USA is not America

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?

America

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 (1248)

Isabel(United States)says...

So it’s a fallacy that other countries besides USA have America in their official name. It’s strange how you avoid this fact and act like what I posted was wrong. You really like posting fallacies. Fallacies make the weakest arguments.

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

Is a fact that the United States was founded in the continent of America. Anything or anyone who takes America as his/her its name is only copying the name of the continent. The U.S. took the name of the continent and you can't hide that. Or do you have another historical fact that you can share with us in how the U.S. came up with the name "America"?

Isabel(United States)says...

We are both United Statians and Americans.

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

As a countryperson people from the USA are Estadounidenses or United Statians, as a person from the continent, they are Americans as every other continental citizen

Isabel(United States)says...

I think it is a fact that USA is the only country to have the word America in the official name of the country. I looked at lists of official country names from the United Nations. In both English and Spanish USA is the only country to use the word America. Like you say it is in some official seals and flags of countries in Central America. But it isn’t in their official names. Even if other countries had America in their name USA would still be called America by many people so I don’t understand why it matters if America is in the name of other countries.

Isabel(United States)says...

The UN list in French also shows USA to be the one country with Amérique in the official name.

Andreasays...

The offical name is United States of America (the), however the official short name used by the UN, all of the international organizations and even the own country is United States (the), abreviated as US, U.S., USA, U.S.A.

America is not the official short name of the country. Even the consitution starts with: "We the poeple of the United States..." ommitting the "America" part.

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

The United States included the name of the continent "America" due to the country being in America to draw a line between America and Europe. The issue is that people use it thinking is the name of the country, when it is not. It is the name of the continent in which the United States was born from! So as much as the citizens of the U.S. are Americans due to the continent in which the country is, citizens in all the countries in America are also Americans. By the U.S. using the name of the continent does not mean it is only theirs.

Andysays...

FACTS!!

americansays...

We will soon celebrate the discovery of America (12th of October)

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

Exactly, the discovery of the new world and named America, and not of the United States

Andreasays...

@Mrs. Anonymous unfortunately wikipedia is obnoxious: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_America_(United_States)

>:|

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

Yes I saw that. Everyone can add info to Wiki and this is one of the examples. Middle America is a colloquial language and is not use often. It is not standard. I see it as a consequential action of those who were taught that the USA is America but has no way to explain this erroneous way of thought. Little by little as time passes those who think America is the name given to the USA introduce or bring mistakes like this example posted on wiki as if Middle America is in the middle of the USA. Especially when we know throughout history that the original and only middle of America is Central America. Ultimately society, especially those who control it, have been introducing new meanings to old words or changing the meaning just because it fits their cause. But, history is clear, America is the name of the continent.

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

Meso America is not in the middle of the United States but in the middle of America the continent

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

America Central means that portion of America that is located in its center! Not in the USA!

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

And yet another one from Wiki: This one is Nicaragua's coat of arms and it says America Central: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Nicaragua#/media/File:Coat_of_arms_of_Nicaragua.svg

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

By the way to those who don't know, America Central or Central America is not, I repeat is NOT in the middle of the United States!

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

I know the issue with Wiki but it was the easiest picture to upload. This is from El Salvador's coat of arms which it clearly says in America Central: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escudo_de_El_Salvador#/media/Archivo:Coat_of_arms_of_El_Salvador.svg

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

Why separate the one continent America? For what reason? Why one country took the name of the continent?

Sebassays...

I think that's just fine. You could name all countries after the continent as well. Costa Rica of America, Argentina of América, Guatemala of América, Chile of América, Panamá of América, Venezuela of América, and so on...

But it is actually obvious, so no need to be redundant like our Northern American neighbors.

Andreasays...

Exatly it could be a similar case as Uruguay or Venezuela: República Oriental del Uruguay and República Bolivariana de Venezuela. I say that Central American countries should had left the Central America part in their name. Example: República Centroamericana de Costa Rica. That at least could have helped in the fallacy of "USA is the only country that contains the word with america in it."

Fun fact some Central American countries that were part of the Central American nation have in their National Emblems or Coat of Arms or flag the words AMERICA CENTRAL in them.

Mrs. Anonymoussays...

Yes its true, countries in Central America use C.A.(Centro America) after their name ex: Honduras, C.A. And as you stated the flags of many Central American countries do include America Central in it. In some coins and bills they do use America Central or Centro America.



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