United Kingdom, Great Britain and England Explained

[Webb]

The Difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England Explained (YouTube)

Why didn't they just explain it like that in school?

[Apex]

A good video's worth a thousand words, I'd say.  Great vid there. 

[Hagar]

It's quite cleverly done but what's the hurry? He speaks too quickly for me to understand what he's saying. Afraid I didn't watch it all. A few seconds of that montonous voice was all I could put up with.

Being from the UK I don't know what's so difficult about it in the first place.

[Webb]

Maybe you can explain America.

There is one federal government.

There are 50 states except that 4 of them - Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia - are Commonwealths.

The states (and Commonwealths) are sovereign governments except that the federal government can nullify anything that they do and force them to do things they may not want to do.

Indian reservations are sovereign governments that are not under the jurisdiction of state governments but are under the limited jurisdiction of the federal government.

Then we have Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Marianas, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (held under perpetual lease), Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, Wake Island and God only knows how many foreign military bases.

[Hagar]

Maybe you can explain America.

Glad you mentioned that. Perhaps you can explain why citizens of the  USA invariably refer to their country as America when it's only part of that continent. As I understand it, Amerigo Vespucci never set foot in what is now the USA.

[Webb]

I don't find it invariable.  More like 50/50.

But "America" is a little shorter than "United States" and when I say I'm American I have never had anyone ask me which country.

[Webb]

That plus being the greatest country that ever did or will exist so why shouldn't we assume everyone knows we don't mean "Canada" when we say "America"?

[Hagar]

[quote]I don't find it invariable.

[DaveSims]

Maybe you can explain America.

Glad you mentioned that. Perhaps you can explain why citizens of the

[Strategic Retreat]

That plus being the greatest country that ever did or will exist so why shouldn't we assume everyone knows we don't mean "Canada" when we say "America"?

I beg to differ. A lot of OTHER countries could say the same (and for pity's sake I'm NOT going to list them) and NOT being lying either, but only indulging on bombast... just like you are now.

You're not the only country in the world, you know... ancient Romans could boast the same, and only be disputed by the distant ancient Chinese Empire (which is doing a comeback in the later years), but they were so far apart to be irrelevant one with the other... but things have changed from back then, DRAMATICALLY.

[ozzy72]

Lets face facts, American sounds much better than United Statesian

[patchz]

Lets face facts, American sounds much better than United Statesian

Nail, on head! Thanks Mark. 

[patchz]

I think someone needs to lay off the redbull.

Redbull??? I think he had something a bit stronger.

[H]

Lets face facts, American sounds much better than United Statesian

...and, I suppose, more civil than U Esser; border migrations aside, Canadians and Mexicans are technically Americans, too... more specifically, North Americans... along with all those Central and South Americans.
I don't know of telling all those German WWII pilots to call us Americaner, no less accurate than Indianer.

8-)

[Steve M]

USer wouldn't sound right either. I just watched that video link and the narrator reminds me of a girl I dated once. Not many Islands or countries in North and South America incorporate the actual word America in their countries title. I figure that is why Americans are called Americans.