Why do U.S citizens say that America is the name of their country if America is a whole continent?

Question

America is from Alaska to Chile!!!!. Canadians don't say that they are "americans"...why don't you say that you are united statens or something like that?

Answer 1

Actually it is two continents.

Answer 2

Only globalists think in terms of entire continents

They named North America, America way before they knew the rest existed

Answer 3

It is not America, but is Americas

Note the s on the end.

But it was not US citizens, who startedcalling what is now the US america.

What is now the US, has always been shown on maps, as america.

Go look at old 16th, 17th ,18th or 19th century maps.

But who really cares, any country can call themselves, whatever they want to.

If the US wants to call the country America,

What business is it of anyone else ?

Answer 4

1. The United States of America is the only country in the Americas that has the word "America" in its name. Canadians don't call themselves Americans because their country isn't called America.

2. In English, "United States" is an awkward term. It's not possible to say I'm a "United Statesian" or "United Stateser", so the demonym "American" is used in its place.

In response to the comment about the "American continent", North America and South America are on two separate tectonic plates so are generally considered to be two separate continents.

Answer 5

I think that it's a combination of arrogance, ignorance and laziness.

Also, and I may be mistaken, but I think that the U.S. was the first country in the Americas, so people may use that excuse.

Answer 6

well they're just plain crazy

Answer 7

Well, one way to look out it is that the official title is "United States OF America."  As in, the United States that exist on the American continent.  From what I remember from history class people didn't refer to themselves as being from the country United States of America until after the Civil War.  Before that almost everyone would refer to themselves as being "Virginian" or "Georgian" etc.  So when people began to identify with their country instead of their state, "Americans" sounded better than "United Statians" and it became the common usage.

Answer 8

It is a shortened version of United States of America

Answer 9

"Americans" has been a designation for citizens of the United States for over a century.

Why are you just now getting upset about it?

You want to call yourself "American", please feel free...but understand that the rest of the world calls the people of the US "Americans".

Answer 10

We don't say that America is the name of our country, we say the United States of America is our country, or just the United States.  We just call ourselves American's.  Just like Mexico calls themselves Mexicans & Canada calls themselves Canadians.

Answer 11

The term was taken on as people from other nations began reffering to U.S. citizens as "Americans," not the other way around.

Answer 12

We say America because this country is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. We also refer to our Country as the USA. There is North America and South America, they are the continents. Canada is on the North American continent, therefore they can refer to themselves as North Americans just like people in South America refer to themselves as South American.

Answer 13

Funny I thought the full name was "The UNITED STATES of America"  But just America for short.  Do you know something I don't?

Answer 14

How come that Italian Amerigo Vespuci gets so much of the glory anyway?

Answer 15

They're just shortening United States of America. I agree, it would be more accurate to say the United States. It just caught on to say "America". It's not just the U.S. citizens like you claim. Most of the world does this.

Actually you're wrong. It's two continents. North American and South America. Did you flunk science class in grade school?

Answer 16

yea, iv thought of the same thing before just to lazy to ask

American sounds better that "united Statian" though and is much easier to say

Answer 17

because the name is United States of America. and we call ourselves american because america is part of our country name.

Answer 18

They are the same people who cannot locate the USA on a map.

In the Miss Teen USA pageant, Miss South Carolina was asked to comment on this. My question is not about her answer, but about the fact that one in five of my fellow Americans cannot locate the USA on a map of the world. I have a map of the world, and the USA has "UNITED STATES" printed on it from sea to shining sea. So, basically, one out of every five Americans are retarded.

Answer 19

It's not arrogance, ignorance, or laziness,

It's our name. America.

North America is on a seperate tetonic plate from South America.

We also understand that everyone in the Americas, North and South, are considered Americans in this sense.

Answer 20

Shows how big their heads are. they think they rule the world and we let them believe it cause if we didn't, other countries wouldn't be able to play 'Americans' and get their money! :)

Answer 21

Because America owns the world.