Sports in North America Canadian Confederation in 1867. As for the United States, it became the center of professional boxing in the early 20th century. The major world sanctioning bodies in boxing are based in North America: the International Boxing Federation (Springfield, New Jersey), the World Boxing Association (Panama City), the World Boxing Council (Mexico City), and the World Boxing Organization (San Juan, Puerto Rico). A few North American countries hold their own Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing series. The Triple Crown in the United States consists of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. The Canadian Triple Crown has the
North America the third largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe. In 2013, its population was estimated at nearly 579 million people in 23 independent states, or about 7.5% of the world's population, if nearby islands (most notably the Caribbean) are included. North America was reached by its first human populations during the last glacial period, via crossing the Bering land bridge approximately 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. The so-called Paleo-Indian period is taken to have lasted until about 10,000 years ago (the beginning of the Archaic or Meso-Indian period). The