Etymology of the Word America

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USA. General Information

The United States of America (commonly referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific. The U.S. economy is the largest national economy in the world, with an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of US $14.4 trillion.

Population

The US population is about 309 million people.

It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. Throughout its history, the United States has been a nation of immigrants. The population is diverse with people from all over the world seeking refuge and a better way of life. The population includes people of European and Middle Eastern ancestry, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians (Native Americans), and Alaska Natives.

History

For centuries native peoples lived across the vast expanse that would become the United States. In the early 17th century, settlers moved from Europe to the New World, established colonies, and displaced the native peoples. The settlers fought for their independence from Britain in the late 18th century and formed a union of states based on a new constitution. The nation continued to expand westward and although the country is a relatively young nation, it has become a global power.

Etymology of the Word America

What is the origin of the name America? Is it the name of an Italian navigator, the Amerindian name for a mountain range, or is it named after a Bristol merchant?

The name America has been used for five hundred years, yet the etymology of the name is still unclear. There are three main claims to the names origin, the strongest one coming from an Italian navigator, Amerigi Vespucci, who was mistakenly called the discoverer of America in 1507. The second claim comes from the Amerindian tribe called the Carib; when met by Columbus, he asked where they had got some gold. They pointed at some distant mountains and called them Amerrique. Today the mountains and surrounding district are still called Amerrique. The third claim is from a Welsh minor noble and important merchant in Bristol England, named Richard Amerike.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1975