Each of us lives on a certain plot of land, but few seriously asked what the country is, what it is typical for, or what factors describe it. Many people confuse this concept with the definition of "state", someone does not have an idea what this term means. Therefore, in order for you to have no doubts about this, we will understand what a country is, where it came from and how to distinguish it from other social structures.
General information
The country is mainly referred to as a territory that has documented boundaries. This is a unique structure of society, which includes a single language, religion, traditions and history. Each country can have its sovereignty. In this case, it receives the status of an independent state, that is, existing and functioning strictly according to its own laws. Also, due to historical events, each country can be under the control of another state. In this case, many laws, views and the type of local government policy are imposed on the dominant side. Today in the world there are over 250 of the most diverse in their structure of states and countries, and all of them have their own political, social and economic position.
A more specific description of the state
If a particular state is independent of any other, sovereignty extends strictly within its borders. Similarly, laws and moral principles operate in the country , which are determined by its head. The composition of the state certainly includes the lands covered by its borders, as well as the subsoil that is under them. Along with this, in the possessions of each country are internal waters (rivers and lakes), which are located within its borders, and external waters adjacent to the oceans. Borders can pass by land or by water, and thanks to them all countries are separated from each other.
Geographical location and size of modern states
All countries of the world that have formed to our days are very different from each other. They are mainly divided into various categories according to their territory and geographical location. There are big powers in the world, which, of course, have access to the seas and oceans. Among those distinguish Russia, China, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil and India. Smaller states, which, however, have access to several seas at once, are territories that occupy large islands and peninsulas. The first category includes New Zealand, Cuba, the UK and Ireland. In the second group - Italy, Norway, Portugal, India.
Other characteristics of the world
Speaking about what a country is in a broad sense, it is impossible to omit the religious and cultural aspects. Today, each territorial unit, even if it does not have sovereignty, has its own religious orientations, which were based here historically. Most states profess one of the three world religions - Christianity, Buddhism or Islam. Smaller countries and provinces have their own local religious characteristics and the rules by which they live. Also, despite the political and social situation of each country, it has its own history and cultural heritage.
Where did the names of the states come from
We have more or less understood what a country is, and now we’ll try to find out why each of them has its own name. For centuries, people have named the territories in which they lived, in accordance with the natural data that were characteristic of them. For example, Argentina got its name due to the high silver content in the Rio de la Plata. In science, this metal is called Argentum, which gave the name to this southern country. Also, the name of the country was often coined by sailors who discovered them. For example, Barbados translated from Spanish sounds like "bearded." This is how the local fig trees appeared to the mariner Pedro Campos.