I hear the words "country", "patriotism" thrown around too often on this forum. Can you define "country"?

Question

Please also state your political affiliation so I can understand what each side means when they say the term "country".

This is a very innocuous simple non partisan question. So I would expect that everyone answers in a decent manner with no name calling.

I can easily look in the dictionary. Thanks for the suggestion though. My objective was to gauge what people actually MEAN when they say country, not what the dictionary definition is. Some haven't even come close to understanding the question. But that's ok. Not everyone has the same mental acuity. According to most of the answers here, people define a country as a piece of land with borders and a government. So if you kept the current government in place and kept the borders in place, but threw out all the current Americans and filled it up with Mexicans or Chinese, will it still be the same country?

Answer 1

I find it particularly amusing that you ask for a thoughtful definition of the term "country" and "patriotism" and some people automatically say "The United States of America"...as if it is the only country, or is the single definition of the term "country." It is exactly this type of arrogance that has caused America to be the subject of ever increasing global disdain. It is also this type of hubris that guides the isolationist policies of the Bush administration. It leads us into complacency, continually believing that simply because we are America, we are the best. Since we are America, we possess the best economy, the best military, the best education system, the most noble international political agenda, and so on and so forth. Well, in reality, while we continue to believe these ideas due to an inflated sense of nationalism, America has declined in many of these areas. Many other countries far surpass the USA in terms of economic strength, education/literacy rates, strength of civil and political liberties, and humanitarian aid.

I digress, somewhat, in order to illustrate that patriotism is merely a feeling and does not always correspond with an objective truth. In its colloquial sense, patriotism is a feeling of pride toward one's own country. This sense of pride stems from an "in group" identification and contains an a priori element of separation and uniqueness from other groups. At its best, patriotism can inspire individuals to support causes that truly advance their country, causing it to evolve politically, socially, and economically. At its worst, and unfortunately what all too often occurs, patriotism can lead to a sense of superiority, unilateralism, degradation of other cultures and unique peoples, and extreme militarism. It can cause a nation to lose its "global positioning," its sense of belonging to a larger international community. Patriotism can cause a group to become entitled, lazy, and blind to the strength of their competitors.

A country, in its most basic sense, is a geographical territory shared by a set of people. There may be a common language, governmental structure, culture, or background, however, none of these are required. Examples can be found of "countries" that contain many different governmental bodies, a multitude of cultures, backgrounds, and languages. So, on a more abstract level, a country is a region that we choose to occupy, either actively or passively, for a set of personal reasons. Although one may expect to find a unifying language or government, the absence of these criteria does not exclude the label "country" from being applied. Citizenship is often a matter of mere birthright, and can be gained or denounced by following a set of established rules (not to suggest that this is a simple process).

"Country" and "patriotism" are politically constructed terms. They divide more than unify. Patriotism, or a sense of pride, can be felt by any person toward any country, not just one's country of origin. I encourage us all to develop and nurture a sense of global patriotism...I encourage us to be patriots and stewards of the larger community that we all occupy.

Oh yeah...I am a proud Democrat!! (as you may have guessed)

Answer 2

In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical territory. It is used casually in the sense of both the concept of nation (a cultural entity; see below) and state (a political entity). Some definitions tend to place it as meaning only state, though general use is wider than this.

There are dozens of other, non-sovereign territories which constitute a geographical country, but are not sovereign states. Several states have overseas dependencies, with territory and citizens separate from their own. They are in some occasions listed together with states on lists of countries.

A nation is a 'set of people with a common identity who have formed a nation-state or usually aspire to do so' (Viotti and Kauppi, 2001). In this sense of country, the reference is more likely to be to a group that supposedly shares a common ethnic origin, language, religion, or history (real or imagined). The term has become synonymous with 'country' where nations without sovereignty (that is, nations that are not states) have aimed to identify themselves on the same terms as sovereign states. Others, including nationalists, may consider their single nation (or country) to be divided between different states.
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I am a U.S. Citizen born here....."patriotism", or "nationalism" defined in the dictionary.. " a strong feeling tied to somebodies home country"....and I don't get what you mean by "which side"?
do you mean republican..?

Answer 3

Country simply means the country being refered to. In most usage this is the geographical definition of the place refered to.

I can see why you might be asking. Most people on Answers ask or answer with political views when mentioning 'country' and do not say what country they mean. Therefore making there question or answer vague or misleading.

I have no political affiliation other than to common sense.

Answer 4

Country is a nation Like the Fifty United States of America, Canada, The United States of Mexico, and all the rest.


It can also mean a rural area. Like I am going to the country this weekend.

It can also be a type of music and a style for your house .

Independent

Oy Marco, Todo bom? Eu mutio trist quando brasil faulta em cupo do mundo. Brasil em 2010!

Answer 5

I will try to be polite, but it's tough on this question.

Independent conservative.

If you wanna define country, look in the dictionary. But I assume it says something like a piece of territory with defined borders and a government.

Answer 6

The dedinition of a country is a natiion with borders, a governement, an economy and military. They are viable. That is all a county is.
Some countries are in worse shape than others, but if they can pull together the least bit of each of the four they are catorgorized as a country.

Answer 7

A country is a chunk of land filled with many people. Which is what forms a nation. If you took all the people out of America and filled it with Mexicans? Well no it wouldn't be America as we know it, but it would still be America.
I am a Democrat.

Answer 8

International law defines the term "country" as a plot of land demarcated by internationally-recognized borders and inhabited by a group of people that are of the same or different origins and religions and are united by common interests. They practice their sovereign rights in this country of theirs.

Answer 9

Republican. The country, the United States of America that millions have died fighting for so we can enjoy our freedoms today. That is the country and the patriotism is the support and rememberance you show for all who have sacrificed to defend it.

Answer 10

"Country"......more than the geographical meaning, its more refering to a collective culture. Some look only at the bad aspects and arent proud of their country. Others focus on the positive aspects and tend to be proud of their country. Im a conservative in the US. I view my country as having its faults but has much more positive aspects that make me proud of our accomplishments.