The Cygnus X region. XVI. The ionized gas behind the dark cloud between the North America and Pelican nebulae.

Radio recombination line observations are presented for the ionized gas at selected positions behind the dark cloud separating the North America and Pelican nebulae. The high angular resolution of about 3 arcmin makes it possible to sample the different structural components. The lines are dominated by ionized gas physically similar to that of the visible nebulae. A further extended background source is identified and briefly discussed in terms of an Ori A-type H II region in the Perseus spiral arm.