NATION-STATE

Characteristics of Nation- State and Transitional Entities

Name of Writer

Name of InstitutionCharacteristics of Nation- State and Transitional Entities

Nation- states have their own independent characteristics, different than those of the empires and the pre-national states. Nation- states have completely different attitudes towards their territory as compare to the empire and dynasties. In nation- state one could not transfer, swap or switch territories with any other states. They have a strictly define border and are not allowed to expand out of that border, however, some nation- state do share the national border such as rivers, mountains, etc. the most notable characteristic of the nation- state is the degree by which the nation uses the state as an instrument for the national unity and national identity in economic, social, and cultural life (Guibernau, 2004).

• Nation: a nation is a group of people that share a common culture, language, lifestyle, and/or religion. A nation does not have to have a physical boundary or a territory to abide to. An example of a nation would be Kurds, since they are a common ethnic group that share the same language, culture, lifestyle and religion and do not conform to any physical boundary.

• State: a state is an organized political structure that is encompassed within a certain physical boundary and that could not expand their physical boundaries. Moreover, the people living within a state do not necessarily have to be a nation. There can be many different ethnic nations living within a single state. An example of a state would be China. Since it has a physical boundary which it cannot expand and has many ethnic nations living under a single government called the state (Tønnesson, 2009).

• Nation- state: a nation- state is a nation that coincides within a state. An example of nation- state would be Bangladesh, since majority of the population of Bangladesh is Bengali nation living within a defined boundary.

The United States fits the criteria of a nation- state since it fulfills all the requirements and meets the characteristics of a nation- state. First of all, the United States is a self governed republic that makes its own policies, have its own political system, and makes its own laws etc. Moreover, the United States have its own borders and territories that it governs, and nobody enters their territory without their permission and they don't enter into other's territory without their permission. Furthermore, the United States shares a common population of different ethnic groups that adds up to make the American nation. They share the same lifestyle and culture mostly. However, the United States allow freedom to all ethnic minorities to partake in their own culture making Unites States a multicultural country.

• Fixed territory: the United States government has made a homeland security force that protects the territories of United States from illegal immigrants and trespassers moreover, the requirement of passport by every citizen who wants to leave the country has allowed them to keep a check on their people about who is leaving their territory ...