Quote Originally Posted by jnich67 View Post
I don't have time to look it up right now, but was the US the first proper country in the Americas? If so, maybe that's where the appellation came from because it was appropriate at the time. Otherwise, maybe its like a brand name that sticks because the product is the most common/often thought of - United States of Q-Tip?

Jordan
I believe the USA is the only country in the world with "America" in it's formal title. Mexico is formally "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" which could translate as either "United Mexican States" or "United States of Mexico." So "Unites Statians" would not be completely unambiguous either. As far as naming the land masses "The Americas", that was done by European explorers, but probably derived from local names. At least thats the way I learned it ages ago...

In general, citizens of the USA don't claim any monopoly on the term "American." It can be properly used to describe people or cultures of the inhabits of ANY of the American continents. But usually its non-Americans (in the broadest sense of the word) that raise a stink about it.