Is it acceptable to say "America" when you mean the USA?

Not of course. America is the name of a continent, not a country and there's no difference betweeen America and Americas.

The name of the country is The Unietd States of America, not The America of United States. This means that some states in a continent called America are united to form a nation - The United States in a continent called America.

I really don't know why only people from USA assumes that AMERICA is the name of their country sibce every person from any part of the World call the entire continent America. America never an official name gave to USA. First place to be called America was Dominican Republic.

Who said insult? This has not to do with insult. This is just uncorrect.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/AllAboutBrazil#g/p

Yes. Technically, people in Canada, South America and Mexico could also call themselves Americans, but they don't. They refer to themselves by the country, providence or territory in which they live. People in Mexico called themselves Mexicans.

If someone calls himself an American everyone know he lives in the United States of America. Some people just say that they are from The States while traveling in Europe.

Add: same difference.

I live since 17 years in Buenos Aires - Spanish has become my language -

Yes, I learned the proper way to call the USA, the people and the continent -

In Spanish, it is easy to differenciate the two -

With the English language it is difficult as no appropriate name is coined -

The meaning of América and americano is undertood and never confused -

At least here in Argentina, and in Brazil -

When we say "Norte Americano", we mean Canada + USA -

We often say "Yanqui" - is a nickname - NOT an insult -

And it is not the translation of Yankee, although it sounds the same -

We could say "Yanqui" about someone from Tennessee or Alabama -

But they think we confuse them as "Northerners" ! It is not the case -

Call us "Argies" or even "Gauchos"... we do not mind

Nope. America is just fine. You call La República Federativa do Brasil , Brazil and Canada, Canada. In the case of Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, we call it Mexico and them Mexicans. See how that works? So yeah, you call America, America. To debate this point is silly. And if anyone is insulted by this reality or convention, they are thin skinned, ignorant butt wipes.

Because there is a difference between america and americas

Americas refers to north, central and south america.

North America, has two countries: america and canada

Your confused because the word america, is used in different context, but it doesn't have the same meaning in those different context.

The united states, is called america, because that's what the land that is now the US, was called in the 1500's

Go look at old maps, america was specifically referring to what is now the US, on those old maps.

I wouldn't go to Brazil or Mexico or Argentina so I'm not concerned about what people think when I say I'm an American.

I think it's acceptable for me, as a citizen, to call my country whatever I want, and if a bunch of foreigners don't like it, they can give back all that aid we've been handing out since WWII and learn to speak the language of whichever military force is going to invade them next.

It is absolutely acceptable and correct, too. America is a country, completely different meaning from the north and south American continents.

The people who live north of us don't call themselves "North Americans." They are Canadians.

Yes it is acceptable...

Christopher Columbus discovered AMERICA... not NORTH America.. not SOUTH America.. Not The United States of America.. just plain old AMERICA.

Arent we counting angels on the head of a pin here???....

It's "The United States of America" not US or USA!