You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion.
Is the concept of a "nation" exactly the same as a "country"?
Take U.K. for example,
it seems England, Scotland, Walse and Northern Ireland are all viewed as "a country" respectively.
Does this mean:
England = a country
Scotland = a country
Walse = a country
Northern Ireland = a country
England + Scotland + Walse + Northern Ireland = a nation
??
Nation is more used when we are thinking of the bonds that unite the people, rather than the geographical and political entity. Also, some people that have an identity but do not have a geographical country can be referred to as a nation.