Let's begin with separate definitions of the two entities. A state is similar to a country, in that it is a sovereign, bounded territory with its own government. Meanwhile a nation is a group of people with a shared culture and history. Neither is permanent, since a state can change its borders, and a nation can adjust its identity. Furthermore, nationhood is often tied powerfully to a piece of land, just as much as a state. Similarly, a state as much a product of history and people as a nation is. Thus the best description is the closest to our primary definitions: that a state is a political determination of sovereignty defined by its boundaries, while a nation is defined by its people.

The breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s was fueled by both the collapse of Yugoslavia's communist regime and the many divisions between the various constituent states. Ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences had been problematic under communist rule, but exploded after the dissolution of the communist state thanks to new paramilitary, nationalist organizations. International groups were slow to respond to the multilayered crisis, as many outside organizations saw it as a series of civil wars.

The Abyei dispute arose between Sudan and South Sudan and involves an oil-rich area of land on the border of the two nations. The Kashmir dispute arose between Pakistan and India, while the Cyprus dispute arose between Turkey and Greece.

Balkanization is a term used to describe the division or fragmentation of a larger state due to disputes amongst different ethnicities in its population. The term derives its name from the division of the Balkan peninsula in the nineteenth century.

When India gained independence in 1947 the territory was partitioned into Pakistan and India to reflect the plurality of Muslim and Hindu populations in those areas. Pakistan is located to the west of India and had a Muslim majority; however, the territory now known as Bangladesh is located to the east of India and also had a Muslim majority. These two geographically and culturally separate regions were incorporated into one state - Pakistan. Not surprisingly the Bangladeshi people, far from the central government, were marginalized. In 1971 they achieved independence in the Bangladesh Liberation War.

The Ottoman Empire existed for several centuries and was centered around the major city of Istanbul. At its height it controlled most of the Middle East, parts of North Africa, and much of the Balkans. In the nineteenth century, it was often referred to as the “Sick man of Europe” reflecting its declining power and status. In the aftermath of World War I the empire was disbanded and Britain and France, ever the opportunists, moved in and took control of various territories. Iraq and Palestine would become British colonial possessions (the consequences of this are massive and include the existence of Israel as a state and much of the current strife in the region) and Syria would become a French possession.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, better known as NATO, was initially founded in 1949 by non-communist countries as a political alliance agreeing to defend against communist advances. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the organization evolved into more of a complete military organization with a central command. Thus, NATO grew to rival the Warsaw Pact and its post-communist successor, the Collective Security Treaty Organization. It also never took on the economic role of the European Union (EU) or North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The European Union has acheived supranational status because of the power afforded it by their member states, which supercede the powers of its individual states.  For example, the European Union has its own currency and mandates trade agreements. The other organizations listed do not have the same degree of power that is afforded to the European Union.

The Commonwealth of Independent States is comprised of some of the states of the former Soviet Union. This includes the Russian Federation, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Armenia (as well as a few others). Most of the members of the CIS are part of an economic union and also members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization which is designed to provide for the cooperative defense of all members from external military attacks.

The North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1994 and involves the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is a treaty designed to provide for the mutual economic prosperity of all three nations by eliminating restrictions to trade.