State, Nation or Nation-State?

How Many States in the World Today?

(State = Country)
196!
 8 Characteristics of a State

• Territory with boundaries

• Permanent population
• Economic system (money, goods & services,
trade, etc.)
• Social system (health care, education, etc.)
• Transportation system
• Government
• Sovereignty (control)
• Recognized by other States
How Long Have We Had States?
“Modern” State began in Europe in
the 1600s
Diffused to rest of the world by 1900
What is a Nation?
• Nation: tightly
knit group of
people who share
a common culture
• Nationalism:
belief in and
loyalty to a nation
Is the U.S. a nation?
 What is a Nation-State?
• Nation-state: When
a nation of people
have a State of their
own.
• Examples:
– France
– Egypt
– Japan
Nations Longing To Be States Greatly
Changed the 20th Century World Map

1945 = 51 U.N. Members 2009 = 192 U.N. Members

Note Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Soviet Union (USSR)

1922 -1991
 Commonwealth of
Independent States

1991
 Iceland
State? Nation? Nation-State?
State, Nation and
Nation-State
 Canada
State? Nation? Nation-State?
State only
Multinational
 Territories:
Are Not States - No Sovereignty

• Examples:
– Hong Kong
– Greenland
– Puerto Rico
– Parts of United
Kingdom:
• England,
Scotland, Wales,
Northern Ireland
Microstates
• Very small
population or
very small land
area
• Examples:
– Monaco
– Andorra
– Liechtenstein
– Vatican City
– Nauru
Stateless Nations
Palestine: A
nation, but no
State
Negotiations for a
permanent
settlement stalled
and Palestinian-
Israeli conflict
continues.

Two factions of
Palestinians - Fatah
(supported by U.S.)
and Hamas.
Stateless Nations
Kurdistan: A nation, but no State
Will We Always Have States???
• Challenges to States:
– Globalization
– Terrorism
– New superpowers: European Union
(EU), China, India
– Trading blocs