Originally Posted by
JohnP
Hi folks.
It's simple really. Had to skip to the end, sorry if I jumped over someone already posting this, but the U.S. is not simply "The United States" but it is the ONLY nation (so far) claiming "America" as its name. The United States of America that's all. Of course there are plenty of nations on the American continents, but as those nations did not choose to call themselves "America" as did USA, they are referred to by their national identities as are we. Europeans are the same. The nations aren't [officially] simply "UK" or "Poland" for instance, they all have longer official titles, starting with "Democratic Republic of.." or some such. If we go back a few years "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" (USSR-or CCCP depending...) citizens were referred to as "Soviets", not "Republicans".....:D
Incidentally, Mexico is a "United States" or "Estados Unidos" if you will also...but we call THEM "Mexicans" because they are the United States of Mexico. I'm sure if in the days we were the "American Colonies" if Spain had named their various States and Provinces "America" instead of "Mexico", then the "Americans" would be there, instead...
Other nations have other names. In the U.S. "America" is it. The colonies and the continents were named after the same man. It follows that the name just stayed along as the official name of our country.
Anyway....
John P.