Im Marcelo from Costa Rica. Maidhc and Imam has not accurated historic knowledge. Colombus never arrived to United States. From Biography.com: "After thirty-six days of sailing, Columbus and several crewmen set foot on an island in the present day Bahamas, claiming it for Spain. There he encountered a timid but friendly group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors exchanging glass beads, cotton balls, parrots, and spears. The Europeans also noticed bits of gold the natives wore for adornment. Nina, Pinta and the Santa MariaColumbus and his men continued their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and meeting with the leaders of the native population." So...the first americans were people from Bahamas, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cubans. And the continent was claimed for SPAIN. AMERICA according every academic or encyclopedia is a continen and no a country. That's is the naked truth. Un saludo para todos mis hermanos americanos, empezando por los costarricenses.

actually, i have wondered about that also. geographically speaking, shouldn't citizens of many other countries also be able to claim that title? for example, aren't canadians just as american as citizens of the united states?

I was only talking about North America/USA, how it came to be called America and how the United States of America is usually abbreviated to simply "America".

I believe it stems from Christopher Columbus "discovering" North America and calling it America (which he named after Amerigo Vaspucci (sp?)). It's just an abbreviated name for the United States of America...that takes too long to say :)