<P> The naming of the Americas, or America occurred shortly after Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas in 1492 . It is generally accepted that the name derives from Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer, who explored the new continents in the following years . However, some have suggested other explanations, such as the theory that it was named after Richard Amerike of Bristol . </P> <P> In modern English, North and South America are generally considered separate continents, and taken together are called the Americas in the plural, parallel to similar situations such as the Carolinas . When conceived as a unitary continent, the form is generally the continent of America in the singular . However, without a clarifying context, singular America in English commonly refers to the United States of America . </P>

What is the origin of the name america
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