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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Society & CultureOther - Society & Culture · 1 decade ago

why do the people from USA called their country America and themselves called Americans when all the continent

it's America? if you knew America was called by the spaniard people by Americu Vespuccio an italian explorer.. I am Mexican and I live in Mexico soo I am American cuzz I was born in America.. America is not just USA

Update:

canadians are american, brasilians are canadian ect.. all the people were born in America are Americans not just in the USA as well in these countries ,canada ect..

13 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    This country is United States of America. There is only one Country with that name. North America and South America are CONTINENTS. (definition; One of the principal land masses of the Earth)

    When you say "I was born in America" everyone around the world knows you were born in the Greatest Country on Earth, U.S.A.

    If you were born in Mexico you could say " I was born in North America" and someone would say "Ok, where in N. America?" We as humans talk about what country we are born in, not what Continent.

    If you are an American and proud to live in this Great Country, no matter where you were born, then cool. But if you love another Country, then you should go there and support your Country and it's citizens.

    Source(s): My Thoughts
  • 1 decade ago

    USA stands for United States of AMERICA. So that is why we call ourselves Americans, and I think most of the rest of the world does too. Mexicans, Canadians and people from South America usually are called by the name of their country, but if you want to be really technical they could be called Americans too, from the continent they are from, the same way we speak of Europeans, Asians and Africans, etc. What would you have us called then? United Statesians? USians? I live in the state of Georgia, so I am also a Georgian.

    I have heard this gripe before from non-USA people, but it seems really senseless when you really look at it. Basically, it seems to show a prejudice or dislike for US people. There seems to be too much of that in the world these days, people just looking for any old excuse to dislike someone else from some place else. Why? To make them feel better about themselves? Will, we as the human race ever grow up and start acting like we have some intelligence and good sense?

  • 1 decade ago

    It is just easier to call people from the United States of America "Americans". Plus the word "American" is a part of the name of the country.

    Granted that all Canadians, U.S. Citizens and Mexicans of North American but everyone just refers to the US Citizens as Americans. Same thing for Central and South Americans, they too are Americans but everyone still calls U.S. Citizens "Americans".

    It is a common place term.

  • nbr660
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    North America is the continent, America is the US.

    You were born on the North American continent in Mexico

    Source(s): US Citizen
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  • alia
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    it extremely is an idiomatic mistake that has remained, and that the U. S. by way of its way of existence has pushed foreign places (to different continents like Asia or Africa). as quickly as I trip in Latin u . s . a . of america I constantly pay attention that *****, on the grounds that there they call us Estadounidenses or North human beings (that's additionally no longer appropriate, yet possibly greater appropriate than American). i do no longer think of that maximum US electorate think of that they are greater advantageous, it rather is purely an abbreviation from u . s .. additionally it comes from the Italian cartographer Amerigo Vespussi who made a map of South u . s . a . of america and slightly of significant u . s . a . of america. analyzing fairly some the responses here make me unhappy to work out what share little ones do no longer even understand this difficulty-unfastened piece of historic information, it rather is nearly unhappy certainly

  • 1 decade ago

    People and their word games.

    Ok, We live on the continent of NORTH AMERICA, but, in the country of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. There for, we are AMERICANS. It's that simple.

    We know we are not the only country on the continent, North America.

  • 1 decade ago

    I think it's nice. It's a shame other continents haven't caught on to the trend. One of my students asked me today what the capital of Asia was. If only there was one. My vote is for Xilin Gol, Mongolia.

  • 1 decade ago

    Funny thing is that they refer to their country as U.S. at times, and even "The Union". They show pride in these terms, and they sure look good and beyond critics from the latino comunity, but they refuse to use the name "Uniteds"

  • 1 decade ago

    Would you rather call us "United Stateof America Citizens", sounds to long winded for me.

  • 1 decade ago

    You know what, I am from the US and have always wanted to know the answer to your question. Maybe to alot of "Americans" it doesn't make sense either.

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