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VOA名师答疑2022--Nation or Country?

时间:2023-01-05 01:21:01

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(单词翻译)

Nation or Country?

Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "nation" and "country."

Question

Hi VOA Learning1 English,

Could you please help and explain what the difference is in usage2 between "nation" and "country?"

Thanks and regards,

Siyang Hao

Answer

Hello Siyang!

This is a great question. Often these words are used as synonyms3, but there are differences. Let's look at how we use these words and find some examples to help us understand.

Let's start with "country."

A "country" is an organized political unit. We often describe "countries" as "states," especially when talking about politics. Joshua Keating, a former editor for the website Foreign Policy says there are several things that are needed to become a country.

A country needs territory or land. Next, people living there must live there permanently4. Then the international community must recognize the boundaries or borders of the country.

Next, the country must have full sovereignty or the freedom of rule and be recognized by other countries. Finally, a country is ruled by a government or political body.

Here are some examples of how to use "country" in a sentence.

There are no countries in Antarctica, but some countries like Chile and New Zealand have claimed areas of it.

I have been to several countries in Europe including Romania, Czechia, Estonia and Finland.

Even though The United States is made up of smaller units called "states," they are not sovereign5 countries and are not internationally recognized as such.

California is a state and has the world's 4th largest economy, but it is not a country.

We often use "country" and "state" as synonyms, especially to differentiate6 the other meaning of "country" as a place outside of a city that has fields, farmland, trees, or villages.

Regina enjoys going to the country on the weekends to visit her family's farm in West Virginia.

And now let's move onto "nation."

"Nation" has two different meanings. Firstly, a "nation" can describe the same thing as the word "country" or "state." Our VOA Word Book describes a "nation" as a "country" together with its political and social systems. Let's look at an example.

There are 193 nations that make up the international organization called The United Nations.

The nation of Argentina recently won the FIFA World Cup.

"Nation" also has another meaning. It is the people of an area who are connected by a common culture or identity7.

Sometimes a "country" or "state" is represented by one "nation," called a "nation-state."

Japan, Finland, and even the United States are considered nation-states.

Not all "nations" of people have their own "country" or border of their land that is recognized internationally.

Examples of "nations" of people without their own "country" include: The Kurdish people and native or indigenous8 people like Native Americans.

The Kurdish nation lives throughout a region9 called Kurdistan, which is spread throughout five countries. Kurds have a common language and culture.

First Nations people are an indigenous nation group in Canada.

Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you!

What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at [email protected]

And that's Ask a Teacher.

Words in This Story

synonyms – n. a word that is similar in meaning to another word

sovereignty – n. a country's independent power and the right to govern itself

evolution – n. a gradual10 process of change and development

indigenous – adj. produced, living or existing in a certain place or environment; native to a place


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 learning wpSzFe     
n.学问,学识,学习;动词learn的现在分词
参考例句:
  • When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时,常会从车上掉下来。
  • Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。
2 usage 2jawU     
n.惯用法,使用,用法
参考例句:
  • I am clear about the usage of this word at last.这个词的用法我算是弄明白了。
  • The usage is now firmly established.这种用法现已得到确认。
3 synonyms 61074ebd64d7f24131fd4b896f51f711     
同义词( synonym的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • If you want to grasp English, you must carefully discriminate synonyms. 如果你想掌握好英语,你必须仔细区分同义词。
  • Study the idioms and synonyms l wrote down before your test. 学考试前我给你写的习惯用语和同义字。
4 permanently KluzuU     
adv.永恒地,永久地,固定不变地
参考例句:
  • The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
  • The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
5 sovereign xFnzB     
n.元首,金镑;adj.具有主权的,至高无上的,极好的,完全的
参考例句:
  • For a brief time Texas was a sovereign nation.得克萨斯一度是个主权独立的国家。
  • The Queen has sovereign power.女王握有统治权。
6 differentiate cm3yc     
vi.(between)区分;vt.区别;使不同
参考例句:
  • You can differentiate between the houses by the shape of their chimneys.你可以凭借烟囱形状的不同来区分这两幢房子。
  • He never learned to differentiate between good and evil.他从未学会分辨善恶。
7 identity McFzh     
n.身份,本体,特征;同一(性),一致
参考例句:
  • He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
  • He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。
8 indigenous YbBzt     
adj.土产的,土生土长的,本地的
参考例句:
  • Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
  • Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。
9 region RUtxZ     
n.地区,地带,区域;范围,幅度
参考例句:
  • The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
  • It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。
10 gradual 1fjx9     
adj.逐渐的,渐增的,徐徐的;n.赞美诗
参考例句:
  • The doctor noticed a gradual improvement in his patient.医生注意到病人在逐渐恢复健康。
  • To learn a language we must follow the principle of gradual improvement.学习语言必须遵循循序渐进的原则。

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