Country vs. Kingdom — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 1, 2024
A country is a distinct territorial body or political entity, while a kingdom is a type of monarchy ruled by a king or queen.
Difference Between Country and Kingdom
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A country and a kingdom represent different concepts in the context of political and geographical organization. A country refers to a distinct territorial area that can be a nation with its own government and borders recognized by others. It denotes a geographical and political entity that operates independently, with its own set of laws, government, and often a distinct culture and language. On the other hand, a kingdom is a specific form of government where a monarch, either a king or a queen, is the head of state. Kingdoms are characterized by their monarchical form of rule, which can be hereditary or, in rare cases, elective.
Countries can have various forms of governance, including democracies, republics, monarchies, and more. Kingdoms, being a subtype of monarchy, imply a hereditary ruling system where the throne is passed down through generations of a royal family. This means that while all kingdoms are countries, not all countries are kingdoms. For instance, the United Kingdom is both a country and a kingdom, while France is a country that is a republic rather than a monarchy.
The governance structure within countries can vary significantly. In a republic, for example, the head of state is usually elected, either directly by the people or through a parliament. In contrast, a kingdom typically involves a monarchy where the king or queen exercises varying degrees of power, from purely ceremonial roles to significant governing authority, depending on the constitution and laws of the land.
Cultural and historical contexts play a crucial role in distinguishing between countries and kingdoms. Many countries have rich histories that include periods under monarchical rule, but today they might function under different forms of governance. Kingdoms often have deep historical roots, with traditions and royal families that have been part of the nation's identity for centuries.
Despite these differences, the terms "country" and "kingdom" share the commonality of referring to entities that possess a defined territory, population, government, and the ability to engage in relations with other nations. The main distinction lies in the form of governance and the presence (or absence) of a monarchical system in their political structure.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A distinct territorial body or political entity with its own government.
A type of monarchy ruled by a king or queen.
Governance
Can vary (e.g., democracy, republic, monarchy).
Monarchical, with a hereditary or elective king or queen.
Examples
France, Brazil, Japan.
United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Sweden.
Key Characteristics
Sovereignty, recognized borders, a government.
Monarchical rule, often hereditary.
Variability
Includes various forms of government.
Specifically refers to monarchical governments.
Compare with Definitions
Country
A sovereign entity recognized internationally, with defined borders and governance.
Japan is a country known for its unique culture and technological advancements.
Kingdom
The succession of the throne is usually determined by hereditary laws, though elective monarchies exist.
The succession to the British throne is governed by hereditary rules, prioritizing the eldest child of the monarch.
Country
Can adopt various forms of government, including democracies, republics, and monarchies.
Brazil operates as a federal republic, with a president as the head of state.
Kingdom
The ruling monarch may have varying degrees of political power, from ceremonial to significant governing authority.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the king has considerable control over the state.
Country
Has the autonomy to enact its own laws, policies, and international agreements.
Canada has its own legal system and enters into trade agreements independently.
Kingdom
Monarchical traditions and ceremonies often play a significant role in the cultural identity.
The United Kingdom has a rich history of royal ceremonies that attract global attention.
Country
Engages in diplomatic relations with other countries.
Germany maintains embassies in numerous countries around the world.
Kingdom
Can be part of a larger political entity, as seen in the United Kingdom, which encompasses several countries.
The United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Country
Encompasses a wide range of cultures, languages, and ethnicities.
India is a country with a diverse array of languages, cultures, and religions.
Kingdom
A country ruled by a monarch, where the position is often hereditary.
The Kingdom of Sweden is ruled by a king who plays a ceremonial role.
Country
A country is a distinct territorial body or political entity (i.e. a nation).
Kingdom
The spiritual reign or authority of God.
Country
A nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory
The country's increasingly precarious economic position
Spain, Italy, and other European countries
Kingdom
A political or territorial unit ruled by a sovereign.
Country
Districts and small settlements outside large urban areas or the capital
A country lane
The airfield is right out in the country
Kingdom
The eternal spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ.
Country
An area or region with regard to its physical features
A tract of wild country
Kingdom
The realm of this sovereignty.
Country
Short for country music
Kingdom
A realm having a king and/or queen as its actual or nominal sovereign.
Country
A nation or state.
Kingdom
The rank, quality, state, or attributes of a king; royal authority; sovereign power; rule; dominion; monarchy.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
When Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself.
Country
The territory of a nation or state; land.
Kingdom
The territory or country subject to a king or queen; the dominion of a monarch; the sphere in which one is king or has control.
Unto the kingdom of perpetual night.
You're welcome,Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom.
Country
The people of a nation or state; populace
The whole country will profit from the new economic reforms.
Kingdom
An extensive scientific division distinguished by leading or ruling characteristics; a principal division; a department; as, the mineral kingdom. In modern biology, the division of life into five kingdoms is widely used for classification.
Country
The land of a person's birth or citizenship
Foreign travel is restricted in his country.
Kingdom
A country with a king as head of state
Country
A region, territory, or large tract of land distinguishable by features of topography, biology, or culture
Hill country.
Bible country.
Kingdom
The domain ruled by a king or queen
Country
An area or expanse outside cities and towns; a rural area
A vacation in the country.
Kingdom
A monarchy with a king or queen as head of state
Country
The people of a district who are eligible for jury service.
Kingdom
One of seven biological categories: Monera or Protoctista or Plantae or Fungi or Animalia
Country
A jury.
Kingdom
A country, state, or territory ruled by a king or queen
The Kingdom of the Netherlands
Country
(Informal) Country music.
Kingdom
Each of the three traditional divisions (animal, vegetable, and mineral) in which natural objects have conventionally been classified.
Country
Of, relating to, or typical of the country
A country road.
Country cooking.
Kingdom
A realm or sphere in which one thing is dominant
The kingdom of the imagination.
Country
Of or relating to country music.
Kingdom
In the Linnean taxonomic system, the highest taxonomic category into which organisms are grouped, based on fundamental similarities and common ancestry. One widely used taxonomic system designates five or six such groups
Animals, plants, fungi, protists, and prokaryotes (often divided into bacteria and archaea). Other systems divide organisms into domains (eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea) that replace or rank above kingdoms.
Country
(chiefly British) An area of land; a district, region.
Kingdom
One of the three main divisions (animal, vegetable, and mineral) into which natural organisms and objects have traditionally been classified.
Country
A set region of land having particular human occupation or agreed limits, especially inhabited by members of the same race, speakers of the same language etc., or associated with a given person, occupation, species etc.
Kingdom
(taxonomy) A rank in the classification of organisms, below domain and above phylum; a taxon at that rank (e.g. the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom).
Country
The territory of a nation, especially an independent nation state or formerly independent nation; a political entity asserting ultimate authority over a geographical area; a sovereign state.
Kingdom
A domain in which something is dominant;
The untroubled kingdom of reason
A land of make-believe
The rise of the realm of cotton in the south
Country
A rural area, as opposed to a town or city; the countryside.
Kingdom
A basic group of natural objects
Country
Ellipsis of country music
A country song
A country singer
A country festival
Country
(mining) The rock through which a vein runs.
Country
From or in the countryside or connected with it.
Country
Of or connected to country music.
Country
Originating in India rather than being imported from Europe or elsewhere.
Country
A tract of land; a region; the territory of an independent nation; (as distinguished from any other region, and with a personal pronoun) the region of one's birth, permanent residence, or citizenship.
Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred.
I might have learned this by my last exile,that change of countries cannot change my state.
Many a famous realmAnd country, whereof here needs no account
Country
Rural regions, as opposed to a city or town.
As they walked, on their way into the country.
God made the covatry, and man made the town.
Only very great men were in the habit of dividing the year between town and country.
Country
The inhabitants or people of a state or a region; the populace; the public. Hence: (a) One's constituents. (b) The whole body of the electors of state; as, to dissolve Parliament and appeal to the country.
All the country in a general voiceCried hate upon him.
Country
A jury, as representing the citizens of a country.
Country
The rock through which a vein runs.
Country
Pertaining to the regions remote from a city; rural; rustic; as, a country life; a country town; the country party, as opposed to city.
Country
Destitute of refinement; rude; unpolished; rustic; not urbane; as, country manners.
Country
Pertaining, or peculiar, to one's own country.
She, bowing herself towards him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, spake in her country language.
Country
The territory occupied by a nation;
He returned to the land of his birth
He visited several European countries
Country
A politically organized body of people under a single government;
The state has elected a new president
African nations
Students who had come to the nation's capitol
The country's largest manufacturer
An industrialized land
Country
The people who live in a nation or country;
A statement that sums up the nation's mood
The news was announced to the nation
The whole country worshipped him
Country
An area outside of cities and towns;
His poetry celebrated the slower pace of life in the country
Country
A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography);
It was a mountainous area
Bible country
Common Curiosities
How does a country become a kingdom?
A country becomes a kingdom through historical processes, often involving the unification of territories under a monarch.
How do kingdoms and countries interact on the international stage?
Both engage in diplomacy, trade, and international agreements as sovereign entities recognized by the international community.
Can a kingdom exist without being a country?
Typically, no. Kingdoms are countries that have adopted a monarchical form of governance.
Can a country have both a president and a monarch?
Yes, in constitutional monarchies, a monarch may serve as the ceremonial head of state, while a president or prime minister acts as the head of government.
What makes a country different from a kingdom?
A country is a political entity with its own government, while a kingdom is a type of country with monarchical rule.
What happens to a kingdom if there is no heir?
Succession laws vary, but generally, a new monarch is determined through established lines of succession, or in rare cases, elective processes.
How are disputes between countries and kingdoms resolved?
Through diplomatic negotiations, international courts, or international organizations like the United Nations.
Can a country change from a republic to a kingdom?
While rare in modern times, historical precedents exist where republics have transitioned to monarchies through political processes.
Are all monarchies considered kingdoms?
Not all; monarchies can also be principalities, duchies, or empires, depending on the title of the monarch and historical context.
Are there any kingdoms without a physical territory?
Historically, yes, but in the modern world, sovereignty usually requires control over a defined territory.
What is the role of a king or queen in a modern kingdom?
The role can vary widely, from largely ceremonial duties to significant political power, depending on the country's laws.
Do citizens in a kingdom have different rights than those in other countries?
Citizens' rights depend on the country's laws and constitution rather than its status as a kingdom.
Can a kingdom be democratic?
Yes, many modern kingdoms are constitutional monarchies with democratic systems of government.
What is the significance of national symbols in countries and kingdoms?
National symbols, such as flags and anthems, play crucial roles in representing sovereignty and cultural identity.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
