Multinational state.html



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A multinational state is a state (country) in which the population consists of two or more ethnically distinct nations (peoples) that are of significant size. This contrasts with a nation-state where a single nation comprises the bulk of the population. An oft-cited example is the United Kingdom of England (English people), Wales (Welsh), Scotland (Scottish), and Northern Ireland (Irish)¹ Or Spain, embracing the Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia and the central Castilian/Spanish culture.

The phrase refers to the objective existence of distinct ethnic groups in a country; whereas multiculturalism refers to an official policy of acknowledging the equality of these distinct groups. A country may be, or may have been, multi-national but not multicultural.

Multinational states differ from states such as Iceland and South Korea in which an overwhelming majority of the population is ethnically homogeneous.^{citation needed} China and India are the largest countries in the world by population and are both multinational, having many recognised ethnicities.^{citation needed}

Empires may be dominated by one particular nation, sometimes organized as a nation-state. For example, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which consisted of Austrian Germans, Magyars (Hungarians), Czechs, Slovaks, Romanians, Slovenes, Poles, Croats, Serbs, and Italians.

See also

• Secession
• Federation

References

1. ^ Ascherson, Neal (2007-08-24). "Scotophobia". Eurozine. Retrieved on 2008-07-13.

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