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However, without a clarifying context, singular America in English commonly refers to the United States of America. [2] Historically, in the English-speaking world, the term America could refer to a single continent until the 1950s (as in Van Loon's Geography of 1937): According to historians Kären Wigen and Martin W. Lewis, [3]
The German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller created the earliest known map showing the name America, which he applied to the South American continent only. 1594 world map by Petrus Plancius. The 1594 map by Petrus Plancius labels the two landmasses "America Mexicana" and "America Peruana", two terms still used in the 17th century. [1]
Latin America and the Caribbean-extending from The Bahamas and Mexico to Argentina and Chile. Central America—the countries south of Mexico and north of Colombia. The Caribbean. South America—all the countries south of Panama. Within this scheme, the continent of America includes Northern America, Central America, the Caribbean and South ...
The term arose in the early 16th century during Europe's Age of Discovery, after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci published the Latin-language pamphlet Mundus Novus, presenting his conclusion that these lands (soon called America based on Amerigo's name) constitute a new continent. [2]
"Land of Bolívar" in Neo-Latin, in honor of Simón Bolívar, one of the leading generals in the Spanish American wars of independence. Bolívar had given his lieutenant Antonio José de Sucre the option to keep Upper Peru under Peru , to unite it with the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata , or to declare its independence.
The majority of the population lives in Latin America, named for its predominant cultures, rooted in Latin Europe (including the two dominant languages, Spanish and Portuguese, both Romance languages), more specifically in the Iberian nations of Portugal and Spain (hence the use of the term Ibero-America as a synonym). Latin America is ...
The term "Latin America" is defined to mean parts of Americas south of the mainland of the United States of America where a Romance language (a language derived from Latin) predominates. Latin America are the countries and territories in the Americas which speak Spanish or Portuguese, with French being sometimes included.
The meaning of the word American in the English language varies according to the historical, geographical, and political context in which it is used.American is derived from America, a term originally denoting all of the Americas (also called the Western Hemisphere), ultimately derived from the name of the Florentine explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (1451–1512).