America is the name of a whole continent. United States of America means that the United States belongs to America and NOT that America belongs to the United States. So, next time you want to refer to The United States of America, you can do it as U.S. or the States or whatever you want but not as only America. Gotcha?
Here we will show you some wrong and correct uses of the term America:
Please, note that this page in not about demonyms (gentilics) but about the way to call a country.
These terms and conditions contain rules about posting comments. By submitting a comment, you are declaring that you agree with these rules:
Failure to comply with these rules may result in being banned from submitting further comments.
These terms and conditions are subject to change at any time and without notice.
Let the world know that USA should not be called America! America is one whole continent.
Comments (1254)
Brits vs United-Statians
https://twitter.com/tealisa_/status/1306053274144038912
What did it says? The tweets are now deleted.
It was a classic meme with some of girls. One United Statian claiming to be American, a Brit behind her just watching, and on the other side a Brazilian reminding the United Statian what she is.
I don't know what happened. Maybe David complained and it got censored. Remember Twitter is also a United Statian company.
Well said!
http://affinitymagazine.us/2016/11/02/reminder-the-united-states-is-not-america/
that article is partially wrong. america is 1 continent, not 2.
Hi Setsuko!
To me, it doesn’t matter for America to be 1 or 2 continents. It can be seen both ways.
All that matters is … America is never just 1 country by itself! It is forever 35 independent countries that are apart of the Western Hemisphere!
and also contains territorries owned by european countries.
Where is the United States physically located?
Northern America
https://9gag.com/gag/a43wq6p
Hauahauahaua
https://novni.com/letters/read/255804/the-americans-are-more
Why does a country that wants to be called America need the continent not to also be called America? if there are different districts that share the same name clarifying their status, for example City of Buenos Aires and Province of Buenos Aires, or Mexico, the country, Mexico City and the State of Mexico, or in the United States itself that are in Washington D.C. Washington State.
Has no sense!
America includes too many nations for a country to try to compare with.
Nevertheless, following your example, you could say United States of Washington.
It is not that a country cannot include the name of the continent it is in, as South Africa or the existence of a few years in the 19th century of the "Republic de Centro America" shows. But some distinctive in its name that it is not the continent must have! in the case of the country we are talking about, it is the words "United States", which in fact are the ones that most identify it and is the main part of its name, not "America".
I agree
soma soma, if that would be the case, it would be half acceptable, but the case seems to be that the USA has totally controlled the name and in order to not have to share the same name with the continent, they had the idea of dividing the continent into two so that the continent's name America no longer fits and now they can call it The Americas for being two. But this is not something that the rest of America embraces so it is only the English language countries teaching that view.
What do you guys think of Abya Yala to rename the continent or at least everything below the US?
If you use it to refer to America as a synonym, I think it can be OK, but not only to mean non-Anglo America.
Otherwise somebody else will invent a new country name like "United Pot of Abya Yala" and the people will call themselves Abya Yalans instead of United Pots.
HAAAHAHAHAHAhahaha
América de Cali llora la pérdida de uno de sus campeones de 1979
https://bit.ly/3iQ3wuL
If they are called The United States of America and they like the word America so much, then the most logical abbreviation of the country's name is "US America"!
Well said Soma! After all they aren’t a 1-letter abbreviation (as if it was just A). They are instead a 3-letter abbreviation which is USA!
With U.S. in front of America(ns), it refers to the country and its citizens!
Without U.S. in front of America(ns), it refers to the 1 or 2 American continent(s) and its/their residents!!!
I personally don’t even care how many downvotes I get for speaking this comment because it makes sense in reality!
WOW
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dchtv5w5_1cvdz4jx4
That is so good, do you have the source? Or it is yours?
No, it is not mine. I found it online by coincidence when reading something else. I read that it was censured a lot at the beginning in United Statian sites, so it was later distributed by Americans to other sites.
that document uses a slur