Country vs. Nation — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 19, 2023
"Country" generally refers to a geographic area defined by borders, governed by a single government. "Nation" refers to a group of people sharing common culture, language, or history, and may or may not have a formal government. They can overlap but are n
Difference Between Country and Nation
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Key Differences
"Country" is a term that primarily refers to a geographically defined area recognized as a distinct entity in political geography. It has defined borders, a government, and often its own currency and laws. "Nation," on the other hand, centers around a shared identity among a group of people, which can include culture, language, or common history.
The word "country" implies a degree of sovereignty, whether it's an independent state or a constituent part of a larger entity, like Scotland in the United Kingdom. "Nation," conversely, may not imply political sovereignty. For instance, the Kurdish people constitute a nation without a sovereign country.
Grammatically speaking, "country" is predominantly used as a noun, although it can be used as an adjective in terms like "country-wide." "Nation" is also primarily a noun but can appear as an adjective in phrases like "nationwide" or "national."
The concepts of "country" and "nation" can often overlap, such as in the term "nation-state," where the geographic entity (country) and the cultural-linguistic entity (nation) coincide. However, this is not always the case. For example, the United States is a country composed of multiple nations, such as Native American nations.
Comparison Chart
Basic Definition
Geographical entity
Group of people with shared identity
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Sovereignty
Often implies sovereignty
May not imply sovereignty
Part of Speech
Noun, Adjective
Noun, Adjective
Connotation
Political
Cultural or historical
Examples
USA, Canada
Navajo, Kurds
Compare with Definitions
Country
A political entity with its own government.
The country recently held elections.
Nation
A group claiming sovereignty over a territory.
The Cherokee Nation sought recognition from the government.
Country
The territory occupied by a nation.
Multiple nations can reside in a single country.
Nation
A political or social unit.
The United Nations is an assembly of sovereign nations.
Country
A country is a distinct territorial body or political entity (i.e. a nation).
Nation
An aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family.
The Filipino nation has a unique blend of cultures.
Country
A nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory
The country's increasingly precarious economic position
Spain, Italy, and other European countries
Nation
A large body of people united by common descent.
The Navajo Nation is indigenous to the United States.
Country
Districts and small settlements outside large urban areas or the capital
A country lane
The airfield is right out in the country
Nation
A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a common language, history, ethnicity, a common culture and, in many cases, a shared territory. A nation is a collective identity of people.
Country
An area or region with regard to its physical features
A tract of wild country
Nation
A relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country.
Country
Short for country music
Nation
The territory occupied by such a group of people
All across the nation, people are voting their representatives out.
Country
A nation or state.
Nation
The government of a sovereign state.
Country
The territory of a nation or state; land.
Nation
A people who share common customs, origins, history, and frequently language; a nationality
"Historically the Ukrainians are an ancient nation which has persisted and survived through terrible calamity" (Robert Conquest).
Country
The people of a nation or state; populace
The whole country will profit from the new economic reforms.
Nation
A federation or tribe, especially one composed of Native Americans.
Country
The land of a person's birth or citizenship
Foreign travel is restricted in his country.
Nation
The territory occupied by such a federation or tribe.
Country
A region, territory, or large tract of land distinguishable by features of topography, biology, or culture
Hill country.
Bible country.
Nation
A historically constituted, stable community of people, formed based on a common language, territory, economic life, ethnicity and/or psychological make-up manifested in a common culture.
The Roma are a nation without a country.
Country
An area or expanse outside cities and towns; a rural area
A vacation in the country.
Nation
A sovereign state.
Though legally single nations, many states comprise several distinct cultural or ethnic groups.
Country
The people of a district who are eligible for jury service.
Nation
An association of students based on its members' birthplace or ethnicity.
Once widespread across Europe in medieval times, nations are now largely restricted to the ancient universities of Sweden and Finland.
Country
A jury.
Nation
(obsolete) A great number; a great deal.
Country
(Informal) Country music.
Nation
(rare) Damnation.
Country
Of, relating to, or typical of the country
A country road.
Country cooking.
Nation
Extremely, very.
Country
Of or relating to country music.
Nation
A part, or division, of the people of the earth, distinguished from the rest by common descent, language, or institutions; a race; a stock.
All nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.
Country
(chiefly British) An area of land; a district, region.
Nation
The body of inhabitants of a country, united under an independent government of their own.
A nation is the unity of a people.
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
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.
Nation
Family; lineage.
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.
Nation
One of the divisions of university students in a classification according to nativity, formerly common in Europe.
Country
A rural area, as opposed to a town or city; the countryside.
Nation
A great number; a great deal; - by way of emphasis; as, a nation of herbs.
Country
Ellipsis of country music
A country song
A country singer
A country festival
Nation
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
(mining) The rock through which a vein runs.
Nation
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
From or in the countryside or connected with it.
Nation
A federation of tribes (especially native American tribes);
The Shawnee nation
Country
Of or connected to country music.
Nation
United States prohibitionist who raided saloons and destroyed bottles of liquor with a hatchet (1846-1911)
Country
Originating in India rather than being imported from Europe or elsewhere.
Nation
A community of people sharing a common culture, language, or history.
The Jewish nation has a rich history.
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
Country
A geographical area with defined borders.
France is a country in Europe.
Country
A land inhabited by a community.
The entire country was affected by the hurricane.
Country
A distinct territorial body or political division.
The country has 50 states.
Common Curiosities
What is a Nation?
A nation is a group of people sharing common culture, language, or history.
Does a Country always have sovereignty?
Often, but not always; some are part of larger political entities.
What is a Country?
A country is a geographic area with defined borders and its own government.
Can Country and Nation be used interchangeably?
No, they are related but distinct concepts.
Can a Nation span multiple Countries?
Yes, like the Kurdish nation spread across several countries.
Does a Nation require sovereignty?
No, nations may exist without political sovereignty.
What's the adjective form of Nation?
"National" is the adjective form of "nation."
Is Country primarily a political term?
Yes, it usually refers to a political entity.
Is Nation primarily a cultural term?
Yes, it usually refers to cultural, linguistic, or historical commonality.
What's the adjective form of Country?
"Country" can be used as an adjective, as in "country-wide."
Can multiple Nations exist within one Country?
Yes, such as the various Native American nations within the United States.
Can a Nation exist without a Country?
Yes, such as the Roma or the Kurds.
Are Countries always recognized internationally?
No, some countries are not universally recognized.
What's a Nation-state?
A nation-state is a country where the cultural and political entity overlap.
Can a Country change but the Nation remain?
Yes, the geopolitical entity can change, but the cultural identity may persist.
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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.
