States and Nations

Abstract

If one examines an historical atlas of Europe,¹ one can see at a glance how the boundaries of states have constantly shifted over the years. The earliest territorial jurisdictions were those of what we call tribes or clans, which soon shade imperceptibly into kingdoms and principalities. From the Roman Empire to the European Union (EU) larger schemes of political union have taken place, which have competed with the claims of the smaller tribal/ethnic/national settlements. The distinctions between tribal, ethnic and national do not concern us at this point, but the distinction between nation and state is crucial. A nation is defined by its national identity, national territory and culture, national consciousness and nationalism, while a state is defined solely by its status in international society. States are thus easier to identify than nations, even if there are problems there too.