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 (1216)
Switzerland is Switzerland, not "Europe." Nor is Switzerland "The United Cantons of Europe," although it is a union of cantons--in Europe. The United States of America and the United Arab Emirates (of Asia, or UAE) are the only two countries on the entire face of Earth without proper names of their own. The problem of wrongly using "America" to identify the USA is so widespread now, that it would be impossible to change that. Another crappy habit we have is that of incorrectly calling Redskins, Arapahos, Cherokees, etc., "Indians." These nasty, terrible, ignorant, habits of centuries are not going to correct themselves... unless... the U.S. were to conduct a national plebiscite in order to baptize itself. Such an important country, as the US indeed is, should definitely have a name of its own!
You need to do some research before you post.
“The United States of America and the United Arab Emirates (of Asia, or UAE) are the only two countries on the entire face of Earth without proper names of their own.”
Wrong. There is nothing that isn’t “proper” about these names. The United States of America is a “proper” name, and since no other country has this name, the name is its own. Also, I can think of at least two other countries off the top of my head that have this kind of name: the Central African Republic and South Africa. How very sloppy on your part.
I disagree on, ‘Switzerland is Switzerland, not "Europe." Nor is Switzerland "The United Cantons of Europe," although it is a union of cantons--in Europe.’ If Switzerland is in Europe, well then Switzerland is BOTH Switzerland and Europe(an). There is no reason to call them United Cantons of Europe.
I can agree on: “The United States of America and the United Arab Emirates (of Asia, or UAE) are the only two countries on the entire face of the Earth without proper names of their own”.
I am thinking of a 3rd country that should have a proper name of its own: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland! I wouldn’t be sure if it’s demonym would be United Kingdomites, Great Britainites or Northern Irelandites.
I so agree with this website. We are all Americans from Canada down to the southern tip (I am not sure what country is on the southern tip without a little research) of South America. A lot of people from the states have usurped "America" and it is commonly used to describe just us. This is not true. Mexicans are Americans. Canadians are Americans. I may not have a lot of agreement on this site, but I don't really care:)
It asks below what country I am in and it states the United States.
The word ‘America’ has multiple meanings. One of those meanings is ‘the Americas’. Because of this meaning, America is the Americas. Another meaning of ‘America’, one regularly used by billions of people in many languages, is ‘the United States of America’. Because of this meaning, America is the United States of America. This is just how language works. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it. Formal logic and set theory have absolutely nothing to do with it. Languages are not inherently and consistently logical in the way that mathematical logic is.
"America" means "las tierras de Américo" (the lands of Americo). Américo Vespucio (italian name: Amerigo Vespucci) was the explorer who realized that Columbus didn't land in India, but in a new continent. Americo never set foot on the current territory of the United States. Americo explored SOUTH America instead. The first time the name "America" appeared on a map, it was written over Brazil. So, what do the United States have to do with Americo or America?
By your “logic”, what does Mexico have to do with America? Or Guatemala? Or any country in North America? The simple answer: they are all in the Americas. This isn’t difficult.
If America is the United States, where is South America? In Texas?
No, South America is the southern continent of the Americas. This isn’t complicated.
Are you saying that someone can be South American and not be American? Are you stupid or your parents were cousins?
You're being deliberately dense. America has two meanings.
I just want to say, as a New Mexican, that we aren’t like the other gringo states in the United States. We have a unique culture that is just as colorful and historic as any country in Latin America. I’m so sorry that we let the United Stations steal our land and “United Statify” us. Trust me, we really are trying hard to keep our Latin American heritage alive no matter how hard the US is trying to change us. Believe me, we aren’t like the other states, we are uniquely New Mexico.
As a former New Mexican I can attest to this as well. Even us gringos immerse ourselves in that culture. To suggest there is even an "Amercan" culture in the United States is ridiculous. I've been to every region of this country and each has a different culture and even dialects people in other areas don't understand. The only thing they seem to have in common is McDonald's. Lol. Even then the menus have variances.
Can you send me some green chile? It's really hard to find in Georgia.
My father always told me that the whole continent is America and he hated when people referred to the United States as simply "America". I do have to point one thing out, during the Olympic games, do you ever see a uniform that says "America" or does it say "USA"?
You realize that there is a difference between a country’s official name and its common or colloquial names, right? Also, what your father loves or hates is important to him, but doesn’t dictate the meanings of words, and how they are used by billions of people.
Even USA is incorrect. It's just U.S.
I watched a recent French/German documentary called ‘The Age of Tanks’. It revealed a lot about the current international usage of ‘American’ and ‘U.S. American’. Every person interviewed—whether speaking English, French, German, or Russian—used their language’s version of the word ‘American’ to refer to citizens of the U.S. They also used the adjective form to refer to things of or relating to the U.S. Only the English-speaking narrator ever used the term ‘U.S. American’, and she used it only sometimes. She regularly used ‘American’ as an adjective and noun to refer to the U.S. and its citizens. So, ‘U.S. American’ is showing up a little bit out there in the world, but ‘American’ dominates in many languages, among billions of people.
I am a United Station?
Usonian
This is ridiculous. Why can a person identify as a boy or girl but cannot identify as an American?
I am American from Maryland. When i go abroad i say im from America. If they get offended and say they are too, I tell them no, you are from Columbia as Columbia does not have the name America in it. USA of course does. I feel people are just looking for reasons to be offended. Seriously, never ever going to change.
it's Colombia,not Columbia. They're still from America because America is a continent, not a country.
That's because you don't know the name of your own country.
“That in all continental commissions, and other instruments, where, heretofore, the words ‘United Colonies’ have been used, the stile be altered for the future to the “United States.”