FIND OUT MORE. International Organizations 434 • Nationalism 421 • New World Order 314–315 • Political World 216–217
312 Society and Beliefs
A nation (from the Latin for “birthplace”) is defined as a
large group of people unified by a common language
or culture. Nationalism is the belief that people sharing
national characteristics should be able to form their
own independent state, surrounded by a. BORDER.
HOW DO NATIONS FORM?
Throughout history, nations have formed in several
ways. Some were established as a result of geographic
isolation, such as England. Others, such as Australia,
were created as the result of emigration and imperial
conquest, often displacing existing nations. Others
again were created from the break-up of larger
empires or from peace treaties, such as Croatia. Some
nations, such as the Kurds or the Palestinians, are still
fighting to create their own nation-states.HOW DO NATIONS DEAL WITH OTHER NATIONS?
Nations interact on many levels. Trade agreements
allow businesses from different nations to buy and
sell their goods and services with each other. Formal
agreements, signed by political leaders or their
diplomatic representatives, reinforce friendly relations
and allow co-operation in different areas, such as
military know-how. International agreements ensure
that all member nations abide by the same rules.WHAT ARE NATIONS FOR?
Modern nation-states were created to give people sharing a common language
and cultural characteristics the right to govern themselves as they choose.
Nations provide protection against external threats and can ask their citizens
to perform tasks, such as military service, in return. The greater a nation’s
economic and military power, the more it can promote its own interests.A border is a line marking where the territory of one nation-state
ends and another begins. Borders are clearly marked on maps, but
those between friendly nations may often be unmarked on the
ground. Borders under dispute are often heavily guarded and
have strictly controlled border crossings.WHY DO NATIONS ARGUE OVER BORDERS?
Nations often contest their borders, because of the need for land and valuable raw
materials, such as oil, which are important to a nation’s wealth. Borders are often
redrawn as a result of wars. Sometimes nationals end up on the wrong side of the
border, such as in the former Yugoslavia, and this can lead to conflict too.DO NATIONS END AT THE COAST?
The open sea is considered public territory apart from
a strip of water extending 5 km (3 miles) from a
nation’s coastal shoreline. Nations seeking to mine
with sea floor or fish the waters beyond these borders
should have this agreed by treaty.1 SYMBOLIC BORDER MARKER
This Peace Arch marks the border between the USA and Canada, which
is unmarked for most of its 8,893-km (5,526-mile) length. The USA’s
southern border with Mexico is more difficult to police. It is one of
the busiest land borders in the world, with around 500 million people
making the crossing each year.1 DIALOGUE BETWEEN NATIONS
Nations sometimes make alliances with other nations to advance
common causes. Here Cuba’s fidel Castro (left) meets the USSR’s Nikita
Khrushchev (right) to seal the friendship between their two countries.BORDERS
Nations
4 A NATION WITHOUT A HOME
These Kurds have no territory.
Their homelands lie within the
borders of five other nations.nations