Difference Between Nation and Country (World)
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Nation vs Country
There are a few major differences between the terms “country” and
“nation”. In the US, these terms tend to be used synonymously due to
rather strong American nationalism, which is said to have been heavily
influenced by president Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 and the Promise of
American Life. This kind of nationalism is more synonymous with
allegiance, as whoever has ever lived and is loyal to the US could take
on its nationalism. The use of the word “nation” that is mixed up often
with “country” uses the unifying qualities of an official countrywide
language and culture rather than ethnicity. Today, due to rapid
Globalization and multiple generations of immigration, many countries
are starting to blend the concepts of nation and country as well. For
instance, while a man’s great grandparents may be Guatemalan, he may
consider himself British after multiple generations of nationalization.
Nation
A nation[ii] is officially observed as a group of people who share the
same cultural identity. They share the same language, culture and
lineages. Kurdish people consider themselves a nation of Kurdistan,
though Kurdistan is not officially recognized by either its neighbors,
or Western countries. Establishing a national identity often helps
people living in the same country feel united. A multitude of border and
religious disputes in the Middle East, some believe, have to do with
the creation of official country lines, such as the Sykes-Picot
agreement, that cross originally ‘unofficial but understood’ border
lines. Nationality can also be found to be used as a legal definition to
describe the relationship between a person and state, such as where you
are legally allowed to reside. In this case, nationality is “a term of
municipal law, defined by municipal law” iv. Your legal nationality
could be anywhere you are allowed to reside. In certain countries, if
you live within a country for a specific amount of time you could become
a citizen (therefore having political rights) through nationalization.
What about a “Nation” and a “State”?
Separately, there also exists a “nation-state[vii]”, which exists when a state or country also share the same nationality. For example, while Columbia is an independent country, it is also made up of those who consider their nationality Colombian due to shared culture, religion and language. The same goes for many countries who haven’t experienced much immigration in the past few generations. Japan is notoriously considered a nation-state, though it includes ethnically diverse minorities, the vast majority is homogeneous.
Country
Country[v], conversely, is synonymous with ‘State’ as it applies to
self-governing political identities. The United states is a country, all
abiding by the same laws of the same government. These states (not to
be confused with State) are smaller communities that all adhere to one
federal government in the country. Countries tend to be diverse and a
conglomerate of multiple nationalities, such as American’s considering
themselves “Latin American” in order to celebrate their diversity while
also creating a separate, but equally as powerful, national allegiance
to the United States. A State and a country are generally used to mean
the same thing.How to Spot a Country from a Territory
A country is also not to be confused with a territory [vi], which relies on its mother country for protection, economic support and any other features of an independent country. The US, for example, has Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. While these territories are part of the country of the United States, Puerto Ricans would consider their nationality to be Puerto Rican. In order to be considered a country, a territory would have to regulate its own government and economy, have its own army and stand without support.
Multiple Country Mergers
In Europe, for example, the dissolution of certain merger states like Austria-Hungary, Yugoslavia, the USSR, or Czechoslovakia highlight the differences in nationalities combined into single countries. While the nations separately may be Austrian or Hungarian, and a man may consider himself either Austrian or Hungarian, the country at one time was combined into one. Israel and Palestine are an ideal example of strong nationalism, to the point where their nationalism is almost synonymous with their religious ideology. While much of what was originally Palestine has been dissolved into Israel, most of those who were originally Palestinian now legally living in Israel would still consider themselves Palestinian.
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