses link the towns of Oundle, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and Northampton with the X4 service.

See

 * The famous Express Lifts Tower, Northampton.
 * Grand Union Canal, including Blisworth Tunnel and the Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum, near Towcester.
 * The Triangular Lodge, near the village of Rushton, near Kettering.
 * The village of Fotheringhay, near Oundle, where Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded in 1587. The village was also the birthplace of King Richard III in 1452.
 * Althorp Estate where Princess Diana is buried. near Northampton

Do

 * Cricket: Northamptonshire CCC play at the County Ground in Northampton.
 * Visit the famous Northampton Saints rugby club
 * Northampton Balloon Festival
 * Silverstone F1 British Grand Prix

title: Northamptonshire


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North Coast-Nechako

The North Coast-Nechako is a region in British Columbia, Canada. It stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast and Alaska Panhandle.

Nechako

 * — the largest city in the northern BC, and its business and government centre, but not one of its tourist centres
 * — one of British Columbia's oldest permanent European settlements and the site of a national historic site consisting of a reconstructed fur trading post
 * — a charming alpine town that is a good base for exploring the surrounding wilderness
 * — a farming, ranching, forestry and mining community in the geographic centre of British Columbia

North Coast

 * — a coastal city with ferry and rail links
 * — the regional retail and service hub for the northwestern portion of British Columbia
 * — a town that was built in the 1950s to support an aluminum industry
 * — small indigenous village and southern terminus of Stewart-Cassiar Highway
 * — small village with a blend of wilderness scenery, ancient culture, and frontier history

Stikine

 * — a destination for fishing, hiking and heliskiing that is only accessible by vehicle if you first head up to the Yukon
 * — a wilderness and hunting destination on the Stewart–Cassiar Highway, an alternate route that connects to the Alaska Highway.
 * — a village on the Alaska border, opposite Hyder, AK, surrounded by breathtaking mountains, an emerald rainforest, clean fresh air and pure drinking water

Other destinations

 * - a historic first nations and Klondike Gold Rush trail between Alaska and British Columbia operated by the United States' and Canada's national park agencies
 * — a ski resort that is relatively unknown, despite the huge amounts of fresh powder it receives, located 35 km west of Terrace (see Terrace article)
 * — a vast area of untouched wilderness
 * — a linear park that follows the river; ideal for a week-long canoe and camping trip
 * — a wilderness area and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the province's far northwest corner
 * — the largest man-made lake in British Columbia

Understand
The most developed part of this region is along the Yellowhead Highway. Once you venture off the highway or along the coast, you will find vast expanses of untouched wilderness and very few people. This is an area where first-growth rainforest meets rugged snowcapped peaks, framed by labyrinthine ocean inlets that rival the fjords of Norway.

The climate is temperate near coastal regions, becoming colder as you travel east and north from the Pacific Ocean.

Talk
The official language is English, though you will hear indigenous languages if you are in villages inhabited by the First Nations People.

By car
The main highways into the North Coast-Nechako are Highways 16 and 97, where they intersect in Prince George.
 * BC-16 (TCH).svg Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) connects the region with Alberta, where it continues east to Jasper and Edmonton.
 * BC-37.svg Highway 37 (Stewart-Cassiar Highway) an alternative route from Alaska, and splits from the Alaska Highway in the Yukon just west of Watson Lake. It joins the Yellowhead Highway in Kitwanga.
 * BC-97.svg Highway 97 connects to the rest British Columbia to the south, it also heads northeast to Dawson Creek where it becomes the Alaska Highway and continues to the Yukon and Alaska.

By plane
Airports within this region with scheduled commercial flights:

 * Prince George Airport has flights departing multiple times daily from Vancouver and more limited departures from Calgary.  This is the busiest airport in the region.
 * Prince Rupert has a small airport with daily flights from Vancouver
 * Terrace has Northwest Regional Airport with daily flights from Vancouver.

By bus

 * Between Prince George and Fort St. John with stops in Mackenzie, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Taylor.
 * Between Prince George and Valemount with a stops in McBride and Tete Jaune Cache.
 * Between Prince George and Valemount with a stops in McBride and Tete Jaune Cache.

By train

 * The route is sometimes referred to by its old name, The Skeena. The train makes three departures per direction per week and is more of a scenic excursion than a cost-effective means of transportation.
 * The train is the means of getting to the Canadian trailhead of the Chilkoot Trail located in Bennett City, British Columbia.

By boat

 * Crossing time between Ketchikan and Prince Rupert is 6.25 to 7.5 hours.
 * Ferry terminals:
 * is served by the following routes:
 * Along the Inside Passage route from Port Hardy in North Vancouver Island via Bella Bella on the Central Coast and/or Klemtu. Crossing time between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert is 16.25 hours to 22 hours, depending on stops along the way.
 * From Graham Island (Skidgegate) in Haida Gwaii to Prince Rupert. Crossing time is 7 to 8 hours
 * is served by the following routes:
 * Along the Inside Passage route between Port Hardy in North Vancouver Island and Prince Rupert via Bella Bella on the Central Coast and/or Klemtu.

Get around
You will want to travel by car to cover the vast distances. Vehicle rentals are available in Prince Rupert and Prince George.

By public transit
BC Transit operates bus routes within communities such as Prince George, Prince Rupert, Smithers, and Terrace. Bus services also connect cities several days per week between the following communities:

 * Terrace and New Hazelton (Hazeltons Transit System)
 * New Hazelton and Smithers (Hazeltons Transit System)
 * Smithers and Burns Lake (Bulkley-Nechako Transit System)
 * Burns Lake and Prince George via Vanderhoof (Bulkley-Nechako Transit System)

By boat
A couple of ferry routes operate in this region, enabling travel to rural communities. Ferries in this region:

See
The rugged beauty of the region is its main attraction.

 * Totem poles can be found throughout the region. They are important cultural monuments for the region's First Nations peoples.
 * Prince Rupert hosts sites that tell the history of BC's North Coast. The Museum of Northern British Columbia explores the 10,000-year history of the Haida, Tsimishian, Tlingit, and Nisga First Nations. The North Pacific Cannery, a National Historic Site, is the oldest, most completely preserved cannery remaining of two hundred-or-so that once dotted BC's North Coast. The Sunken Gardens in Prince Rupert are heritage gardens with a spectacular display of colourful, lush flowers, shrubs and trees.

 * The Kitselas Canyon National Historic Site (near Terrace) encompasses approximately 5000 years of First Nations history and is a place of major significance to the Tsimshian people.

 * The Salmon Glacier, near Stewart, is an impressive glacier viewpoint that is car-accessible, but access is only via Hyder, Alaska, so bring your passport. You can also view Bear Glacier from the highway near Stewart. Speaking of bears, there are bear watching opportunities around Stewart, especially during the salmon run.

Do
Prince Rupert and Terrace are famous for fishing expeditions, mostly for salmon and halibut, with potential catches over a hundred pounds. There are many charter companies operating. Haida Gwaii also offers excellent sport fishing.

Hudson Bay Mountain near Smithers has first-class ski slopes.

Most towns have trails for hiking, horse-riding, cross-country skiing, mountain biking and/or snowmobiling, including the Fort Nelson Demonstration Forest, Twin Falls and Glacier Gulch Trails near Smithers, and Waterlily Lake Trails near Vanderhoof.

There are numerous provincial parks scattered through the region that offer opportunities for camping, fishing, more hiking, canoeing, wildlife and bird watching, and being along in the wilderness.

Stay safe
See dangerous animals for information on safety in bear country.

Go next

 * Head across to Haida Gwaii via BC Ferries.
 * Head down to Vancouver Island via BC Ferries stunning Inside Passage.
 * Cross over and visit Alaska.

title: North Coast-Nechako


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North Atlantic Coast (Morocco)

The North Atlantic Coast of Morocco is one of the busiest areas in the country and home to the capital city.

Cities

 * - the capital of Morocco; very relaxed and hassle-free, highlights include a 12th-century tower and minaret
 * - this modern city by the sea is a starting point for visitors flying into the country. If you have the time, both the historical medina and the contemporary mosque (the second largest in the world) are well worth an afternoon
 * - the former Portuguese colony of Mazagan. A UNESCO World Heritage site
 * - main harbour of the former Spanish protectorate and charming seaside town
 * - city on the banks of the Bou Regreg river, located opposite its neighbouring capital Rabat.
 * - city on the banks of the Bou Regreg river, located opposite its neighbouring capital Rabat.

Other destinations

 * – a small beach town about an hour south of Tangier. It is the home of a great festival in August, with music and bazaars

Get in
Rabat–Salé Airport

title: North Atlantic Coast (Morocco)


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North Attleborough

North Attleborough is a town in Massachusetts with a population of 31,000 (2020). It is often written as "North Attleboro". A small subdivision of Attleboro, this town includes North Attleborough Center and Attleboro Falls.

Plainville is a town with a population of 10,000 (2020).

By car
North Attleborough has exits from two interstates: I-95 and I-295 northbound.

Also, Route 1 runs straight through it as Washington Street.

By train
There is an MBTA Train station in nearby South Attleboro adjacent to Route 1A

Buy
North Attleborough’s Route 1 is home to a plethora of chain retail stores, both in and independent of the many strip malls and one traditional mall.

Sleep
There is a stretch of motels along Route 1.

title: North Attleborough