Lesson 2 - Page 2

Many people think the terms nation and country have the same meaning. But in political geography, there is an important technical distinction between the two concepts. When we use the term "nation" in this module, were are referring to a group of people who:

1. speak the language of their ancestors
2. share similar important beliefs or values
3. share a common history
4. have common goals for the future, and
5. want to live independently in the homeland of their ancestors but may not have sovereignty (independent political control) over that territory.

Nations are often identified on the basis of ethnicity, or racial and cultural characteristics. However, it is important to note that not all ethnic groups are nations. The primary distinction between a nation and an ethnic group is the concept of a cultural homeland. A nation is a group of people unified by a political cause to gain sovereignty over a geographical territory that is a fundamental part of that group's cultural history.

To help you understand the difference between an ethnic group and a nation, consider the following examples (Figure 1a-c). Review the criteria that define a nation, and think about which of these ethnic groups fit these criteria.

Figure 1a. Lakota Sioux. Source:	Lakota Sioux are a nation because they: share a common language (Lakota) and spiritual beliefs teach their children about important events in their history want, but currently do not have, sovereignty over portions of the United States considered to be a sacred homeland (green area of map)
Figure 1b. Indians in South Africa.	Indians who live in South Africa are an ethnic group who currently have a homeland - India. Many Indians migrate from India to live in other countries, because they do not necessarily want to live in their sovereign homeland of India. Because the Indian people already have control of their homeland, they cannot be considered a nation.
Figure 1c. Kurds.	The Kurds are a nation because they: speak the language of their ancestors have a common religion want sovereignty over a homeland that spans parts of Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq. After World War I, France and the United Kingdom divided large areas of the Middle East into new political states (including Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq). When the new boundaries were formed, the Kurdish people found themselves distributed between Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria with no homeland to call their own. Today, the Kurds are cultural minorities in these four countries. The Kurdish nation aspires to someday create a new country - Kurdistan - that unites Kurds in the region.