Nation

A **nation** is a group of people who share the same culture, history, language or ethnicity.  The word can also be used for the population of a country.

The word _nation_ comes from a Latin language word meaning "birth" or "place of birth." The adjective is ** national**.

Some nations are people with a particular belief, such as the Vatican City, or ethnic group, such as Armenia. Others share an idea, such as Democracy in the United States or Communism in China.

Some nations are controlled by a small minority who have all the power, such as Saudi Arabia, who hold the nation together with the use of this power.

Some of these may also be combined. The highest lawful authority of most nations is a constitution, which is a document which states clearly what kinds of power the rulers have and how new laws must be made.  Many others are ruled by a single person who holds an "office" (position), such as a King or Pope, or from a long legal tradition without an official Constitution, such as the United Kingdom.

## Etymology and terminology

The English word  comes from Middle English  (around 1300), meaning "a group of people with the same ancestors and language." It came from Old French  meaning "to be born"). In Latin, natio meant "birth," "origin," or "a group of people from the same background," such as a tribe or race. It literally meant "that which has been born." The word comes from natus (past participle of nasci) and is related to the Proto-Indo-European root *gene–, which means "to give birth" or "to create a family or tribe."

In Latin,  referred to children born from the same parents or a human group with the same origin. Cicero used _natio_ to mean "a people."

## Nations in history

Most scholars agree that nations are a modern idea that developed mainly after the 18th century. However, some historians argue that forms of nations existed earlier, in the medieval period or even antiquity.

Historian Adrian Hastings claimed that nations and nationalism mostly grew from Christian traditions. He saw the Jewish people as the first true nation because they kept their identity for centuries despite losing political power, which later inspired modern Zionism and the state of Israel. Similarly, Anthony D. Smith described the Jews during the late  as an early example close to a nation.

Susan Reynolds argued that many medieval European kingdoms, like England, had national features but only included wealthy, literate people in political life. Hastings added that English kings, especially Alfred the Great, used religious texts and the English language to unite people against Norse invaders. Nationalism in England grew stronger after the Bible was fully translated into English in the late 1300s. Critics like John Breuilly and Patrick J. Geary warn that using the same names over time doesn’t guarantee the idea stayed the same.

Florin Curta pointed to the medieval Bulgarian nation as another example. Founded in the 7th century, it became a center of Slavic culture with the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet and Orthodox Christianity, helping form a shared identity among Bulgarians and Slavs. This identity helped them survive as a distinct people for centuries.

Anthony Kaldellis suggested the Byzantine Empire was a medieval nation-state. Historian Azar Gat also argued that **China**, **Korea**, and **Japan** were nations by the European Middle Ages.

## Early modern nations

In his article _"The Mosaic Moment"_, sociologist Philip S. Gorski argues that the first modern nation-state was the Dutch Republic, which he says was formed through a modern form of nationalism based on biblical nationalism. Diana Muir Appelbaum later expanded this idea, applying it to several new Protestant nation-states formed in the sixteenth century. Anthony D. Smith made a similar argument in his books _Chosen Peoples_ and _Myths and Memories of the Nation_.

In _Nationalism: Five Roads to Modernity_, Liah Greenfeld argued that nationalism began in England by 1600, making England “the first nation in the world”.

Smith also noted that building a national identity is both cultural and political. He argued that it can reshape political regimes and change borders.

## Social Science

There are three main views on the origins of nations:

- **Primordialism** (or perennialism) claims nations have always existed and nationalism is natural. This view is now largely rejected.
- **Ethnosymbolism** sees nations as shaped over time by shared myths, symbols, and traditions.
- **Modernization theory** is the dominant view. It says nationalism emerged from industrialization, urbanization, and mass education.

This view sees nations as social creations. Benedict Anderson called them "imagined communities"—people feel connected even if they never meet. Shared stories and values help create this unity, even if it’s partly “invented”.

Earlier scholars like Ernest Renan said a nation is "a daily referendum"—it exists through shared will. Carl Darling Buck described nationality as a feeling of unity based on different factors like politics or culture.

Later, two types of nations were described:

- **Ethnic nations**, like 19th-century Germany, based on shared ancestry, language, and culture.
- **Civic nations**, like France, based on shared values and a desire to live together as citizens.

## Debate about a practical figure for nations

There is ongoing debate about whether nations will continue to be the main way we organize the world or if alternatives are emerging.

The clash of civilizations theory, by Samuel P. Huntington, argues that future conflicts will be based on cultural and religious identities, not ideologies. He presented this idea in a 1992 lecture, expanded it in a 1993 article in _Foreign Affairs_, and later in his 1996 book _The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order_. He argued against Francis Fukuyama’s idea that liberal democracy marked the “end of history”.

According to Huntington, while ideological conflicts have faded, cultural ones remain strong.

**Postnationalism** is the idea that nations and national identities are becoming less important. This can be seen in the growth of globalization, multinational corporations, supranational bodies like the United Nations and European Union, and the influence of the Internet. Still, national identity and citizenship often remain important.

Scholar Jan Zielonka argues that the future may resemble a kind of "neo-medievalism"—with overlapping powers, mixed identities, and unclear borders—unlike the traditional idea of states as having clear borders and strong centralized power.

## Related pages

- State
- Nation state
- Country
- Nationalism
- Political economy
- Constitutional economics