Free to follow every thread. No paywall, no dead ends.
Country: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Country
The word country has never meant a single thing, shifting from a simple description of land to a complex political battleground. Before the 11th century, the term entered English from Old French to describe land lying opposite or spread before, a geographical concept devoid of political weight. Today, the definition has fractured into a thicket of exceptions where the number of countries in the world ranges anywhere from 193 to 237 depending on who is counting. This ambiguity is not a modern glitch but a historical constant, as the term now applies to sovereign states, states with limited recognition, constituent countries, and dependent territories all at once. The United Nations recognizes 193 sovereign states, yet entities like Taiwan, Kosovo, and the Sahrawi Republic exist in a gray zone of disputed sovereignty that defies simple categorization. When the Economist wrote in 2010 that any attempt to find a clear definition of a country runs into a thicket of exceptions, they were describing a reality that has persisted for centuries. Cultural anthropologist Clifford Geertz noted in 1997 that the relationship between country and nation is so different from one place to the next that it is impossible to fold them into a simple opposition. The term can describe the rural hinterland of England known as the West Country, the coal-mining regions of the American Midwest, or the vast, uninhabited wastelands of the Antarctic continent. This fluidity means that a country can be a political entity with supreme authority, a cultural identity, or simply a place where people live, regardless of whether that place is inhabited or empty.
The Montevideo Paradox
In 1933, the Montevideo Convention attempted to codify the legal existence of a state with four clear criteria: a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the ability to enter into relations with other states. This document, Article 1, declared a state to be a person of international law, yet it also implied that a sovereign state could exist even if no other countries recognized it. This declaratory theory stands in stark contrast to the constitutive theory, which argues that a state is a legal entity only if it is recognized as sovereign by at least one other country. The tension between these two ideas has created a legal limbo for entities like Kosovo and the Sahrawi Republic, where the world refuses to acknowledge their statehood despite their possession of all the physical attributes of a nation. In 1912, legal scholar L. F. L. Oppenheim articulated the constitutive view, suggesting that without recognition, a new state could not immediately become part of the international community or be bound by international law. The Badinter Arbitration Committee, formed in 1991 to address the breakup of Yugoslavia, ruled on whether Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia met the conditions for statehood, highlighting how political recognition often trumps legal definition. The European Union and the Organization of African Unity have since issued statements reinforcing the idea that recognition is a political act, not just a legal formality. This creates a situation where a country can exist in reality but remain invisible to the international legal system, a paradox that has defined the modern geopolitical landscape since the 20th century.
Common questions
What is the definition of country according to the Montevideo Convention of 1933?
The Montevideo Convention of 1933 defines a state as having four criteria: a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the ability to enter into relations with other states. Article 1 of this document declared a state to be a person of international law.
How many countries are recognized by the United Nations?
The United Nations recognizes 193 sovereign states. Entities like Taiwan, Kosovo, and the Sahrawi Republic exist in a gray zone of disputed sovereignty that defies simple categorization.
When did the custom of officially adopting national anthems become popular?
The custom of officially adopting national anthems became popular only in the 19th century. The early version of the Wilhelmus, preserved in a manuscript of 1617, stands as one of the oldest examples of a national anthem.
What are the income thresholds for low-income and high-income economies set by the World Bank for 2018?
Low-income economies are defined as countries with a GNI per capita of $1,025 or less in 2018, while high-income economies are those with a GNI per capita of $12,376 or more. These classifications determine a country's eligibility for aid from the International Development Association or the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Who wrote the 2005 essay Unsettlement about the cultural significance of Country?
Melissa Lucashenko, an Aboriginal Australian writer, expressed the difficulty of defining Country in a 2005 essay titled Unsettlement. Her work highlights the cultural and spiritual significance of the land.
The name of a country is rarely static, changing with the rise and fall of governments and the shifting tides of history. Upper Volta became Burkina Faso to reflect the end of French colonization, while Southern Rhodesia transformed into Zimbabwe to shed its colonial past. Persia changed its name to Iran, and Siam became Thailand, each shift marking a new chapter in national identity. The International Organization for Standardization maintains a list of country codes under ISO 3166, currently comprising 249 entries, yet the number of sovereign states remains a subject of intense debate. Some countries have long names that describe their form of government, while others use short names for common identification, and for certain states, these two forms are identical. The name of a country can hold immense cultural and diplomatic significance, as seen in the years-long dispute over the name of North Macedonia due to a conflict with the region of Macedonia in Greece. Political change often necessitates a name change, as seen when the Congo became Zaire and then reverted to the Congo, or when Swaziland became Eswatini. These changes are not merely administrative but are deeply tied to the psychological and political self-image of a nation. The World Bank and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs classify countries based on these names, yet the fluidity of nomenclature means that a country's identity is constantly in flux, adapting to the demands of the international community and the desires of its own people.
Banners of Belonging
Originally, flags representing a country were the personal banners of its rulers, but the rise of the nation state at the end of the 18th century shifted the focus to symbols that represented the collective citizenry. The Age of Revolution brought about flags that fostered a sense of unity between different peoples, such as the Union Jack representing the union between England and Scotland. Early examples of national flags date back to the 12th century with maritime republics like Genoa, but these were primarily used for marine identification rather than national representation. Widespread use of flags outside of military or naval contexts began only with the rise of nationalism across Europe in the 19th century. The study of flags, known as vexillology, emerged as a professional and amateur pursuit after World War II, with many research facilities and publications being established to document the designs. Flags began to foster a sense of unity between nations in perceived shared struggles, such as the Pan-Slavic colors or later Pan-Arab colors. The adoption of a flag became seen as integral to the nation-building process, as Europeans exported ideas of nationhood and national symbols to significant portions of the world. Today, flags are symbols that incorporate cultural, religious, or political elements, serving as a visual shorthand for the complex identity of a country. The Johnson's new chart of national emblems, published around 1868, shows the evolution of these symbols, from the 37-star flag of the United States to the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, each telling a story of power, revolution, and identity.
The Sound of Sovereignty
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition that symbolizes and evokes the history and traditions of a country, yet the custom of officially adopting such anthems became popular only in the 19th century. Some national anthems predate this period, existing as patriotic songs long before their designation as official state symbols. Several countries remain without an official national anthem, relying instead on de facto anthems played at sporting events or diplomatic receptions, such as God Save the King in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, Russia, and the Soviet Union are examples of sovereign states made up of multiple countries or constituencies that have associated musical compositions for each of them. These compositions are sometimes referred to as national anthems even though they are not sovereign states, such as the music used for Wales, a part of the United Kingdom. The early version of the Wilhelmus, preserved in a manuscript of 1617, stands as one of the oldest examples of a national anthem, predating the widespread adoption of the practice by centuries. The anthem serves as a sonic symbol of patriotism, a positive emotional connection to a country a person belongs to, encompassing a set of concepts closely related to nationalism. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, including ethnic, cultural, political, or historical aspects, creating a shared auditory identity that binds a nation together.
The Measure of Nations
The economic status of a country is often determined by its gross national income per capita, a metric used by the World Bank and the United Nations to classify states as developed, developing, or in transition. The World Bank Atlas method classifies countries as low-income economies, lower-middle-income economies, upper-middle-income economies, or high-income economies, with specific thresholds set for the 2020 fiscal year. Low-income economies are defined as countries with a GNI per capita of $1,025 or less in 2018, while high-income economies are those with a GNI per capita of $12,376 or more. These classifications are not merely economic but also political, as they determine a country's eligibility for aid from the International Development Association or the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Geographic regions with developing economies include Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, while regions with developed countries are found in Northern America, Europe, and Asia and the Pacific. The majority of economies in transition and developing countries are found in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, highlighting the global disparities in wealth and development. The World Bank also distinguishes countries based on its operational policies, creating categories that reflect the complex interplay between economic status and political recognition. These economic classifications shape the way countries interact with the international community, influencing trade, aid, and diplomatic relations.
The Geography of Identity
The concept of country extends beyond political borders to encompass the very land itself, from the rural hinterlands of the West Country in England to the vast, uninhabited wastelands of the Antarctic continent. The term country can describe a place where people live, regardless of whether that place is inhabited or empty, and it can refer to the culture of people living in these places. The word country has been used to describe rural areas, as well as to describe the culture of people living in these places, creating a sense of belonging that transcends political boundaries. The term country is also used as a qualifier descriptively, such as country music or country living, reflecting the deep connection between people and the land they inhabit. The unclear definition of country in modern English was further commented upon by philosopher Simon Keller, who noted the difficulty of pinning down the meaning of the term. Melissa Lucashenko, an Aboriginal Australian writer, expressed the difficulty of defining Country in a 2005 essay, Unsettlement, highlighting the cultural and spiritual significance of the land. The term country can describe a place where people live, regardless of whether that place is inhabited or empty, and it can refer to the culture of people living in these places, creating a sense of belonging that transcends political boundaries. This fluidity means that a country can be a political entity with supreme authority, a cultural identity, or simply a place where people live, regardless of whether that place is inhabited or empty.