Difference between State and Nation
Relatively often the terms state and nation are used interchangeably. Although this is not entirely incorrect, the truth is that there are profound implications that, in theory, make a state different from a nation.
Condition |
Nation |
|
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It is a political organization that acts in a certain territory and whose function is to administer and direct the society that inhabits said territory. | As for a nation, it is a group of people who share the same territory and some other historical-cultural characteristics. |
| Nature of the concept | Legal, political. It is a concept of the social sciences. | Emotional, psychological. It is a concept related to the feeling of belonging and pride. |
| Elements | A state is made up of a territory, a population and the power to organize these two. This power can be summed up in a single concept: government. | The members of a nation share ties that give them identity. These ties may include culture, race, language, religion, traditions, customs, and/or history. |
| Borders | The borders of a state are those delimited politically (between countries.) | The borders are not political, but those that are established culturally. |
| examples | United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, etc. | Indigenous nations, such as those in North America (Navajo, Cherokee, Sioux, etc.) |