Nation or Country?

2022-12-31

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1
  • Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "nation" and "country."
  • 2
  • Hi VOA Learning English,
  • 3
  • Could you please help and explain what the difference is in usage between "nation" and "country?"
  • 4
  • Thanks and regards,
  • 5
  • Siyang Hao
  • 6
  • Hello Siyang!
  • 7
  • This is a great question.
  • 8
  • Often these words are used as synonyms, but there are differences.
  • 9
  • Let's look at how we use these words and find some examples to help us understand.
  • 10
  • Let's start with "country."
  • 11
  • A "country" is an organized political unit.
  • 12
  • We often describe "countries" as "states," especially when talking about politics.
  • 13
  • Joshua Keating, a former editor for the website Foreign Policy says there are several things that are needed to become a country.
  • 14
  • A country needs territory or land.
  • 15
  • Next, people living there must live there permanently.
  • 16
  • Then the international community must recognize the boundaries or borders of the country.
  • 17
  • Next, the country must have full sovereignty or the freedom of rule and be recognized by other countries.
  • 18
  • Finally, a country is ruled by a government or political body.
  • 19
  • Here are some examples of how to use "country" in a sentence.
  • 20
  • There are no countries in Antarctica, but some countries like Chile and New Zealand have claimed areas of it.
  • 21
  • I have been to several countries in Europe including Romania, Czechia, Estonia and Finland.
  • 22
  • Even though The United States is made up of smaller units called "states," they are not sovereign countries and are not internationally recognized as such.
  • 23
  • California is a state and has the world's 4th largest economy, but it is not a country.
  • 24
  • We often use "country" and "state" as synonyms, especially to differentiate the other meaning of "country" as a place outside of a city that has fields, farmland, trees, or villages.
  • 25
  • Regina enjoys going to the country on the weekends to visit her family's farm in West Virginia.
  • 26
  • And now let's move onto "nation."
  • 27
  • "Nation" has two different meanings.
  • 28
  • Firstly, a "nation" can describe the same thing as the word "country" or "state."
  • 29
  • Our VOA Word Book describes a "nation" as a "country" together with its political and social systems. Let's look at an example.
  • 30
  • There are 193 nations that make up the international organization called The United Nations.
  • 31
  • The nation of Argentina recently won the FIFA World Cup.
  • 32
  • "Nation" also has another meaning.
  • 33
  • It is the people of an area who are connected by a common culture or identity.
  • 34
  • Sometimes a "country" or "state" is represented by one "nation," called a "nation-state."
  • 35
  • Japan, Finland, and even the United States are considered nation-states.
  • 36
  • Not all "nations" of people have their own "country" or border of their land that is recognized internationally.
  • 37
  • Examples of "nations" of people without their own "country" include: The Kurdish people and native or indigenous people like Native Americans.
  • 38
  • The Kurdish nation lives throughout a region called Kurdistan, which is spread throughout five countries.
  • 39
  • Kurds have a common language and culture.
  • 40
  • First Nations people are an indigenous nation group in Canada.
  • 41
  • Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you!
  • 42
  • What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
  • 43
  • And that's Ask a Teacher.
  • 44
  • I'm Faith Pirlo.
  • 1
  • Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "nation" and "country."
  • 2
  • Question
  • 3
  • Hi VOA Learning English,
  • 4
  • Could you please help and explain what the difference is in usage between "nation" and "country?"
  • 5
  • Thanks and regards,
  • 6
  • Siyang Hao
  • 7
  • Answer
  • 8
  • Hello Siyang!
  • 9
  • This is a great question. Often these words are used as synonyms, but there are differences. Let's look at how we use these words and find some examples to help us understand.
  • 10
  • Let's start with "country."
  • 11
  • A "country" is an organized political unit. We often describe "countries" as "states," especially when talking about politics. Joshua Keating, a former editor for the website Foreign Policy says there are several things that are needed to become a country.
  • 12
  • A country needs territory or land. Next, people living there must live there permanently. Then the international community must recognize the boundaries or borders of the country.
  • 13
  • Next, the country must have full sovereignty or the freedom of rule and be recognized by other countries. Finally, a country is ruled by a government or political body.
  • 14
  • Here are some examples of how to use "country" in a sentence.
  • 15
  • There are no countries in Antarctica, but some countries like Chile and New Zealand have claimed areas of it.
  • 16
  • I have been to several countries in Europe including Romania, Czechia, Estonia and Finland.
  • 17
  • Even though The United States is made up of smaller units called "states," they are not sovereign countries and are not internationally recognized as such.
  • 18
  • California is a state and has the world's 4th largest economy, but it is not a country.
  • 19
  • We often use "country" and "state" as synonyms, especially to differentiate the other meaning of "country" as a place outside of a city that has fields, farmland, trees, or villages.
  • 20
  • Regina enjoys going to the country on the weekends to visit her family's farm in West Virginia.
  • 21
  • And now let's move onto "nation."
  • 22
  • "Nation" has two different meanings. Firstly, a "nation" can describe the same thing as the word "country" or "state." Our VOA Word Book describes a "nation" as a "country" together with its political and social systems. Let's look at an example.
  • 23
  • There are 193 nations that make up the international organization called The United Nations.
  • 24
  • The nation of Argentina recently won the FIFA World Cup.
  • 25
  • "Nation" also has another meaning. It is the people of an area who are connected by a common culture or identity.
  • 26
  • Sometimes a "country" or "state" is represented by one "nation," called a "nation-state."
  • 27
  • Japan, Finland, and even the United States are considered nation-states.
  • 28
  • Not all "nations" of people have their own "country" or border of their land that is recognized internationally.
  • 29
  • Examples of "nations" of people without their own "country" include: The Kurdish people and native or indigenous people like Native Americans.
  • 30
  • The Kurdish nation lives throughout a region called Kurdistan, which is spread throughout five countries. Kurds have a common language and culture.
  • 31
  • First Nations people are an indigenous nation group in Canada.
  • 32
  • Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you!
  • 33
  • What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
  • 34
  • And that's Ask a Teacher.
  • 35
  • I'm Faith Pirlo.
  • 36
  • Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.
  • 37
  • ______________________________________________________________
  • 38
  • Words in This Story
  • 39
  • synonyms - n. a word that is similar in meaning to another word
  • 40
  • sovereignty - n. a country's independent power and the right to govern itself
  • 41
  • evolution - n. a gradual process of change and development
  • 42
  • indigenous - adj. produced, living or existing in a certain place or environment; native to a place
  • 43
  • __________________________________________________________
  • 44
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  • 45
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