independence must be recognised by other countries i.e. diplomatic recognition must be granted. A state must also have an internal government and have the support of its population.

The largest country in the world is Russia, while the most populated is China. There is no universal agreement on the number of countries in the world since a number of states have disputed sovereignty status. By an application of the constitutive theory of statehood, there are 206 sovereign states; of which 193 are members of the United Nations Organization (UNO), two have observer status at the UNO (the Holy See and Palestine), and 11 others are neither a

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member nor observer at the UNO. Two entities, Taiwan and Kosovo, are recognized by some but not all members of the United Nations. The latest proclaimed state is South Sudan since 2011.

The degree of autonomy of non-sovereign countries varies widely. Some are possessions of sovereign states, as several states have overseas territories (such as French Polynesia or the British Virgin Islands), with citizenry at times identical and at times distinct from their own. Such territories, with the exception of distinct dependent territories, are usually listed together with sovereign states on lists of countries, but may nonetheless be treated as a separate country of origin in international trade, as Hong Kong is.

A few states consist of a union of smaller polities, which are considered countries: The Kingdom of the Netherlands includes four separate countries: Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao, and Sent Maarten. The United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Kingdom of Denmark includes three separate countries: Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Several organizations seek to identify trends in order to produce country classifications. Countries are often distinguished as developing countries or develop countries. A developing country is a country with a less developed industrial base and a low Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other

countries. A developed country is a sovereign state that has a developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations.

While the terms country, state, sovereign state, nation, and nation-state are often used interchangeably, there is a difference. Simply put:

• 
  A state is a territory with its own institutions and populations.
  
• 
  A sovereign state is a state with its own institutions and populations that has a permanent population, territory, and government. It must also have the right and capacity to make treaties and other agreements with other states.
  
• 
  A nation is a large group of people who inhabit a specific territory and are connected by history, culture, or another commonality.
  
• 
  A nation-state is a cultural group (a nation) that is also a state (and may, in addition, be a sovereign state).
  

The word country can be used to mean the same thing as state, sovereign state, or nation-state. It can also be used in a less political manner to refer to a region or cultural area that has no governmental status. Examples include Wine Country (the grape-growing area of northern California) and Coal Country (the

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coal-mining region of Pennsylvania).

State, nation, and country are all terms that describe groups of people who live in the same place and have a great deal in common. But while states and sovereign states are political entities, nations and countries might or might not be.

A sovereign state (sometimes called an independent state) has the following qualities:

• 
  Space or territory that has internationally recognized boundaries.
  
• 
  People who live there on an ongoing basis.
  
• 
  Regulations governing foreign and domestic trade.
  
• 
  The ability to issue legal tender that is recognized across boundaries.
  
• 
  An internationally recognized government that provides public services
  

and police power and has the right to make treaties, wage war, and take other actions on behalf of its people.

• 
  Sovereignty, meaning that no other state should have power over the country's territory.
  

Many entities have geographical and cultural significance and many of the qualities of a sovereign state but are not independent sovereign states. These include territories, non-sovereign states, and nations.

Territories of sovereign states are not sovereign states in their own right. Many entities have most of the most qualities of sovereign states but are officially considered to be non-sovereign. Many have their own histories, and some even have their own languages. Examples include: Hong Kong, Bermuda, Greenland, Puerto Rico, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England, which are non-sovereign parts of the United Kingdom

The word state is also used to refer to geographic sections of sovereign states that have their own governments but are subject to a larger federal government. The 50 United States are non-sovereign states.

A capital is a city (area of a country, province, region, or state), which is regarded as enjoying primary status, usually but not always the seat of the government. The capital is often the largest city of its constituent, though not always. A capital or capital city is the municipality exercising primary status in a country, state, province, or other administrative region, usually as its seat of government. A capital is a city that physically encompasses the government's offices and meeting places; the status of the capital is often designated by its law or constitution. In some jurisdictions, including several countries, the different branches of government are located in different settlements. In some cases, a distinction is made between the official capital and the seat of government, which is in another place.

Capital cities that also serve as the prime economic, population, cultural, or intellectual centers of a nation or an empire are sometimes referred to as primate

cities.

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For a example: Athens, Bangkok, Brussels, Copenhagen, Cairo, London, Mexico City, Paris, Lima, Seoul, and Tokyo.

In several English-speaking states, the terms county town and county seat are also used in lower subdivisions. In some unitary states, subnational capitals may be known as administrative centers. In the United Kingdom, there are some historic county towns, which are often not the largest settlement within the county and often are no longer administrative centers, as many historical counties are now only ceremonial, and administrative boundaries are different.

A capital city naturally attracts politically motivated people and those whose skills are needed for efficient administration of national or imperial governments, such as lawyers, political scientists, bankers, journalists, and policy makers.

2. Decide if the following statements about the text are true or false:

1. 
   The main defining characteristic of a state is sovereignty.
   
2. 
   There are 193 sovereign states in the world.
   
3. 
   A developing country is a country that has a developed economy.
   
4. 
   There are 50 non-sovereign states in the United States of America.
   
5. 
   The status of the capital is designated by law or constitution.
   

2. Answer the following questions:

1. 
   What is a country?
   
2. 
   What are the main qualities of a sovereign state?
   
3. 
   What country is the most populated?
   
4. 
   What parts does the United Kingdom consist of?
   
5. 
   What functions do capital cities perform?
   

2. Complete the following statements using information from the text:

1. 
   The concept of a sovereign state is centered on …
   
2. 
   Territory and population are two …
   
3. 
   A developing country is a country …
   
4. 
   A nation is a large group of people who …
   
5. 
   A capital is a city, which …
   

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2. Summarize the key points of the text and retell it.

3. 
   Translate the text in a written form.
   

2. NATIONS AND NATIONALITIES

   1. 
      Answer the following questions:
      

1. 
   What country are you from?
   
2. 
   What is your nationality?
   
3. 
   What are the typical traits of your nation?
   

2. Read the text silently and then out aloud.

A nation is a stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, history, ethnicity, or psychological make-up manifested in a common culture. Some nations are ethnic groups and some are not (they are multicultural). It is a cultural-political community that has become conscious of its autonomy, unity, and particular interests.

A nation is an imagined community in the sense that the material conditions exist for imagining extended and shared connections. It is an abstract community in the sense that it is objectively impersonal, even if each individual in the nation experiences him or herself as subjectively part of an embodied unity with others. For the most part, members of a nation remain strangers to each other and will likely never meet.

The word nation came from the Old French word «nacion» – meaning

«birth», «place of origin», which in turn originates from the Latin word «natio» literally meaning «birth». The word «nation» is sometimes used as synonym for a state or a country. Thus, the phrase «nations of the world» could be referring to the top-level governments (as in the name for the United Nations Organization), various large geographical territories, or various large ethnic groups of the planet.

Depending on the meaning of «nation» used, the term «nation state» could be used to distinguish larger states from small city-states, or could be used to distinguish multinational states from those with a single ethnic group.

Nations are culturally homogeneous groups of people who share a common language, institution, religion, and/or historical experience. Some nations are sovereign states, but many are not.

Nations that hold territory but are not sovereign states include: The Indian Nations of the United States, Bosnia (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Catalonia (in northern Spain), Quebec, Corsica, Sicily, Tibet.

In addition to nations that are non-sovereign states, it can be argued that

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