Nations and States

States and Nations are Different Concepts

States are the Major Players in the World

States Must Have:

• Territorial Base
• A Population that resides within its borders
• A Population
• Must be recognized by at least two other states

HeaDS of states

Characteristics of States

• An army to protect itself
• Sovereignty
• Can issue legal tender
• Can engage in trade with other countries including the sale of arms.

What is a Nation?

• large body of people united by a common:
• Heritage, History, Culture, Language, Beliefs, Traditions who occupy a territor

Some Nations without States

• Kurds (Western Asia, Turkey, Iran. N. Iraq, Syria)
• Rohingya (now Bangladesh, previously Myanmar)
• Hmong (Southwest China, South Asia, United States)
• Roma (Central Europe)

Nations within The United States

• Navaho Nation
• Cherokee Nation
• Apache Nation
• Iroquois Nation

The right to seek Statehood

the 13 Colonies of the British Empire (once a Nation)

Multinational States
Contain many ethnic groups or nationalities, most states are multinational states

Untitled Slide

How Should We Organize the World?

Works Consulted

• Morris, Susan C. Lecture Notes, various years
• Goldstein, J.S. & Pevehouse J.C. (2014). International Relations (10th ed.). Pearson.
• Frieden, J., Lake, D.A., & Schultz, K.A. (2016). World Politics (3rd ed.). W.W. Norton & Company.