Why is U.S.A. called America?

Question

Why do people call The United States of America simply "America"? How is the rest of the continent supposed to be called?

Answer 1

Actually, it’s the people of the United States that call the US America. In Canada, the US is called just that, the United States, and its people called Americans, the US is never, or ever so rarely called America. In French Canada, the US is called Etats-Unis, which is the simple translation, but the interesting thing is that its people are called Etats-Uniens, this sounds odd translated in English, it would be United-Statians.

This does not answer your question but it does sound plausible that since United-Statians sounds too weird, and without much alternatives, America ends up being named after its people (Americans) rather than the other way around, naming the people after the name of their nation. I don’t think that it would be found in any official paper that the US is also called America, I truly believe that it’s simply a cultural thing.

As for the last part of your question: how should the rest of the continent be called, you already know the answer as it’s already known, it’s North America.

Answer 2

Sometime the US is called the States, and sometimes it's called America. It's an abbreviation of the United States of America. Both are generally accepted world-wide as far as I know. Either one is easier and faster to say than the "United States of America" in any case.

Answer 3

This is from the follwing web sight:
http://ntap.k12.ca.us/whs/projects/history/columbus.html


"In 1500, Cabral who was from Portuguese made a mistake on the course to India and drifted ashore in South America where Brazil is today.

He claimed it for Portugal. After that, an Italian guy whose name was Vespucci

and who had sailed with Columbus on his fourth voyage, went on an expedition to South America and explored it. It became clear to him that the place where Columbus had landed was not a part of the Asian continent.

That is why the continent was named "America," after Amerigo Vespucci’s first name."

DonPato
San Jose
http://www.donpato.com

Answer 4

"The United States of America " is the formal name and it is a mouthful. The formal name of Mexico translates to "The United States of Mexico" The formal name of Germany is "The Federal Republic of Germany." The formal name of what we call England is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." I think it is rather pompous to call it the USA, which a lot of Americans do. Most people around the world know it as America.

Answer 5

Good question... unfortunately, since we are such a predominant country, we got away with establishing ourselves as America. The rest of the continent is North America, South America, Central America or the Americas.

Answer 6

The continent is called North America, and in the continent there is U.S.A. (aka America or the U.S.) and Canada.

Answer 7

Umm its called america for short....instead of sayin united states of america....sort of how people have nick names...the rest of the continent is canada and mexico....its that ok with you? If not..too bad its been that way for too long.

Answer 8

Because its easier, can you imagine if we walked areound all the time

Unites States of America, United States of America, it would get kind fo tiring.

Answer 9

north america was originally discovered by a Italian Explorer named Amerigo Vespucci. Were named after him.

Answer 10

were the only country in the americas with States as providences, mabey and were united, well the north is, the south is and the west is, and texes is just out there