That is true too. Now that I think of it, people from the Caribbean (the islands) say they are visiting going to "the States" mostly.
- Thread starter corecto
- Start date
What continet is DR part of
That is true too. Now that I think of it, people from the Caribbean (the islands) say they are visiting going to "the States" mostly.
It ain't no global world out there
I've heard is used in different contexts as a specific short version for both - for citizens of the U.S of America or a North American as well as for Latin American.
I really don't see what the big fuzz is about. It's popularly used around the world for all three. It's speficic meaning can easily decerned depending on the context and situationg it is used. Kinda like the word gringo.
I've heard is used in different contexts as a specific short version for both - for citizens of the U.S of America or a North American as well as for Latin American.
I really don't see what the big fuzz is about. It's popularly used around the world for all three. It's speficic meaning can easily decerned depending on the context and situationg it is used. Kinda like the word gringo.
For those studying geography in this thread here is a breakdown of the continents:
Continents of the World: Africa | The Americas | Asia | Australia/Oceania | Europe - Travel Earth by Continents
Continents of the World: Africa | The Americas | Asia | Australia/Oceania | Europe - Travel Earth by Continents
For the life of me I simply can't understand why all this struggle in semanticsis worth the effort.
Tothoseof you who are "Latin American" by extraction, why should it matter except to your egos (spelled "Machismo") whether a person from theUSA says they're an "American" or not. Even according to yourown definition, they are correct! The USA is located in North America!
All you get bent out of shape over a term that a whole nation has used to describe itself from the begining of its existance. Its not that they wanted to capture the term for their exclusive use, its that theterm was a follow through from a historical fact.
Mexico and the land South was then described as "New Spain" during those early days. Do you call yourselves "New Spaniards"? No, you don't, so why try to change World Opinion at this late date. Sounds more like jealousy to me and other readers. And I'm not trying to be arrogant by that remark.
Suffice to say that North and South America are viewed by the world community as being seperate continents with the Caribbean based nations as being "the Caribbean Basin" nations and not part of the other two continental
descriptions, with the dividing line being the Isthimus of Panama.
As to the rest of the World, India is a Sub-continent, and though Europe can be geographically described as stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, that land mass is divided into Europe and Asia. So, where does "Asia" begin and "Europe" end.
What it comes down to people is this; Geopolitical boundries are what generations of learned men have made them to be.
Heck, we (the world) just abrogated the "Seven Wonders", so why squawk about a little thing like "Continents" and their definition???
Maybe all of us should take a look at the eons of tectonic plate movement and redraw from there.
Texas Bill
Tothoseof you who are "Latin American" by extraction, why should it matter except to your egos (spelled "Machismo") whether a person from theUSA says they're an "American" or not. Even according to yourown definition, they are correct! The USA is located in North America!
All you get bent out of shape over a term that a whole nation has used to describe itself from the begining of its existance. Its not that they wanted to capture the term for their exclusive use, its that theterm was a follow through from a historical fact.
Mexico and the land South was then described as "New Spain" during those early days. Do you call yourselves "New Spaniards"? No, you don't, so why try to change World Opinion at this late date. Sounds more like jealousy to me and other readers. And I'm not trying to be arrogant by that remark.
Suffice to say that North and South America are viewed by the world community as being seperate continents with the Caribbean based nations as being "the Caribbean Basin" nations and not part of the other two continental
descriptions, with the dividing line being the Isthimus of Panama.
As to the rest of the World, India is a Sub-continent, and though Europe can be geographically described as stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, that land mass is divided into Europe and Asia. So, where does "Asia" begin and "Europe" end.
What it comes down to people is this; Geopolitical boundries are what generations of learned men have made them to be.
Heck, we (the world) just abrogated the "Seven Wonders", so why squawk about a little thing like "Continents" and their definition???
Maybe all of us should take a look at the eons of tectonic plate movement and redraw from there.
Texas Bill
This is really funny. I was taught that there are 7 continents. My nephews as well. He was even taught a continent song. I heard it repeatedly for years!! They all sang it.
I always thought that the Caribbean and Central America were part of North America.
Yes, I say America and my friend/teacher from Argentina corrects me all the time. It never occurred to me.
Well, this is food for thought. HMMM.
I always thought that the Caribbean and Central America were part of North America.
Yes, I say America and my friend/teacher from Argentina corrects me all the time. It never occurred to me.
Well, this is food for thought. HMMM.
I also hate when north americans called them self americans ..... I Do and i have agree with some of them about it.... and they just answer: how should we be called then, Floridians? californians? New Yorkers? ehhh yeaaah! .... U are not the whole continent...
And eerrr.... Caribbean and central america... yeah Central america..... I found it quite stupid... sorry.... Is a whole continent! divided on 3 .... North America, Central America and South America..... U divide Europe as well!
Like
And eerrr.... Caribbean and central america... yeah Central america..... I found it quite stupid... sorry.... Is a whole continent! divided on 3 .... North America, Central America and South America..... U divide Europe as well!
Like
Lennon knew the answer ...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Not worth fightin' over ... we're all goin' to hell in a handbasket :ermm:
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Not worth fightin' over ... we're all goin' to hell in a handbasket :ermm:
Uh, how about "united statians"? It may sound weird at first, but eventually everyone will get used to it.
In Spanish many people often times refer to them as "estados unidenses" and it sounds well.
-NALs
Part of the problem I think, is that The United States of America, much like The Dominican Republic, suffers from Clunky Name Syndrome.
Consider Spain, for example, simple and elegant. ?Where are you from?? ?I?m from Spain.? No Problem. The formal name of that country is not Spain however; it?s the Kingdom of Spain. But people being naturally lazy, no one ever says ?I?m from the Kingdom of Spain?. Instead they just say Spain.
Likewise, if someone is from The United States of America and is asked where they are from, it is much easier to say America or The States, than to labor through all those tedious syllables. And therein lays the problem.
The United States of America seems to be about the only country that decided to include the name of its entire continent (or continents) in its formal title. Had Truth in Advertising laws been in effect in 1789, the name would probably be something like The United States of Central North America. And that would be even more of a mouthful, so we?d still say we?re from America and annoy people who care about such things.
NALS has pointed out that there is also another United States (of Mexico), so my choice of response when asked where I am from would be The USA.I think that gets the message across and is also easy on the tongue.
BTW, to be fair to my homeland, I would like to point out that we did not usurp the title America, we just used it. Any other country in the hemisphere was free to follow suit; viz: The Republic of America; The Kingdom of America; The Disunited States of America, etc.
Consider Spain, for example, simple and elegant. ?Where are you from?? ?I?m from Spain.? No Problem. The formal name of that country is not Spain however; it?s the Kingdom of Spain. But people being naturally lazy, no one ever says ?I?m from the Kingdom of Spain?. Instead they just say Spain.
Likewise, if someone is from The United States of America and is asked where they are from, it is much easier to say America or The States, than to labor through all those tedious syllables. And therein lays the problem.
The United States of America seems to be about the only country that decided to include the name of its entire continent (or continents) in its formal title. Had Truth in Advertising laws been in effect in 1789, the name would probably be something like The United States of Central North America. And that would be even more of a mouthful, so we?d still say we?re from America and annoy people who care about such things.
NALS has pointed out that there is also another United States (of Mexico), so my choice of response when asked where I am from would be The USA.I think that gets the message across and is also easy on the tongue.
BTW, to be fair to my homeland, I would like to point out that we did not usurp the title America, we just used it. Any other country in the hemisphere was free to follow suit; viz: The Republic of America; The Kingdom of America; The Disunited States of America, etc.
That's just the way it is, anywhere in the world, people that surround the globe refer to citizens of the US as "Americans" So if you are travelling and crossing borders and you say "I am an American", you better have that Blue Passport with "Ole Glory" on it. Sorry buddy, but it is what it is.