American reporters appropriately had a 'wait, what? moment' on Wednesday during a Senate Judiciary committee meeting.

Senator Diane Feinstein, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was defending the National Security Agency's top secret spying when she brought out a prop identifying North America — the United States, Canada and Mexico — as the "Homeland"

"You may also be surprised to learn that our homeland now includes both Mexico and Canada, two areas that we understood to be autonomous nations that are not part of the United States," noted the Atlantic Wire, the publication which first reported the unorthodox map.

"Normally, this would be written off as a design goof, as one of the NSA's (newly adept) graphics guys using a little more light blue than he ought.

"This being the NSA, we're not inclined to offer that benefit of the doubt. Is this a way of blending in Canadian and Mexican terror activity disruptions (which, we'll remind you, is different from actual plots interrupted) to give a larger sense of the NSA's success at halting terrorism within our borders?"

Or, perhaps the term was used in the spirit of greater cooperation as Canada and the U.S. work towards the Canada-U.S. perimeter security pact.

On Wednesday, for example, the Canadian Press reported that the United States wants its police officers to be exempt from Canadian law when taking part in cross-border policing initiatives.

[ Related: U.S. expects immunity for its cops working in new cross-border policing program ]

Maybe the term isn't so far fetched?

Or maybe it was just a case of an ignorant staffer not knowing his or her geography? Apparently, 2 out 10 Americans can't find Canada on a map of North America.

Whatever the reason, the Twitterverse had some more 'amusing' analysis:

.@pbump welcomes Canada and Mexico to the 'Homeland' (The Continent Formerly Known As North America) http://t.co/hZdGWkamE5 — Scott Young (@scottalyoung) August 1, 2013

Earths newest continent. Welcome to the Homeland, Mexico and Canada! ... http://t.co/UwJLzkGRhI — Kat Capps (@KatCapps) August 1, 2013

Good news for Canada and Mexico: They're now part of the U.S. Homeland. http://t.co/0v25sgC33B — pbumpnet (@pbumpnet) August 1, 2013

[ Related: BBC News identifies Aussie leader Kevin Rudd as Canada’s prime minister ]

The full Atlantic Wire can be read here.

Are you a politics junkie?

Follow @politicalpoints on Twitter!