<P> The color of pumpkins derives from orange carotenoid pigments, including beta - cryptoxanthin, alpha and beta carotene, all of which are provitamin A compounds converted to vitamin A in the body . </P> <P> All pumpkins are winter squash: mature fruit of certain species in the genus Cucurbita . Characteristics commonly used to define "pumpkin" include smooth and slightly ribbed skin, and deep yellow to orange color . Circa 2005, white pumpkins had become increasingly popular in the United States . Other colors, including dark green (as with some oilseed pumpkins), also exist . </P> <P> Pumpkins are grown all around the world for a variety of reasons ranging from agricultural purposes (such as animal feed) to commercial and ornamental sales . Of the seven continents, only Antarctica is unable to produce pumpkins; the biggest international producers of pumpkins include the United States, Canada, Mexico, India, and China . The traditional American pumpkin used for jack - o - lanterns is the Connecticut Field variety . </P> <P> As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 680,000,000 kilograms (1.5 billion pounds) of pumpkins are produced each year . The top pumpkin - producing states include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California . </P>

Is a pumpkin a berry or a gourd