Poll of the Day > Why is America contained in North America?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Shouldn't it be the other way around?

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Supercuaco666 posted...

Shouldn't it be the other way around?

It is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas
The Americas (also collectively called America) is a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America.

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Holy shit, its Supercuaco666!

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Sarcasthma posted...

Holy shit, its Supercuaco666!

Hello, how is life going?

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United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from America)

Because 99 times out of 100 people mean the country when they say America. It is a country in North America, which is part of the Americas.

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kind9 posted...

Because 99 times out of 100 people mean the country when they say America. It is a country in North America, which is part of the Americas.

They weren't exactly creative with the naming.
Americas > North America > 'Murica

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Pretty sure the natives would have much different names for the areas in the continents than we do.

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zebatov posted...

the natives would have much different names for the areas

This reminds me of 2nd grade when my class covered Christopher Columbus. I was taught that he thought he was in India so when he encountered people he called them Indians. I asked the teacher what they were called before that. The teacher told me they weren't called anything. So I guess they had no name for themselves and nothing else had a name before Christopher Columbus arrived and started naming things.

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technically is all, but in reality it isn't. if you say "america" you mean the usa.
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SKARDAVNELNATE posted...

The Americas (also collectively called America) is a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America.

Are we ignoring Central America?

Edit: Looking it up, Central America and Middle America are not the same thing, they do have some overlap. Guess I learned something.

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The United States of America is "America" because it's the only country in the Americas with "America" in its name.

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Firewerx posted...

The United States of America is "America" because it's the only country in the Americas with "America" in its name.

It's also the only country with "United States" in its name, which has the added benefit of not stealing part of the continent's name.

Imagine if there was a town called "Basic Town of Dakota" located in South Dakota, but people just called it "Dakota" for short. That's confusing as heck!

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SKARDAVNELNATE posted...

This reminds me of 2nd grade when my class covered Christopher Columbus. I was taught that he thought he was in India so when he encountered people he called them Indians. I asked the teacher what they were called before that. The teacher told me they weren't called anything. So I guess they had no name for themselves and nothing else had a name before Christopher Columbus arrived and started naming things.

They had the names you know. Mohawk, Cherokee, Sioux, etc...

Nichtcrawler X posted...

Are we ignoring Central America?

Edit: Looking it up, Central America and Middle America are not the same thing, they do have some overlap. Guess I learned something.

Central America isnt a thing to those people. Neither is North and South America. These are things we named them. You might have to dig to find the original names, but rest assured the winner decides the history and we didnt want their history. They do have a name, or names, for this land, though.

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zebatov posted...

Central America isnt a thing to those people. Neither is North and South America. These are things we named them. You might have to dig to find the original names, but rest assured the winner decides the history and we didnt want their history. They do have a name, or names, for this land, though.

Oh yes please. You want to discuss whether "America" and its derivatives are exonyms or endonyms?

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South America

Its like America. . . but SOUTH

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Nichtcrawler X posted...

Are we ignoring Central America?

Edit: Looking it up, Central America and Middle America are not the same thing, they do have some overlap. Guess I learned something.

I didn't realize Central and Middle America were continents.

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Supercuaco666 posted...

It's also the only country with "United States" in its name, which has the added benefit of not stealing part of the continent's name.

Imagine if there was a town called "Basic Town of Dakota" located in South Dakota, but people just called it "Dakota" for short. That's confusing as heck!

This is why with international work, such as international education or NGO work, most people prefer to refer to the USA as "the United States" as opposed to "America".

SKARDAVNELNATE posted...

This reminds me of 2nd grade when my class covered Christopher Columbus. I was taught that he thought he was in India so when he encountered people he called them Indians. I asked the teacher what they were called before that. The teacher told me they weren't called anything. So I guess they had no name for themselves and nothing else had a name before Christopher Columbus arrived and started naming things.

Of course they did. They had their own tribe names.

Supercuaco666 posted...

It's also the only country with "United States" in its name, which has the added benefit of not stealing part of the continent's name.

Imagine if there was a town called "Basic Town of Dakota" located in South Dakota, but people just called it "Dakota" for short. That's confusing as heck!

It doesn't matter since when people say America then they really only mean the country. People will say North/South/Central if they are talking about the continents themselves.
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JigsawTDC posted...

This is why with international work, such as international education or NGO work, most people prefer to refer to the USA as "the United States" as opposed to "America".

I mean, we call it Mexico though

zebatov posted...

They had the names you know. Mohawk, Cherokee, Sioux, etc...

Tell that to my 2nd grade teacher.

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Another common knowledge thing, just like shelled nuts.

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The American South is not in South America, but in North America.

Middle America and Central America are two different places.

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America = country
North/South America = continents
The Americas = both continents

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Muscles posted...

America = country
North/South America = continents
The Americas = both continents

That's confusing yo
If America is a country, then "North America" should be its northern part, right? It shouldn't be the other way around!

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Supercuaco666 posted...

That's confusing yo
If America is a country, then "North America" should be its northern part, right? It shouldn't be the other way around!

That's because muscles is wrong.

The United States of America (a country) is a part of the continent of North America (includes Canada and most of Mexico), which is the northern portion of the Americas.

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Supercuaco666 posted...

That's confusing yo
If America is a country, then "North America" should be its northern part, right? It shouldn't be the other way around!

South Sudan

Supercuaco666 posted...

It's also the only country with "United States" in its name, which has the added benefit of not stealing part of the continent's name.

Imagine if there was a town called "Basic Town of Dakota" located in South Dakota, but people just called it "Dakota" for short. That's confusing as heck!

An analogy that I feel would work somewhat better if there was actually another country on the continent with "America" in its official name.

I suppose you could argue that "the European Union" is a bit of a cheek, seeing as it comprises only 27 out of Europe's 44 countries...

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SunWuKung420 posted...

That's because muscles is wrong.

The United States of America (a country) is a part of the continent of North America (includes Canada and most of Mexico), which is the northern portion of the Americas.

He's not wrong since nobody says America if they don't mean the country.
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Revelation34 posted...

He's not wrong since nobody says America if they don't mean the country.

But I can say I'm american without being from the USA.

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TC, do you also bitch about Australia?

Supercuaco666 posted...

But I can say I'm american without being from the USA.

Nobody does that unless they're from the country.
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Firewerx posted...

An analogy that I feel would work somewhat better if there was actually another country on the continent with "America" in its official name.

As another example of I have have had bad teachers, I thought there was briefly.

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jsb0714 posted...

TC, do you also bitch about Australia?

Less of a problem, we have the name " Oceania" , very distinct from Australia.

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Supercuaco666 posted...

But I can say I'm american without being from the USA.

You could. I would prefer to go by Earthling but everyone is so caught up on borders and being "human". So restrictive.

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Revelation34 posted...

Nobody does that unless they're from the country.

I do. I'm from Chile, so I'm chilean but also american.

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SunWuKung420 posted...

You could. I would prefer to go by Earthling but everyone is so caught up on borders and being "human". So restrictive.

You have too much universal chakras to be an earthling.
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Supercuaco666 posted...

I do. I'm from Chile, so I'm chilean but also american.

You tell people you're American when they ask where you're from?

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Supercuaco666 posted...

I do. I'm from Chile, so I'm chilean but also american.

false.
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Supercuaco666 posted...

I do. I'm from Chile, so I'm chilean but also american.

I would say I am European. I do not think many people would say they are Eurasian. Origins are more cultural than physical places on a map. The culturally defined parts of the world have that connection, not the actual continents. (Only complicated part I can think of is the division of the Americas, as whether it is considered two or three world-parts really depends on where you are from)

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Krazy_Kirby posted...

false.

So people can call themselves asian, european, or african when refering to the continent they're from, but not me?
That's pretty discriminatory.

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Sarcasthma posted...

You tell people you're American when they ask where you're from?

Supercuaco666 posted...

So people can call themselves asian, european, or african when refering to the continent they're from, but not me?
That's pretty discriminatory.

You are a South American

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Muscles posted...

You are a South American

"You are not Korean, you are South Korean"
That's a pretty rude thing to say. I am South American, but also American.

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Sarcasthma posted...

You tell people you're American when they ask where you're from?

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Sarcasthma posted...

You tell people you're American when they ask where you're from?

Do japanese people tell others they're asian when they ask where they're from?
No, but it's not incorrect. Same here.

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Well then I don't see what the problem is.

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Supercuaco666 posted...

"You are not Korean, you are South Korean"
That's a pretty rude thing to say. I am South American, but also American.

Wat.
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Revelation34 posted...

Wat.

It's called an analogy, my friend.

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Supercuaco666 posted...

It's called a bad analogy, my friend.

I fixed that for you.
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Revelation34 posted...

I have 0 arguments.

I fixed that for you.

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