Why do US citizens refer to the USA as America.?

Question

America is a whole continent not a country, as a matter of fact since it's actually 3 continents, North, South and Central America, even though some people argue that Central America is not a continent; it would even be wrong to call it America, if anything it should be called North America, but that would also be wrong because Canada is in North America as well.

for example when 9/11 occured all the US networks were saying America under attack, when actually it was the USA, that was being attacked

Answer 1

Not just US citizens, many people from different nationalities and countries refer to the USA as America.
Wrong, I know, but nevertheless true.

Answer 2

It's only 2 Continents. North and South. The 51 states are United of America. So, we are the U.S of America. Referring to America, is just a short term saying.

Answer 3

Yes, Americans use the term America for a short of USA. I do the same. I have also noticed it can confuse a person in another country as they understand America as one large land mass from South America to north of Canada. But, usually I explain how Americans speak and the people I talk with understand, if we speak of South, Central America we add the South and Central. If, we speak of Canada we say Canada.
We have friends in Africa, and that what we say (We have friends in Africa), but, when we go there, we go to Chad.

Answer 4

Central America is not a continent - it is a region.

Other nations have another name to call themselves - Canadian, Argentinian, etc. Canadaians do not like to be called Americans.

Since we don't have a seperate name (other thand individual states), it has become our default name, and one that the others of North and South America haven't really challenged our semi-exclusivity for.

Answer 5

America IS a country.

And it's NOT a conflict.

America can be the name of two continents, and it is the name of our country.

We don't think that other countries are insignificant. We don't think we own the continent.

It's no more a conflict than Mexico is:

Mexico is the name of a country.
Mexico is the name of a state.
Mexico is the name of a city.

Get the picture?

Answer 6

It is a shortening of United States of America. Canada isn't known as 'Canadian America', Mexico isn't 'Mexican America'.... No other country on the American continents uses 'America' in it's name (as far as I know) so it is fine for USA to be referred to as America.

I've also heard of America being called 'The States', which is somewhat ambiguous since Mexico is officially 'The United Mexican States'. 'The States' could technically refer to either.

Oh yes... For the record, *never* refer to people from Scotland, Wales, Ireland or Northern Island as English. People from England Are English. people from Wales are Welsh, people from Scotland are Scottish, people from Ireland are Irish. British is the correct blanket term for people from any and all of those countries. People from the principality of Cornwall (in Southern England) may also get offended if you call them English, in which case you could call them Cornish - but English is still the correct term and British is certainly accepted.

Answer 7

It is two continents. Central America is a sub-continent.

It is for simplicity. Though Ive heard from many visitors to our country that Usa (spoken as a word rather than letters) is gaining popularity in many circles. That might be easier, though it sounds kind of stupid.

Answer 8

I could say a lot about world views but the simplest answer is this:

Because it's shorter than saying "The United States of America". I suppose that saying "USA" or even "the US" would be shorter but I think most people prefer names (America) to acronyms (USA).

Answer 9

True, North America consists of Canada, USA and Mexico. South America, even more countries.

People in the U.S. however, are arrogant and think the other countries are insignificant, hence U.S = America.

Answer 10

I usually call it the united states. I agree with you on that one. It gets confusing though, because then what would you call americans? They should have a term for it, like what south and central americans use, thats something like United States-sian or something (Estadosunidenses is the term in spanish, "citizen of the united states")