States versus Nations in World Politics

As chapter 5 indicates, “states” and “nations” are two main building blocks and primary players in world politics. They are distinct entities, however, and the differences between them are at the heart of a variety of issues in world politics. In this exercise, you will review the definitions and central characteristics of these two concepts, and then think critically about what might be the consequences of the simultaneous existence of these two ways of dividing societies across the world.

The Concepts

Review the definitions and characteristics of “state” and “nation” in chapter 5.

1. What are the main features of “state”?
2. What are the main features of a “nation”?

The Situation

As the concepts you have just reviewed suggest, there is an important distinction between the political/legal organization of the state and the cultural organization of the nation. The realities of that distinction have important consequences for the world today.

1. First, review the states of the international system, noting the overall number of these political/legal entities. You can find summary listings online at Country Reports (www.countryreports.org/alphanationtext.htm), the CIA World Factbook (www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/countrylisting.html), and the list of members of the United Nations (www.un.org/Overview/unmember.html).
2. Second, review the nations of the world, noting the overall number of these cultural entities. You can find several different listings of these cultural groups online.

Ethnologue identifies groups based on language and presents both maps and a list for you to browse (www.ethnologue.com/web.asp).

The CIA World Factbook identifies the major cultural groups within each state, so you can gain a sense of the complexity of these social groups (www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2075.html).

Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups) and NationMaster (www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/List-of-ethnic-groups) list major ethnic groups around the world.

1. Third, examine the following maps of the continent of Africa. Consider how the political (states) and cultural (nations) entities simultaneously occupy the same space.

• The Political Map of Africa (Click here to view) shows the states and their boundaries.
• The Cultural Map of Africa (Click here to view)) shows major cultural groups and their boundaries.

The Consequences

With your reviews of the global situation and the situation in Africa in mind, consider the consequences of these two ways of organizing (and dividing) people and the fact that the political and cultural boundaries of the world do not match up. What results do you expect to see from the tension between these two entities? What patterns and behaviors might you see within and between the states and nations of the world? Brainstorm and list some possible outcomes.

ow does this exercise help you understand world politics?