North vs South America: geography question

Bump

It has also been brought to my attention that there is a NEW Mexico.

They are on different (major) tectonic plates. Geologically, they are distinct and indeed only came together about 3 million years ago.

:

They are on separate plates. However, many in Latin America object to the U.S.'s appropriation of 'America' to refer to only the U.S.

Many believe that America should culturally refer to the entire western hemisphere (i.e. there's only one America, and it includes more than just the U.S.).

You call the combined Americas one continent and then go on to call Europe and Asia two separate continents?

Not to mention that Africa has a larger land connection to Asia than the width of Panama that separates the Americas.

Don't we really have just two continents, a big Island and a big patch of ice?

Fjsheishbsh wrote:

Wonder if anyone knows the answer to this:

Why are we taught in the USA that North and South America are two separate continents?

I have many friends from South America, Europe, and Asia who have been taught that America is one continent. Also, the 5 rings of the olympics represent the 5 continents(America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceana).

Also, we call ourselves as citizens of the USA, “Americans,” but couldn’t anyone else who also lives on the contient of America be an “American?”

Just as if you live in Asia, you are Asian; Africa, you are African, etc.

Discus.

yes you are right. anyone who lives in north or south america is an american. people living in the USA are americans as well. but the USA are not america. USA stands for "United states of america", which is a country in america. best wishes from europe. happy to help you guys out.

Fjsheishbsh wrote:

Wonder if anyone knows the answer to this:

Why are we taught in the USA that North and South America are two separate continents?

I have many friends from South America, Europe, and Asia who have been taught that America is one continent. Also, the 5 rings of the olympics represent the 5 continents(America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceana).

Also, we call ourselves as citizens of the USA, “Americans,” but couldn’t anyone else who also lives on the contient of America be an “American?”

Just as if you live in Asia, you are Asian; Africa, you are African, etc.

Discus.

Doesn't fit your narrative but in the UK we learn 7 continents (the most commonly accepted number).

Following this line of reasoning, why are Europe and Asia considered separate continents? And if you're talking about big, connected land masses, you would include Africa in that question as it has only been separate from Eurasia since the Suez Canal was dug. Theoretically, you could point to the Isthmuses of Panama and Suez and say that the Americas are separate continents from each other and Africa separate from Eurasia because they're only connected by very narrow isthmuses but that doesn't explain Europe and Asia. There's more than just geology involved in identifying continents.

You're right about being able to call anyone who lives in either North or South America "Americans" and there are Canadians and Latin Americans who don't like that the word generally applies to US citizens. But if we stopped being called "Americans" what word would we use? "United Statesians" sounds ungainly and I can't think of any other term.

Do you really want to open this up to the world as to what we should be called? Especially considering what the world thinks of our Whiner in Chief?

trumpians woud be fitting

Yeah, I"ve traveled all over the world and other people from the Americas refer to themselves as American as well (and not alluding to the United States.)

It does seems a bit weird that we call ourselves Americans as a country. People from South Africa don't call themselves "African" when referring to their nationality.

Usonian

Fjsheishbsh wrote:

Wonder if anyone knows the answer to this:

Why are we taught in the USA that North and South America are two separate continents?

I have many friends from South America, Europe, and Asia who have been taught that America is one continent. Also, the 5 rings of the olympics represent the 5 continents(America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceana).

Why don't you ask your futbol-watching friends why FIFA has separate continental federations for North America and South America? Same with IAAF.

WTFBBQ wrote:

Yeah, I"ve traveled all over the world and other people from the Americas refer to themselves as American as well (and not alluding to the United States.)

It does seems a bit weird that we call ourselves Americans as a country. People from South Africa don't call themselves "African" when referring to their nationality.

They call themselves "South Africans" so we should call ourselves "United States of Americans". Also not, we aren't the only United States. Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos is just south of us and they call us Americans.

Fjsheishbsh wrote:

Also, we call ourselves as citizens of the USA, “Americans,” but couldn’t anyone else who also lives on the contient of America be an “American?”

Just as if you live in Asia, you are Asian; Africa, you are African, etc.

Because our nationality refers to the legal/internationally used and accepted name of our country, not the continent wherein it is located. It's like how people from the United Arab Emirates are simply called Emiratis.

If you're referring generally to the continent whence you come, as Asians, Europeans, or Africans might, you'd say either North or South American, not just American.

And different languages have different ways of referring to Americans (e.g. estadounidense in Spanish while Américain in French).

There's nothing magical or scientific about any of this. It's all a matter of linguistic usage and human conventions.

In English, "Americans" has referred to people from the British North American colonies for centuries to distinguish between British subjects from a North American colony and British subjects from England, Scotland, etc. After the 13 colonies separated from Britain, the usage "American" continued for citizens of the United States. The pedantic argument that an "American" could be from somewhere else in the Americas disregards the historic usage of the word in English.

The number of continents is also a matter of usage/social convention. You could count the number of continents as being 4 to 7 depending on the definition you choose:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundaries_between_the_continents_of_Earth

Sara Palin wrote:

They call themselves "South Africans" so we should call ourselves "United States of Americans". Also not, we aren't the only United States. Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos is just south of us and they call us Americans.

They call us 'estadounidenses' which translates to United Statesman. Some closer to the border have adopted 'americano' simply due to cultural crossover. But not the correct term.