Indeed, U.S.A. is not America!
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?
How should I use the term America then?
Here we will show you some wrong and correct uses of the term America:
This is how we do it in America.
This is how we do it in the States.
- America is my country and I love it.
- The United States is my country and I love it.
- America lost the Vietnam war.
- U.S.A. lost the Vietnam war.
- Here in America we love Mc Donald's.
- Here in the U.S. we love Mc Donald's.
Please, note that this page in not about demonyms (gentilics) but about the way to call a country.
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Comments (1208)
If we have to follow the Waldseemüller map, then you are wrong to use the name ‘America’ for the Americas. The Waldseemüller map names North America as ‘Parias’ and South America as ‘America’. So, since we have to follow Waldseemüller, it is INCORRECT to use the name ‘America’ for all of the Americas. ‘America’ is only the name for South America. THE AMERICAS ARE NOT AMERICA!!!!! WE MUST FOLLOW THE WALDSEEMÜLLER MAP!!!!
This is a highly detailed scan of the Waldseemüller map of 1507:
https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3200.ct000725C/?r=-0.092,-0.043,1.009,0.569,0
A better link: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3200.ct000725C/
“The Caribbean Islands, including ‘Isabella’ (Cuba) and ‘Spagnolla’ (Hispaniola), are shown off the eastern coast, in a sea labelled for the first time as ‘Oceanus Occidentalis’, or Western Sea. The continent supports Spanish claims to the region by flying the flag of Castile, but is not given the name of America. Instead, in its southern regions, it is named ‘Parias’ in capital letters. So the great birth certificate of America actually calls North America ‘Parias’, a word taken from Vespucci’s account of his meeting with the local inhabitants who used it to designate their homeland.
The map reserves the name ‘America’ to describe the southern land mass, and is placed in the location of modern-day Brazil.”
From: A History of the World in 12 Maps by Jerry Brotton; p. 174
THE NAME ‘CUBA’ IS WRONG! WE HAVE TO CALL IT ‘ISABELLA’. THAT IS WHAT THE MAP SAYS!
“Waldseemüller’s America actually identified what is today South America. “Parias” is the name Waldseemüller identified with what is today North America.”
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/apr25/america-beautiful/
“Parias was described by Waldseemüller's follower, Johannes Schöner as: "The island of Parias, which is not a part or portion of the foregoing [America] but a large, special part of the fourth part of the world", indicating uncertainty as to its situation.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldseemüller_map
“The name America, such a natural poetic counterpart to Asia, Africa and Europa, had filled a vacuum, and there was no going back, especially not after the young Gerardus Mercator, destined to become the century's most influential cartographer, decided that the whole of the New World, not just its southern part, should be so labeled. The two names he put on his 1538 world map are the ones we've used ever since: North America and South America.”
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-waldseemuller-map-charting-the-new-world-148815355/
Since we HAVE TO follow the Waldseemüller map, we CANNOT call the Caribbean Sea the Caribbean Sea. THAT NAME IS WRONG. We have to call it either the Oceanus Occidentalis or the Occidentalis Oceanus, as it is named on the Waldseemüller map. WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE MAP!!!!
The Waldseemüller map was printed in 1507. The word ‘Caribbean’ originated roughly 250 years later. THE WORD CARIBBEAN IS WRONG!!!! YOU CANNOT USE IT!!!!
Caribbean (adj.)
"of or pertaining to the Caribs," also "of the sea between the West Indies and the South American mainland," by 1750s, from Carib, indigenous people's name for themselves, + -ean.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/caribbean
First Known Use of Caribbean
1772, in the meaning defined above
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Caribbean
Most people believe that summer is hottest than winter because "the Earth is closer to the sun in summer". What the less learned believe does not matter; even if they are majority. US citizens are the less authorized to talk about Geography. In a world contest about Geography, they would come last. A CBS news channel showed a map of Colombia to illustrate the election of Pope Francis, who is from Argentina. Ask a US citizen what the capital of Argentina is, and they will tell you "Rio".
Graciela Borges wrote: “Since 1507, America is the name of the whole continent, from Canada to Argentina.”
Are you saying that we have to name things today exactly as they were named on the 1507 Waldseemüller map? Words, including place names, change and develop different meanings all the time. As you know, this has happened to the word ‘America’. Are you denying the fact that this change has taken place, or are you saying that the change that has taken place is “incorrect”?
Yes, I am saying that we have to respect the names that other people from other countries have chosen to name their places. If you arrive last to the American continent, and pretend to steal its name because you weren't intelligent enough to come up with a country name, that is at least imperialist.
Change the names of your states, if you want; but respect other peoples' places and their names.
June 14 is the debut date of the 2019 edition of COPA AMERICA, one of the most important football tournaments around the world. COPA AMERICA. Do you understand? Ten countries of AMERICA will participate, and the United States is not one of them, because their football team is not good enough. Another word that yankees got wrong is football.
When will you and your ilk learn that proof of the existence of one meaning of ‘America’ does not disprove the existence of the word’s other meanings? Yes, we know, ‘America’ can mean ‘the Americas’. We also know that it can mean the USA. You can list all the soccer tournaments you want. You can mention the 5 rings of the Olympic flag. You can pretend that the name of the Organization of American States is some devastating proof of your so-called argument. Yet, after all this, the fact remains that many, many, many people use ‘America’ to mean the USA. Sorry, kids, but facts are facts. The truth sometimes hurts, but it shall set you free.
AGHHH YESSS PRAISE HIM!!!! PREACH!!!!!! I LOVE THIS!!