student asking question

What's the difference between "nation" and "country"? I was curious, because it seems that people tends to use "nation" more on official occasions.

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

This is a great question. In general usage, "country" and "nation" are used interchangeably. However, "nation" specifically refers to the entity (area of land) that is governed by a government. Thus, it is often used more in political contexts or formal settings. However, it is not wrong to use "country" in these situations as well. Ex: I have visited over 20 countries since I graduated university. Ex: The nation was known for its highly developed engineering sector.

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