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Credit: https://sealandgov.org/en-eu/blogs/news/country-nation-state-sealand-sovereignty
Alternate discussion: https://chatgpt.com/share/6977f282-6138-8008-967e-8478aeebd5be
These terms are used interchangeably in everyday speech, but they describe fundamentally different layers of identity, place, and authority. Untangling them helps explain why some communities thrive without sovereignty, why some states struggle despite formal power, and why places like Sealand resonate so strongly in a world where belonging is no longer purely territorial.
Understanding these distinctions clarifies Sealand’s position by helping to illuminate where modern political identity is breaking down and where it may be rebuilt.
A Nation: A Shared Identity
A nation is a community defined by a shared sense of “us”. It doesn’t depend on borders or governments. The Kurds, Catalans, and Roma remind us that nations can thrive culturally even without formal political sovereignty. A nation exists in collective memory, culture, and belonging. A nation can exist without land, a formal government, or legal recognition. It is, above all, a community of people.
A Country: A Distinct Place
A country is a cultural and geographic idea, a place that feels distinct in character, history, and customs. It isn’t a legal category. Scotland and Greenland are widely called countries, even though they sit within larger sovereign systems. “Country” is how we describe a place that stands apart, regardless of its political status.
A State: A Legal Sovereign
A state is the strictest term of the three. In international law, it requires people, territory, a functioning government, and the capacity to engage diplomatically with other states. This explains why Taiwan, Kosovo, and Palestine occupy complex middle grounds: their internal governance and external recognition don’t perfectly align.
A state must have: A population, a defined territory, a government, diplomatic capacity, and in practice, some level of recognition. Without all four, statehood, as traditionally defined, remains incomplete.
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