Hatunen wrote:

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 01:59:06 +0100, Padraig Breathnach
wrote:

"Tchiowa" wrote:

It's interesting that if you look at the dictionary definition of
"nation" it uses the term "country" to define it. And it you look at
the term "country" it uses "nation" to define it.

What dictionary is that? It's not on my shelves.

I see at www.dictionary.com that what he says is *one* of the
proffered definitions, and, of course, it is common parlance to
use the words somwhat interchangeably. There are not precise
definitions for "country" and "nation", anyway.

I glanced at the definitions, and formed a quick impression that this
was not the sort of dictionary I would want to use.

"Nation" derives from a root meaning birth, and can be used to
describe all kinds of combinations so long as the people share
some birth characteristic. I live just a few miles from the
Tohono O'odham Nation and not that far from the Navajo Nation,
but I have never heard either called a "country". But in the late
18th century when Thomas Jefferson pined to return to "my
country", he meant the colony cum state of Virginia, not America.

I use "nation" to refer to a grouping with some ethnic or cultural
bond. In some cases those people generally share a common territory,
but some nations have no national territory under their own political
control -- the Kurds are an example. Almost invariably the matching of
a territory with a population is inexact. That has contributed to many
conflicts, a recent example being in the Balkans.

I use "country" less often, because I don't feel that it has a
generally-agreed meaning. Often "state" is more satisfactory.

Not being a Brit I can't know for sure whether Scotland or Wales
is ever considered a "nation" as would be appropriate for their
ethnic makeups, but I do see them called countries.

Interesting question. I think one can speak of the Scottish people and
the Welsh people more easily than the Scottish nation or the Welsh
nation.

In Canada, the Province of Quebec considers itself a "nation" and
the provincial legislature is l'Assemblée nationale

The Quebecois seem to satisfy my idea of having an ethnic or cultural
bond.

Don't let's go down the road of nationalism.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED
My travel writing: http://www.iol.ie/~draoi/