Let me consider that request...

"North America" is and should be defined as Canada, USA and Mexico.

Edited Date: 2008-04-10 02:31 pm (UTC)

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Also colloquially among people who are more sloppy about definitions?

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"North America" always refers to the continent, colloquially or otherwise. "America" colloquially only refers the USA (despite it being technically incorrect, but nobody really calls people on it other than 3rd grade geography teachers.)

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Thanks!

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And Central America.

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Of no importance whatsoever, is the border between North & South America the Panama Canal, or the Panama/Colombia border?

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I believe it's the Panama/Colombia border. Which makes more logical sense if you think What Border Did It Have Before the Canal?

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Are you suggesting that cartographers are logical? *ducks* ;-)

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Hey now!

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tcr25.livejournal.com

There might be a few people who'd rather obliviously exclude Canada as "North America", but the usual common parlance is for the typical person in the States:

"America" = the United States of America
"North America" = the U.S. & Canada (and maybe Mexico, if they think about it)

Mexico is often lumped in with Central America, which is typically spoken of as if it's not part of North America. "Latin America" is also used to cover Mexico and everything south to Antarctica. Greenland and the Caribbean nations are also in a gray zone of afterthought at best.

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Except that Central America is and always has been part of North America.

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Of course, but I'm trying to think in typical usage, not what's correct ...

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tcr25.livejournal.com

that was me ...

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Oh, people are crazy.

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apel.livejournal.com

My Canadian boyfriend uses "North America" to mean the US and Canada. Not that you asked but it's another data point. If somebody used the term without including Canada, he would correct them.

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Canadian data points are definitely welcome as well. The person I'm discussing this with specifically asked me to go out and ask Canadians as well.

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mireille21.livejournal.com

In common parlance in my experience, (if typical Australian usage is of any use at all) when people say "America" they are generally referring to the USA, perhaps having not thought about (or been aware of?) geography. Don't underestaimte some peoples' stupidity I have learned.

Using "North America" indicates that they not only know their geography, but are therefore by definition deliberately referring to Canada, USA and probably Mexico.

On a personal note, I dislike the egocentricity implied in using "America" so tend to say "The U.S." for my own purposes, although I still refer to "Americans."

And as a complete aside, it flips both ways as I discovered recently upon witnessing what became a slightly heated debate between Americans and Australians about what defined Australia, Australasia and the South-East Asian Pacific region.

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arhyalon.livejournal.com

I agree with those I've read here. North America is definitely used to mean all three countries. "America" is used for what, in Europe, is called The States.

How cool to find you after all this time! Just came upon you on the Tor site.

I live near Washington D.C. now and every time I visit, I kick myself for not having somehow rearranging my schedule to show you around D.C. more when you were here. There are so many wonderful things to see.

(On the other hand, the particular roleplaying session that you so kindly sat through is still the centerpiece of the game -- which is still running. Kirsten, who had been visiting from California that session, has never been able to play since. Her character still survives, however, and will appear in the novel I'm working on based on the game. Meanwhile, my first trilogy -- also vaguely based the same game, though not that session -- comes out from Tor next summer!)

Anyway, just wanted to say hello and apologize for not somehow having been able to better entertain you while you were here.

Jagi

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