Socialist FAQs. Comments? Q. What is a nation? Is Pakistan a multinational state? A. A country and a nation are two different things. These two terms are often confused by passionate people, but the reality is that there are actually differences between the two. A country is a sovereign state, regarded territorially as a single entity by the world. A nation, on the other hand, is a historically constituted, stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life, and psychological make-up manifested in a common culture. Thus a country can have several nations in it, while a nation can itself be a country also. For example, China, as a country has several nations. Nine-tenths of China is of the Han nationality, but minority nationalities include Tibetians and Uighurs. In the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland constitutes a separate nation. In Pakistan, the Baloch constitute a nation within a country (though not officially recognized as such). Gradually, over a period of time, the differences may vanish or sharpen through a process of change and interaction. Nations can and often do form a united country on the principles of equality, cooperation, and self-determination. But just as easily, they can splinter apart if they are held together by force against their will and mistreated.
Posted on: Sat, 03 May 2014 06:30:00 +0000
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