alone in the wilderness

Dick Preonekke goes to live in the wilderness in Alaska for a year. There is a clip on youtube that i took these from if you search.

Why is it that 'wilderness' seems to only refer to areas of North America?

I'm taking the word back.

29th April: The other day i watched dances with wolves and after, i looked up the satellite view of the US and then i remembered why the wilderness for a lot means the North american wilderness. Because in the US it's not there anymore. It's all grids and grids. Farms i think. It's gone.