A nation-state is a specific form of state, which exists to provide a sovereign territory for a particular nation, and which derives its legitimacy from that function. The state is a political and geopolitical entity; the nation is a cultural and/or ethnic entity. The term "nation-state" implies that they geographically coincide, and this distinguishes the nation-state from the other types of state, which historically preceded it. If successfully implemented, this implies that the citizens share a common language, culture, and values — which was not the case in many historical states. A world of nation-states also implements the claim to self-determination and autonomy for every nation, a central theme of the ideology of nationalism. (For ambiguities in the usage of terms such as nation, international, state, and country, see Nation). A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern the people in one or more societies, having internal and external sovereignty over a definite territory. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... Legitimacy in political science, is the popular acceptance of a governing regime or law as an authority. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... Geopolitics is the study which analyses geography, history and social science with reference to international politics. ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... An ethnic group is a human population whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry (Smith, 1986). ... Citizenship is membership in a political community (originally a city but now usually a country) and carries with it rights to political participation; a person having such membership is a citizen. ... Antarctica Australia Africa Asia Europe North America South America Middle East Caribbean Central Asia East Asia North Asia South Asia Southeast Asia SW. Asia China Australasia Melanesia Micronesia Polynesia Central America Latin America Northern America Americas C. Africa E. Africa N. Africa Southern Africa W. Africa C. Europe E. Europe... Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ... Look up autonomy, autonomous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology [1] that holds that a nation is the fundamental unit for human social life, and takes precedence over any other social and political principles. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ...

The "ideal nation-state"

It is possible to infer an "ideal nation-state" from existing nation-states, and from the claims of nationalist movements. This ideal model cannot be implemented in the real world, but it has influenced most existing nation-states, and they cannot be understood without reference to it. The model also explains how they differ from their predecessor states. Political science uses the term "nation-state" for most existing sovereign states, even though some of them deviate from this ideal model. The national identity may have been imposed from above, the national unity may be largely fictional, but the model is still effective in describing the specific characteristics of the nation-state. The term Real World or real world may mean: the stage of life that one enters after completing ones schooling, as in the sentence, After students enter the real world, they may not be able to sleep late as often as they did while in school. ... Political science is the field of the social sciences concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. ...

In this "ideal nation-state", the population consists of the nation, and only of the nation. Every member of the nation is a permanent resident of the nation-state, and no member of the nation resides outside it. There are no indigenous ethnic or cultural minorities. In order to maintain this state of affairs, there is no immigration and no emigration. Consequently there are no immigrant minorities either, and no members of the nation live as an immigrant minority in another state. Each generation is born in the nation-state of 100% national parentage, and consequently the nation retains its character over each succeeding generation. The state not only houses the nation, but protects it, and its national identity. The state has specific policies for this purpose, which are absent in non-nation-states. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Immigration. ... For publications of this name, see also Nation (disambiguation) A nation is a community of people who live together in an area (or, more broadly, of their descendants who may now be dispersed); and who regard themselves, or are regarded by others, as sharing some common identity, to which certain...

No nation-states exactly correspond to this model, but Iceland is often seen as approaching it. Although the inhabitants are ethnically related to other Scandinavian groups, the national culture and language are found only in Iceland. There are no cross-border minorities — the nearest land is too far away. Japan is also traditionally seen as a good example of a nation-state, although it includes minorities of the ethnically distinct Ryūkyū peoples in the south, Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos and Brazilians, and on the northern island of Hokkaidō, the indigenous Ainu minority; see also Japanese Demographics and Ethnic issues in Japan. Not coincidentally, both Iceland and Japan are insular nations. Hokkaidō   (北海道, literal meaning: North Sea Route, Ainu: Mosir), formerly known as Ezo, is the second largest island and largest prefecture of Japan. ... The Ainu IPA: /?ajnu/) are an ethnic group indigenous to Hokkaido and north of Honshu in Northern Japan, the Kuril Islands, much of Sakhalin, and the southernmost third of the Kamchatka peninsula. ... Anthem: Kimi Ga Yo  (君が代) Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Most populous conurbation Tokyo1 Japanese Government Constitutional monarchy  - Emperor HIM Emperor Akihito  - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (LDP) Formation    - National Foundation Day Feb 11, 660 BCE2   - Meiji Constitution November 29, 1890   - Current constitution May 3, 1947   - Treaty of San Francisco April 28, 1952... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Deviations from this model

The ideal nation-state is inhabited by one ethnic group, who speak one language, have one culture, and share one religion. The population, in other words, is homogeneous. In many existing states, that is far from the case. Nevertheless, for the purposes of history, political science, and international law, most of them are considered a nation-state. Switzerland is constitutionally a confederation of cantons, and has four official languages, but it has also a 'Swiss' national identity, a national history, and a classic national hero, Wilhelm Tell. ^[1] HIStory: Past, Present and Future – Book I (or simply HIStory) is a double-disc album by Michael Jackson released in 1995 by the Epic Records devision of Sony Music. ... Political science is the field of the social sciences concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. ... International law (also called public international law to distinguish from private international law, i. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... William Tell (German Wilhelm Tell) was a legendary hero of disputed historical accuracy said to have lived in the Canton of Uri in Switzerland in the early 14th century. ...

The national unity and identity may be disputed by autonomist movements, but unless a nation-state is approaching disintegration, the usage is to treat it as a nation-state. Similarly, the Republic of Ireland was until recently inhabited almost entirely by ethnic Irish, but the national territory is not considered complete by nationalists because it does not include Northern Ireland. Additionally, historically high emigration rates resulted in more Irish citizens living outside the Republic of Ireland, than within it: nevertheless, it is still generally regarded as a nation-state. Motto: [citation needed] (French for God and my right)2 Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, NI Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair...

In practice, the border of a nation-state never corresponds exactly to the distribution of the national group. Sometimes that is impossible, because population is ethnically mixed, down to the level of individual streets or buildings. Where part of the national group lives in a neighbouring nation-state, it is usually called a national minority. In some cases states have reciprocal national minorities, for instance the Slovaks in Hungary and the Magyars (ethnic Hungarians) in Slovakia. In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that forms less than half of the population. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

National minorities should not be confused with a national diaspora, which is typically located far from the national border. Most modern diasporas result from economic migration. The existence of an Irish diaspora does not make the Republic of Ireland any less of a nation-state, and does not affect Northern Ireland, since few emigrants move there. Look up Diaspora in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa and states of the Caribbean and continental Europe. ...

The possession of dependent territories does influence the status of a nation-state. A state with large colonial possessions is obviously inhabited by many ethnic groups, and does not conform to the ideal of a single-culture state. However, in most cases, the colonies were not considered an integral part of the motherland, and were separately administered. Some European nation-states have dependent territories in Europe. Denmark contains virtually all ethnic Danes and has relatively few foreign nationals within it. However, it exercises sovereignty over the Faroe Islands and Greenland. If these are considered separate nations, then Denmark is not a classic nation-state. A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State. ... See colony and colonisation for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism. ... Motherland is a term that may refer to a mother country, i. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ...

Conflicting nationalisms

Iceland not only has clear borders, it is inhabited by people who are either immigrants, or self-identify as Icelandic. In many nation-states, all or part of the territory is claimed on behalf of more than one nation, by more than one nationalist movement. The intensity of the claims varies: some are no more than a suggestion, others are backed by armed secessionist groups. Belgium is a classic example of a disputed nation-state. The state was formed by secession from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1830, and the Flemish population in the north speaks Dutch. The Flemish identity is also ethnic and cultural, and there is a strong separatist movement. The Walloon identity is linguistic (Francophone) and regionalist. There is also a unitary Belgian nationalism, several versions of a Greater Netherlands ideal, and a German-speaking region annexed from Prussia in 1920, and re-annexed by Germany in 1940–1944. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Map of the kingdom United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815 - 1830) (1839) (Dutch: Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, French: Royaume-Uni des Pays-Bas and German: Vereinigte Königreich der Niederlande) were the unofficial names used to refer to a new unified European state created during the Congress of Vienna in... Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen) has several main meanings: the social, cultural and linguistical, scientific and educational, economical and political community of the Flemings; some prefer to call this the Flemish community (others refer to this as the Flemish nation) which is, with over 6 million inhabitants, the majority of all Belgians... Vlaams Belang (English: Flemish Interest) is a Belgian political party. ... Wallonia (French: Wallonie, German: Wallonien, Walloon: Walonreye, Dutch: Wallonië) or the Walloon Region (French: Région Wallonne, Dutch: Waals Gewest) is the predominantly French-speaking region that constitutes one of the three federal regions of Belgium, with its capital at Namur. ... Regionalism is a term in international relations that refers to the expression of a common sense of identity and purpose combined with the creation and implementation of institutions that express that particular identity and shape collection action within a geographical region. ... An nationalistic ideology in Belgium that favours a strong central state, with less or no autonomy for the Flemish, the Walloon, the German speaking and Brussels bilingual nations within Belgium. ... The Greater Netherlands, also called Dietsland. ... Council of the German Speaking Community in Belgium (Eupen) Flag of the German-speaking community in Belgium The German-Speaking Community of Belgium (Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens in German, short DGB) is one of the three federal communities in Belgium. ... Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 Prussia (German: ; Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Lithuanian: ; Polish: ; Old Prussian: PrÅ«sa) was, most recently, a historic state originating in East Prussia, an area which for centuries had substantial influence on German and European history. ...

In the case of very large states, there are many competing claims and often many separatist movements. These movements usually dispute that the larger state is a 'real' nation-state, and may refer to it as an empire. There is no objective standard for assessing which claim is correct — they are competing political claims. Large nation-states certainly need to define the nation on a broad basis. China, for example, uses the concept of "Zhonghua minzu" — "a Chinese people" — although it also officially recognises the majority Han ethnic group, and no fewer than 55 national minorities. What exactly constitutes an Empire (from the Latin imperium, denoting military command within the ancient Roman government) is a topic of intense debate within the scholarly community. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Han Chinese (Simplified Chinese: 汉族; Traditional Chinese: 漢族; Pinyin: hànzú) is a term which refers to the majority ethnic group within China and the largest single human ethnic group in the world. ... The Peoples Republic of China is a multi-ethnic unitary state and, as such, officially recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups within China together with the Han majority. ...

The fact that a nation-state has a disputed territory in this way, does not make it any less of a nation-state. However, if large sections of the population reject the national identity, the legitimacy of the state is undermined, and the efficiency of the government is reduced. That is certainly the case in Belgium, where the inter-communal tensions dominate politics. If legitimacy fails completely, the result may be a civil war, which either leads to restoration of national unity, or to the creation of one or more new states. Legitimacy in political science, is the popular acceptance of a governing regime or law as an authority. ... List of civil wars List of divided nations List of fictional wars (including fictional civil wars) Wars of national liberation The Logic of Violence in Civil War What makes a civil war? The Wars of the Roses Information about the English civil war fought between 1455 and 1487. ...

History and origins

Main article: Nationalism

The origins and early history of nation-states are disputed. A major theoretical issue is: "which came first — the nation or the nation-state?" For nationalists themselves, the answer is that the nation existed first, nationalist movements arose to present its legitimate demand for sovereignty, and the nation-state met that demand. Some "modernisation theories" of nationalism see the national identity largely as a product of government policy, to unify and modernise an already existing state. Most theories see the nation-state as a 19^th-century European phenomenon, facilitated by developments such as mass literacy and the early mass media. However, historians also note the early emergence of a relatively unified state, and a sense of common identity, in England, Portugal and the Dutch Republic. Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology [1] that holds that a nation is the fundamental unit for human social life, and takes precedence over any other social and political principles. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... World literacy rates by country The traditional definition of literacy is the ability to use language–to read, write, listen, and speak. ... Mass media is a term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and designed to reach a very large audience (typically at least as large as the whole population of a nation state). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Map of Dutch Republic by Joannes Janssonius United Netherlands redirects here. ...

In France, Eric Hobsbawm argues, the French state preceded the formation of the French people. Hobsbawm considers that the state made the French nation, and not French nationalism, which emerged at the end of the 19th century, the time of the Dreyfus Affair. At the time of the 1789 French Revolution, only half of the French people spoke some French, and between 12% to 13% spoke it "fairly", according to Hobsbawm. During Italian unification, the number of people speaking the Italian language was even lower. The French state promoted the unification of various dialects and languages into the French language. The introduction of conscription, and the Third Republic's 1880s laws on public instruction, facilitated the creation of a national identity, under this theory. Dr Eric John Blair Hobsbawm CH (born June 9, 1917) is a British Marxist historian and author. ... A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern the people in one or more societies, having internal and external sovereignty over a definite territory. ... // The French people (French: les Français), etymologically derives from the word Franks, a Germanic tribe which overran Gaul at the end of the Roman empire. ... The Dreyfus Affair was a political scandal which divided France during the 1890s and early 1900s. ... The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a pivotal period in the history of French, European and Western civilization. ... Italian unification process. ... Italian ( , or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 70 million people, primarily in Italy. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... The French Third Republic, (in French, La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe République) (1870/75-10 July 1940) was the governing body of France between the Second French Empire and the Vichy Regime. ...

The theorist Benedict Anderson argues that nations are "imagined communities" (the members cannot possibly know each other), and that the main causes of nationalism and the creation of an imagined community are the reduction of privileged access to particular script languages (e.g. Latin), the movement to abolish the ideas of divine rule and monarchy, as well as the emergence of the printing press under a system of capitalism (or, as Anderson calls it, "print-capitalism"). The "state-driven" theories of the origin of nation-states tend to emphasise a few specific states, such as France and its rival England. These states expanded from core regions, and developed a national consciousness and sense of national identity ("Frenchness" and "Englishness"). Both assimilated peripheral regions (Wales, Brittany, Aquitaine and Occitania); these areas experienced a revival of interest in the regional culture in the 19^th century, leading to the creation of autonomist movements in the 20^th century. Benedict Richard OGorman Anderson (born August 26, 1936) is professor emeritus of International Studies at Cornell University. ... The Imagined Community is a concept coined by Benedict Anderson which states that a nation is socially constructed and ultimately imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of that group. ... Look up script in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Divine Right of Kings is a European political and religious doctrine of political absolutism. ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately owned, and capital is invested in the production, distribution, and other trade of goods and services for profit in a market. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Some nation-states, such as Germany or Italy, came into existence at least partly as a result of political campaigns by nationalists, during the nineteenth century. In both cases, the territory was previously divided among other states, some of them very small. The sense of common identity was at first a cultural movement, such as in the Völkisch movement in German-speaking states, which rapidly acquired a political significance. In these cases, the nationalist sentiment and the nationalist movement clearly precede the unification of the German and Italian nation-states. Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology [1] that holds that a nation is the fundamental unit for human social life, and takes precedence over any other social and political principles. ... The völkisch movement is the German interpretation of the Populist movement, with a romantic focus on folklore and the organic. ...

The idea of a nation-state is associated with the rise of the modern system of states — often called the "Westphalian system" in reference to the Treaty of Westphalia (1648). The balance of power, which characterises that system, depends for its effectiveness upon clearly defined, centrally controlled, independent entities, whether empires or nation-states, which recognise each other's sovereignty and territory. The Westphalian system did not create the nation-state, but the nation-state meets the criteria for its component states (assuming that there is no disputed territory). The Ratification of the Treaty of Münster by Gerard Terborch (1648) The Peace of Westphalia, also known as the treaties of Münster and Osnabrück, is the series of treaties that ended the Thirty Years War and officially recognized the United Provinces and Swiss Confederation. ... Balance of power is a central concept of realist theories of international relations. ... What exactly constitutes an Empire (from the Latin imperium, denoting military command within the ancient Roman government) is a topic of intense debate within the scholarly community. ...

The nation-state received a philosophical underpinning in the era of Romanticism, at first as the 'natural' expression of the individual peoples (romantic nationalism — see Fichte's conception of the Volk, which would be later opposed by Ernest Renan). The increasing emphasis during the 19th century, on the ethnic and racial origins of the nation, led to a redefinition of the nation-state in these terms. Racism, which in Boulainvilliers's theories was inherently antipatriotic and antinationalist, joined itself with colonialist imperialism and "continental imperialism", most notably in pan-Germanic and pan-Slavic movements ^[2]. This relation between racism and nationalism reached its height in the fascist and Nazi movements of the 20^th century. The specific combination of 'nation' ('people') and 'state' expressed in such terms as the Völkische Staat and implemented in laws such as the 1935 Nuremberg laws made fascist states such as early Nazi Germany qualitatively different from non-fascist nation-states. Obviously, minorities, who are not part of the Volk, have no authentic or legitimate role in such a state. In Germany, neither Jews nor the Roma were considered part of the Volk, and specifically targeted for persecution. However German nationality law defined 'German' on the basis of German ancestry (as it still largely does), excluding all non-Germans from the 'Volk'. Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Johann Gottlieb Fichte Johann Gottlieb Fichte (May 19, 1762 - January 27, 1814) has significance in the history of Western philosophy as one of the progenitors of German idealism and as a follower of Kant. ... Volk is a German (and Dutch) word meaning people or folk. It is commonly used as prefix in words such as Volksentscheid (plebiscite) or Völkerbund (League of Nations), or the car manufacturer Volkswagen (literally, peoples car). A number of völkisch movements were set up in Germany after... Ernest Renan (February 28, 1823–October 12, 1892) was a French philosopher and writer. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Henri, Comte de Boulainvilliers (1658, St. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... See colony and colonisation for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism. ... Imperialism is a policy of extending control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires. ... Pan-Germanism, one of the ethnically-charged political movements of the 19th century for unity of the German-speaking peoples of Europe. ... National flag of all Slavs approved on the Pan-Slav convention in Prague in 1848 The 19th century movement Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid 19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic peoples. ... Fascism is a radical political ideology that combines elements of corporatism, authoritarianism, nationalism, militarism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism and anti-liberalism. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Reich Citizenship Law be merged into this article or section. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that is outnumbered by persons who do not belong to it. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Nationality law is that branch of a countrys legal system wherein legislation, custom and court precendent combine to define the ways in which that countrys nationality and citizenship are transmitted, acquired or lost. ...

In recent years, the nation-state's claim to absolute sovereignty within its borders has been much criticised. A global political system based on international agreements, and supra-national blocs characterized the post-war era. Non-state actors, such as international corporations and non-governmental organizations, are widely seen as eroding the economic and political power of nation-states, leading to their eventual disappearance. [3] Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... International law (also called public international law to distinguish from private international law, i. ... Bloc may stand for: The Eastern Bloc Countries: a former group of countries in Europe Bloc Québécois: a political party in Canada Bloc (or Block) voting: a form of elections Trade bloc This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... A corporation is a legal person which, while being composed of natural persons, exists completely separately from them. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ...

What states existed before nation-states?

Division of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into nation states in 1918

Border of Austria-Hungary in 1914

Borders in 1914

Borders in 1920

██ Empire of Austria in 1914 ██ Kingdom of Hungary in 1914 ██ Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1914

In Europe, in the eighteenth century, the classic non-national states were the multi-ethnic empires, (the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire), and smaller states at what would now be called sub-national level. The multi-ethnic empire was a monarchy ruled by a king, emperor, or Sultan. The population belonged to many ethnic groups, and they spoke many languages. The empire was dominated by one ethnic group, and their language was usually the language of public administration. The ruling dynasty was usually, but not always, from that group. This type of state is not specifically European: such empires existed on all continents. Some of the smaller European states were not so ethnically diverse, but were also dynastic states, ruled by a royal house. Their territory could expand by royal marriage, or merge with another state when the dynasty merged. In some parts of Europe, notably Germany, very small territorial units existed. They were recognised by their neighbours as independent, and had their own government and laws. Some were ruled by princes or other hereditary rulers, some were governed by bishops or abbots. Because they were so small, however, they had no separate language or culture: the inhabitants shared the language of the surrounding region. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1568x970, 903 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1568x970, 903 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Cisleithania (German: Cisleithanien) was the name of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual monarchy created in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. ... Transleithania (German Transleithanien, derived from Latin to mean Land beyond the river of Leitha, counted from the Austrian side) is a colloquial name for the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Stephens Crown, the countries of the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual monarchy which was created in 1867... What exactly constitutes an Empire (from the Latin imperium, denoting military command within the ancient Roman government) is a topic of intense debate within the scholarly community. ... Official languages Latin, German, Hungarian Established church Roman Catholic Capital & Largest City Vienna pop. ... Official language Russian Official Religion Russian Orthodox Christianity Capital Saint Petersburg (Petrograd 1914-1924) Area Approx. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem At the height of its power (1683) Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Kostantiniyye (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... For information on the racehorse, see Sultan (horse) Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... // For other uses, see Dynasty (disambiguation). ... // For other uses, see Dynasty (disambiguation). ... The term prince (the female form is princess), from the Latin root princeps, when used for a member of the highest aristocracy, has several fundamentally different meanings — one generic, and several types of titles. ... A mitre is used as a symbol of the bishops ministry. ... Abbots coat of arms The word abbot, meaning father, has been used as a Christian clerical title in various, mainly monastic, meanings. ...

In some cases these states were simply overthrown by nationalist uprisings in the 19th century. Some older nation-states, such as England and France seem to have grown by accretion of smaller entities, before the 19th century. Liberal ideas of free trade played a role in German unification, which was preceded by a customs union, the Zollverein. However, the Austro-Prussian War, and the German alliances in the Franco-Prussian War, were decisive in the unification. The Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire broke up after the First World War, the Russian Empire became the Soviet Union, after the long Russian Civil War. Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... A customs union is a free trade area with a Common External Tariff. ... Zollverein (German for customs union) was formed between the 38 states of the German Confederation in 1834 during the Industrial Revolution to create a better trade flow and reduce internal competition. ... Combatants Austria, Saxony, Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, Hanover and some minor German States (formerly as the German Confederation) Prussia, Italy and some minor German States Strength 600,000 Austrians and German allies 500,000 Prussians and German allies 300,000 Italians Casualties 40,000+ dead or wounded 37,000 dead... Combatants Second French Empire North German Confederation allied with south German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III Helmuth von Moltke Strength 500,000[citation needed] 550,000[citation needed] Casualties 150,000 dead or wounded 284,000 captured 350,000 civilian [citation needed] 100,000 dead or wounded 200... Official languages Latin, German, Hungarian Established church Roman Catholic Capital & Largest City Vienna pop. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem At the height of its power (1683) Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Kostantiniyye (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Official language Russian Official Religion Russian Orthodox Christianity Capital Saint Petersburg (Petrograd 1914-1924) Area Approx. ... Combatants Red Army (Bolsheviks) White Army (Monarchists, SRs, Anti-Communists) Green Army (Peasants and Nationalists) Black Army (Anarchists) Commanders Leon Trotsky Mikhail Tukhachevsky Semyon Budyonny Lavr Kornilov, Alexander Kolchak, Anton Denikin, Pyotr Wrangel Alexander Antonov, Nikifor Grigoriev Nestor Makhno Strength 5,427,273 (peak) +1,000,000 Casualties 939,755...

Some of the smaller states survived: the independent principalities of Liechtenstein, Andorra, and Monaco, and the republic of San Marino. The Vatican City is not a survival, although there was a larger Papal State. In its present form, it was created by the 1929 Lateran treaties between Italy and the Catholic Church. The State of the City of the Vatican or the Vatican City (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae, Italian Stato della Città del Vaticano) is the smallest independent state in the world (both in area and in population), a landlocked enclave surrounded by the city of Rome in Italy. ... The Lateran Treaties of February 11, 1929 provided for the mutual recognition of the then-Kingdom of Italy and the Vatican City. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ...

Characteristics of the nation-state

Nation-states have their own characteristics, differing from those of the pre-national states. For a start, they have a different attitude to their territory, compared to the dynastic monarchies: it is semi-sacred, and non-transferable. No nation would swap territory with other states simply, for example, because the king's daughter got married. They have a different type of border, in principle defined only by the area of settlement of the national group, although many nation-states also sought natural borders (rivers, mountain ranges). // For other uses, see Dynasty (disambiguation). ... Border stone at Passo San Giacomo between Val Formazza in Italy and Val Bedretto in Switzerland Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, states or subnational administrative divisions. ...

The most noticeable characteristic is the degree to which nation-states use the state as an instrument of national unity, in economic, social and cultural life.

The nation-state promoted economic unity, first by abolishing internal customs and tolls. In Germany this process - the creation of the Zollverein - preceded formal national unity. Nation-states typically have a policy to create and maintain a national transportation infrastructure, facilitating trade and travel. In 19th-century Europe, the expansion of the rail transport networks was at first largely a matter for private railway companies, but gradually came under control of the national governments. The French rail network, with its main lines radiating from Paris to all corners of France, is often seen as a reflection of the centralised French nation-state, which directed its construction. Nation-states continue to build, for instance, specifically national motorway networks. Specifically trans-national infrastructure programmes, such as the Trans-European Networks , are a recent innovation. Customs duty is a tariff or tax on the import or export of goods. ... The word toll has several meanings. ... Zollverein (German for customs union) was formed between the 38 states of the German Confederation in 1834 during the Industrial Revolution to create a better trade flow and reduce internal competition. ... A railway yard in Portland, Oregon. ... Capitalism generally refers to a combination of economic practices that became institutionalized in Europe between the 16th and 19th centuries, especially involving the right of individuals and groups of individuals acting as legal persons (or corporations) to buy and sell capital goods such as land, labor, and money (see finance... This is part of the history of rail transport by country series During the early 19th century railway construction began in France with short mineral lines. ... Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ... TEN re-directs here; for alternate uses, see Ten. ...

The nation-states typically had a more centralised and uniform public administration than its imperial predecessors: they were smaller, and the population less diverse. (The internal diversity of, for instance, the Ottoman Empire was very great). After the triumph of the nation-state in Europe, regional identity was subordinate to national identity, in regions such as Alsace-Lorraine, Catalonia, Brittany, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. In many cases, the regional administration was also subordinated to central (national) government. This process was partially reversed from the 1970s onward, with the introduction of various forms of regional autonomy, in formerly centralised states such as France. Public administration is, broadly speaking, the study and implementation of policy. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem At the height of its power (1683) Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Kostantiniyye (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Imperial Province of Elsaß-Lothringen Alsace-Lorraine (French: Alsace-Lorraine; German: Elsaß-Lothringen) was a territory disputed between the nation states of France and Germany. ... Anthem: Els Segadors Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan, Spanish and Aranese Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 6th  32,114 km²  6. ... Traditional coat of arms Modern flag (Gwenn-ha-du) Historical province of Brittany région of Bretagne, see Bretagne. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian, Σικελία in Greek) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 km² and 5 million inhabitants. ... Sardinia (Sardegna in Italian, Sardigna or Sardinna in the Sardinian language), is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily is the largest), between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, south of Corsica. ... Capital Ajaccio Land area¹ 8,680 km² President of the Executive Council Ange Santini (UMP) (since 2004) Population   - Jan. ... Regional autonomy is the term for the de-centralisation of governance to outlying regions. ...

However, the most obvious impact of the nation-state, as compared to its non-national predecessors, is the creation of a uniform national culture, through state policy. The model of the nation-state implies that its population constitute a nation, united by a common descent, a common language, and many forms of shared culture. When the implied unity was absent, the nation-state often tried to create it. It promoted a uniform national language, through language policy. (When Italy was united as a political entity, the majority of the population could not speak Italian.) The creation of national systems of compulsory primary education and a relatively uniform curriculum in secondary schools, was the most effective instrument in the spread of the national languages. The schools also taught the national history, often in a propagandistic and mythologised version, and (especially during conflicts) some nation-states still teach this kind of history. ^[3] The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... Many countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular language or set of languages. ... Primary or elementary education consists of the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... In education, a curriculum (plural curricula) is the set of courses and their contents offered by an institution such as a school or university. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Historiography is the study of how history is written. ...

Language and cultural policy was sometimes negative, aimed at the suppression of non-national elements. Language prohibitions were sometimes used to accelerate the adoption of national languages, and the decline of minority languages, see Germanisation. Prohibition is any of several periods during which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. ... A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a country. ...

In some cases these policies triggered bitter conflicts and separatism. Where it worked, the cultural uniformity and homogeneity of the population increased. Conversely, the cultural divergence at the border became sharper: in theory, a uniform French identity extends from the Atlantic coast to the Rhine, and on the other bank of the Rhine, a uniform German identity begins. To enforce that model, both sides have divergent language policy and educational systems, although the linguistic boundary is in fact well inside France, and the Alsace region changed hands four times between 1870 and 1945. Separatism is a term usually applied to describe the attitudes or motivations of those seeking independence or separation of their land or region from the country that governs them. ... Loreley At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (Dutch Rijn, French Rhin, German Rhein, Italian: Reno, Romansch: Rein, ) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ... Many countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular language or set of languages. ... Location Administration Capital Strasbourg Regional President Adrien Zeller (UMP) (since 1996) Départements Bas-Rhin Haut-Rhin Arrondissements 13 Cantons 75 Communes 903 Statistics Land area1 8,280 km² Population (Ranked 14th)  - January 1, 2005 est. ...

Minorities

The most obvious deviation from the ideal of 'one nation, one state', is the presence of minorities, especially ethnic minorities, which are clearly not members of the majority nation. The nationalist definition of a nation is always exclusive: no nation has open membership. In most cases, there is a clear idea that surrounding nations are different, and that includes members of those nations who live on the 'wrong side' of the border. There are also historical examples of groups, who are specifically singled out as outsiders, such as the Roma and Jews in Europe. In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that is outnumbered by persons who do not belong to it. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Negative responses to minorities within the nation-state have ranged from state-enforced cultural assimilation, to expulsion, persecution, violence, and extermination. The assimilation policies are usually state-enforced, but violence against minorities is not always state-initiated: it can occur in the form of mob violence such as lynching or pogroms. Nation-states are responsible for some of the worst historical examples of violence against minorities—that is, minorities which were not considered part of the nation. ... Ethnic cleansing refers to various policies or practices aimed at the displacement of an ethnic group from a particular territory. ... Look up Genocide in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Riots in Newark, New Jersey Riots occur when crowds of people have gathered and are committing crimes or acts of violence. ... Lynch mob redirects here. ... Pogrom (from Russian: ; from громить IPA: - to wreak havoc, to demolish violently) is a form of riot, a massive violent attack on a particular group; ethnic, religious or other, primarily characterized by destruction of their environment (homes, businesses, religious centers). ...

However, many nation-states do accept specific minorities as being in some way part of the nation, and the term national minority is often used in this sense. The Sorbs in Germany are an example: for centuries they have lived in German-speaking states, surrounded by a much larger ethnic German population, and they have no other historical territory. They are now generally considered to be part of the German nation, and are accepted as such by the Federal Republic of Germany, which constitutionally guarantees their cultural rights. Of the thousands of ethnic and cultural minorities in nation-states across the world, only a few have this level of acceptance and protection. The Sorbs are a Slavic minority indigenous to the region known as Lusatia in the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg (in former GDR territory). ...

Irredentism

Main article: Irredentism.

Ideally, the border of a nation-state extends far enough to include all the members of the nation, and all of the national homeland. Again, in practice some of them always live on the 'wrong side' of the border. Part of the national homeland may be there too, and it may be inhabited by the 'wrong' nation. The response to the non-inclusion of territory and population may take the form of irredentism - demands to annex unredeemed territory and incorporate it into the nation-state. Irredentist claims are usually based on the fact that an identifiable part of the national group lives across the border. However, they can include claims to territory where no members of that nation live at present, either because they lived there in the past, or because the national language is spoken in that region, or because the national culture has influenced it, or because of geographical unity with the existing territory, or for a wide variety of other reasons. Past grievances are usually involved (see Revanchism). It is sometimes difficult to distinguish irredentism from pan-nationalism, since both claim that all members of an ethnic and cultural nation belong in one specific state. Pan-nationalism is less likely to ethnically specify the nation. For instance, variants of Pan-Germanism have different ideas about what constituted Greater Germany, including the confusing term Grossdeutschland - which in fact implied the inclusion of huge Slavic minorities from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Irredentism is an international relations term that involves advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity and/or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. ... A homeland is the concept of the territory to which one belongs; usually, the country in which a particular nationality was born. ... Irredentism is an international relations term that involves advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity and/or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. ... Revanchism (from French revanche, revenge) is a term used since the 1870s to describe political campaigns to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country during previous wars and strifes, sometimes quite distant in time. ... Pan-nationalism is a form of nationalism distinguished by the large scale of the claimed national territory, and because it often defines the nation on the basis of a ‘’cluster’’ of cultures and ethnic groups. ... Pan-Germanism, one of the ethnically-charged political movements of the 19th century for unity of the German-speaking peoples of Europe. ... Grossdeutschland (literally Greater Germany) is a term that has been used in two separate contexts over history. ... Official languages Latin, German, Hungarian Established church Roman Catholic Capital & Largest City Vienna pop. ...

Typically, irredentist demands are at first made by members of non-state nationalist movements. When they are adopted by a state, they result in tensions, and actual attempts at annexation are always considered a casus belli, a cause for war. In many cases, such claims result in long-term hostile relations between neighbouring states. Irredentist movements typically circulate maps of the claimed national territory, the greater nation-state. That territory, which is often much larger than the existing state, plays a central role in their propaganda. For examples, see below (See Also). Casus belli is a modern Latin language expression meaning the justification for acts of war. ...

Irredentism should not be confused with claims to overseas colonies, which are not generally considered part of the national homeland. Some French overseas colonies would be an exception: French rule in Algeria did indeed treat the colony legally as a département of France, unsuccessfully. See colony and colonisation for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism. ... // French rule in Algeria, 1830–1962 Most of Frances actions in Algeria, not least the invasion of Algiers, were propelled by contradictory impulses. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ...

References

Hannah Arendt (October 14, 1906 – December 4, 1975) was a German political theorist. ... The Origins of Totalitarianism is a book by Hannah Arendt, dedicated to her husband Heinrich Blücher. ...

Bibliography

• Benedict Anderson, Imagined communities, ISBN 0-86091-329-5
• Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, (1951)
• Fichte, Addresses to the German Nation (1807-1808)
• Ernest Gellner, Nations and Nationalism (1983)
• Eric Hobsbawm, Nations and Nationalism since 1780 : programme, myth, reality (1990)
• L. Ali Khan, The Extinction of Nation-States (1996)
• Ernest Renan, Qu’est–ce qu’une nation? (1882)
• Saskia Sassen, Global Cities (1991)

Benedict Richard OGorman Anderson (born August 26, 1936) is professor emeritus of International Studies at Cornell University. ... The Imagined Community is a concept coined by Benedict Anderson which states that a nation is socially constructed and ultimately imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of that group. ... Hannah Arendt (October 14, 1906 – December 4, 1975) was a German political theorist. ... The Origins of Totalitarianism is a book by Hannah Arendt, dedicated to her husband Heinrich Blücher. ... Johann Gottlieb Fichte Johann Gottlieb Fichte (May 19, 1762 - January 27, 1814) has significance in the history of Western philosophy as one of the progenitors of German idealism and as a follower of Kant. ... I do not think I could have written the book on nationalism which I did write, were I not capable of crying, with the help of a little alcohol, over folk songs . ... Dr Eric John Blair Hobsbawm CH (born June 9, 1917) is a British Marxist historian and author. ... Ernest Renan (February 28, 1823–October 12, 1892) was a French philosopher and writer. ... Saskia Sassen Saskia Sassen (born 1949 at The Hague, in The Netherlands) is an American sociologist and economist noted for her analyses of globalization and international human migration. ... A world city, or a world-class city, is a city with a set of somewhat subjective traits which often include the following: International familiarity (or first-name familiarity – one would say Paris, not Paris, France). Active influence and participation in international events and world affairs (for example, New...

See also

• State
• City-state
• Nation
• Nationalism
• Expansionism
• Non-intervention
• Sovereignty
• Ethnic group
• Secession
• Cultural identity
• Historiography and nationalism
• National personification
• Primordialism

A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern the people in one or more societies, having internal and external sovereignty over a definite territory. ... A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology [1] that holds that a nation is the fundamental unit for human social life, and takes precedence over any other social and political principles. ... Expansionism is the doctrine of expanding the territorial base (or economic influence) of a country, usually by means of military aggression. ... Non-intervention is the norm in international relations that one state cannot interfere in the internal politics of another state, based upon the principles of state sovereignty and self-determination // Overview The concept of non-intervention can be seen to have emerged from the system of sovereign nation states established... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Cultural identity is the (feeling of) identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as she/he is influenced by her/his belonging to a group or culture. ... Historiography is the study of how history is written. ... Britannia arm-in-arm with Uncle Sam symbolizes the British-American alliance in World War I. Germania representing Germany, from 1848. ... Primordialism is the argument - put forward by both scholars and activists - which contends that nations are ancient, natural phenomena; that one has a nation as obviously as one has a measure of height. ...

Irredentist movements

• Greater Albania
• Greater China
• Greater Finland
• Greater Germany, an expression of pan-Germanism; compare pan-Slavism
• Megali Idea (Greece)
• Greater Hungary
• Greater India
• Greater Iran
• Greater Israel
• Greater Macedonia
• Greater Mongolia
• Greater Morocco
• Greater Netherlands
• Greater Romania
• Greater Serbia
• Greater Somalia
• Greater Syria

The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Greater China (Traditional Chinese: 大中華地區; Simplified Chinese: 大中华地区; Pinyin: Dà Zhōnghuá Dìqū) is a term referring collectively to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and territories administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan), usually in the context of their financial markets and economies. ... Map of Finland. ... Grossdeutschland (literally Greater Germany) is a term that has been used in two separate contexts over history. ... Pan-Germanism, one of the ethnically-charged political movements of the 19th century for unity of the German-speaking peoples of Europe. ... Slavic flag proposed by the Pan-Slav convention in Prague in 1848 Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid 19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic people. ... An artists impression of the Megali Idea. ... Also see: Greater Hungary (disambiguation page) Map of the Austro-Hungarian Empire: the lighter green shows Hungary proper and the darker green shows autonomous Croatia-Slavonia within Hungary. ... Greater India is the region between Central Asia in the North and tropical Indonesia in the South, and from the borderlands of Persia to Tibet and western China, which has had a significant Indian influence on its culture and civilizaton, including religious thought, language, art and literature. ... Greater Iran. ... Three divergent geopolitical and diplomatic conceptions of Greater Israel. ... A map distributed by extreme Macedonian nationalists circa 1993. ... This article is about the region. ... In the early 1940s, the Moroccan nationalist party - Istiqlal - used the concept of Greater Morocco as a propaganda tool to rally support of Moroccan citizens against French colonial rule. ... The Greater Netherlands, also called Dietsland. ... Greater Romania (1920 - 1940) Greater Romania (România Mare) generally refers to the territory of Romania in the years between the First and Second World Wars, the greatest territorial exent of a united country of ethnic Romanians, on historically Romanian lands. ... Greater Serbia is a name for a Serbian nationalist concept. ... Flag of Somalia, the five edges of the star are said to symbolize the five parts of Greater Somalia Greater Somalia refers to those regions in the Horn of Africa in which ethnic Somalis live, as well as to the irredentist vision of unifying these people under an enlarged Somali... Greater Syria, as claimed by Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) Greater Syria, also known (in a historic context) as Syria, or Bilad ash-Sham (Arabic: بلاد الشام) is an irredentist term that denotes a historic region in the Middle East bordering the Mediterranean. ...

External links

• From Paris to Cairo: Resistance of the Unacculturated (Identity and the Nation-state)
• Do nation-states matter anymore? (student paper).