North America and South America are separate continents based on geology.

Also, it's NAFTA, not AFTA. (And in Spanish it's Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte)

But even if it were one continent, the same word is often used for two different meanings. Language is flexible that way. American referring to the US. Or American referring to one of the American continents. Depending on context. Not too hard to understand.

For Latin Americans, identifying themselves as Americanos (continental brothers) a key part of their cultural identity.

Love, America
by Pablo Neruda

Before the wig and coat
were the rivers, the arterial rivers,
the mountain ranges, in whose weary wave
the condor or the snow appeared unstirring:
the thickness of the humidity, the unnamed
thunderclap, the planetary pampas.

Man was earth, a vessel, the eyelid
of the quivering clay, a form from the mud of the earth,
a Carib pitcher, a chibcha stone,
an imperial chalice or an Araucanian silica.
Tender and bleeding he was, but on the hilt
of his moist crystal weapon,
the initials of the earth were
inscribed.
No one
could remember them later: the wind
forgot them, the language of the water
interred, the keys were lost
or inundated by silence or blood.

Life was not lost, pastoral brothers.
But as a savage rose,
a red drop fell to the depths,
and the lamp of the land was extinguished.
I am here to tell history.
Since the peace of the buffalo
until the lashed sands
of final earth, in the accumulated surf
of antarctic light,
and for the burrows embedded off the cliffs
of somber Venezuelan peace,
I searched for you, my father,
young soldier of shadows and brass,
or you, nuptial plant, indomitable hair,
caiman mother, metallic dove.

I, Inca from mud,
touched the stone and said:
Who
waits for me? And I squeezed my hand
around a fistful of empty glass.
But I traveled among zapotec flowers
and the light was as gentle as a stag,
and the shade was like a green eyelid.

My earth without a name, without America,
equinoctial stamen, purple spear,
your aroma winds up my roots
into the chalice I nursed, into the finest
word still not yet born from my mouth.

Anonymous wrote:It's the United States of "America", people.

Yep, the successor of some colonies that the British founded in the northeastern coast of the northern part of the continent that Europeans called America.

AMÉRICA, no invoco tu nombre en vano.
Cuando sujeto al corazón la espada,
cuando aguanto en el alma la gotera,
cuando por las ventanas
un nuevo día tuyo me penetra,
soy y estoy en la luz que me produce,
vivo en la sombra que me determina,
duermo y despierto en tu esencial aurora:
dulce como las uvas, y terrible,
conductor del azúcar y el castigo,
empapado en esperma de tu especie,
amamantado en sangre de tu herencia.

-Pablo Neruda

It's the United States of "America", people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a pet peeve of mine. American to describe a citizen of the USA is inaccurate. Perhaps specifying USA would be helpful.

+1

Canadians are Americans too. So is everyone else from this continent.

The hell they are. If you were born in one of the United States of America, you are an American. If you were born anywhere else, you suck.

I'm Canadian and would NEVER identify myself as American. I'm surprised if central or south Americans would either.

Years ago while traveling in se Asia an old American guy from Boston (Baaaaahstin) as he pronounced it introduced a group of us random canadians and Americans traveling together... He said in his funny lofty accent "we are from America. That includes the United States AND Canada...." We all sat there awkwardly until one at a time all the Canadians said "I'm from Canada".... We all realized it was technically correct of course, but none of us evidently felt it jibe. My now-dh was there at the time, though he was someone I'd barely met at the time... And he will still use this as his favorite jackass American quote.

I simply can't muster the energy to give two shits that people from other countries are annoyed by what we call ourselves.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know, 'America' happens to be in the name of our country. As in 'United States of America'.

I will and always have called myself an American. I'm sorry if it offends someone and it perpetuates the idea that Americans think they are superior but I don't see it changing anytime soon.

Not so. The name of our country is United States of America. The whole thing. Not "America."

And how, in one English word, do you indicate our citizenship?

I am proud to be an Anowarakowan, where at least I know I'm free!

Anonymous wrote:If you say you are American, no one thinks you're. canadian pr Mexican or any other country than the US. It's here to stay. Get used to it.

Actually, this is incorrect. It depends on the context. If someone who is obviously from the U.S. calls himself an "American" everyone knows they are talking about the nationality. If someone calls himself "Americano" in the context of referring to belonging to the continent spanning from Argentina to Alaska, people will understand -- particularly in Latin America. Not a big deal either way.

But I reiterate my point that the USA has a peculiarity that few other countries have -- its name refers to a political structure in a vague geographical reference -- 13 colonies that were in the northern part of the American continent that decided to become states and remain united. The American Union, like today's European Union, which does *not* span all of Europe.

Anonymous wrote:You know, 'America' happens to be in the name of our country. As in 'United States of America'.

I will and always have called myself an American. I'm sorry if it offends someone and it perpetuates the idea that Americans think they are superior but I don't see it changing anytime soon.

Not so. The name of our country is United States of America. The whole thing. Not "America."

You know, 'America' happens to be in the name of our country. As in 'United States of America'.

I will and always have called myself an American. I'm sorry if it offends someone and it perpetuates the idea that Americans think they are superior but I don't see it changing anytime soon.

If you say you are American, no one thinks you're. canadian pr Mexican or any other country than the US. It's here to stay. Get used to it.

When I lived in South America I made sure I called myself "Norteamericana", because I knew that it was a common complaint about us gringos.