Country/Nation
By
Volker von Nathusius
Wu Liqun,
Karthikeyan Bollu Ganesh
Contents
Ambiguities
 Modes of Classification
 Primitives
 Variability
 Definitions and Axioms

Ambiguities

Country:
 Usually,
people call national states countries
 A region, province or state may also be referred to as
a country.
 There are also other deep ambiguities like
countryside.

Nation:
 The
term “nation” means the people forming a nation
 A national state is also referred to as a nation, but this
means the country as a geographical unit
Modes of classification and Primitives

Country:

Administrative aspect
 Historical aspect

Nation


Culture approach
Sociological approach

Country
 Landsurface (Territory) Terr(x)
 Border Border(x)
 Self-administrating government SelfGov(x)

Nation
 Group of people
 Language
Predication Criteria

Individuation
 According

the Primitives
Demarcation
 Country:
Political border
 Nation: Fuzzy borders of groups of people

Identity
 Country:
Military or Political decision
 Nation: Assimilation or migration of groups of people
Variability

Country:
 Threshold
or standpoint is nearly not possible
as the borders are defined by administrative
or political authorities

Nation:
 Threshold
or standpoint is nearly not possible
as it depends on the culture of the groups of
people living in a particular region.
Definitions

Country:
 A country
is a geographical unit has a territory with a
politically defined (and mostly international
acknowledged) borders and self-administrating
government.
∀c [ hasTerr( t, c) ∧isBorder( b,t) ∧ selfGov ( a, c )] -> country (c) ]

Nation:
 A nation
is a group of people who share more or less the
same historical, cultural or religious background and/or
same language, habits, society
--A nation consists of a (larger) group of people that claim to be the same
nation.
Relations to Others- Country

A country has a city as capital.
∀x [ country (x) ->∃c( city (c) ∧ capital (c, x)]

The territory of two countries cannot overlap.
∀t1 t2 c1 c2[ hasTerr(c1,t1) ∧hasTerr(c2.t2) ∧ (c1!=c2)-> ¬ overlap( t1,t2)]

A country consists of geographical landforms such as mountains, hills, rivers, lakes,
forest, vegetation, desert, towns, cities, roads, paths etc
∀r[ landform (r,x) -> ∃c∃t (country(c) ∧hasTerr (c, t) ∧part (r, t))]
A country can consist of multiple, not connected parts.
∃c [country (c) ∧terr (t) ∧hasTerr(c,t) ∧ pn∈t (n=1,2,3… ) ∧(¬(connected (pi,pj) )

A country can consist of subdivisions like regions, provinces, states, cities,
counties etc.
consistOf (c, x) (??)

Relations to Others- Nation

More than one nation may live in the same area.

The distribution area of a nation may consist of multiple, not
connected parts.

The area, where one nation lives, may overlap with the area, where
another nation lives.

A nation can live in one or more countries.

A nation does not need an own country or own government
--needed when in application to set the distribution area etc.