The Four Main Types of States on the World Map

Henry Srebrnik, [Charlottetown, PEI] Guardian

Sometimes it’s wise to step back from day-to-day events and remind ourselves that the 200-plus states that constitute the international order vary in so many different ways.

But perhaps we can simply this by creating a typology of four different types of countries.

First, there are those that are basically geography. These are states – mainly in post-colonial regions such as Africa – that have little in the way of ethnic, linguistic, or religious homogeneity. They contain within their borders pre-existing nationalities, groups that preceded their creation, and which are often at odds with each other.

An obvious example is Nigeria, cobbled together by the British, with large self-conscious national groupings such as the Ibo and Yoruba. Another is the Democratic Republic of Congo, with literally dozens of different peoples within its artificial borders.

In such states, different ethnic groups vie for power and there is little national consciousness or patriotism. They are fragile constructs and sometimes fall apart altogether.

Then there are state-nations, countries where the vast majority of people have been assimilated into a new, hybrid nation, unified, usually, by language and often by religion.  They have been created by colonialism and immigration from the home country and they are a blend of different peoples who have created a new identity.

One example is Brazil, a Portuguese-speaking melange of peoples originally from Europe and Africa. Another is Mexico, a “métis” nation, combining mixed aboriginal and Spanish cultures. Islands such as Malta also fit this category. The United States may also -- certainly ideologically -- fall into this grouping. These states can exhibit a strong sense of nationalism.

When it comes to ethnic groups and nationalities, we have entered the realm of history rather than simply geography. Armenians and Jews, for example, are two nations that were dispossessed of their countries, yet retained their cohesion for centuries. The Kurds are spread across a number of Middle Eastern states but are clearly a self-defined group with their own language and culture, and aspirations for self-determination.

Finally, we have nation-states. These are homogenous countries where geography and history coincide. They are “homeland” nations, the patrimony of a particular ethnic group, with its own culture, language, and collective memories and myths. Poland, Serbia and Sweden are obvious examples.

The boundaries of such states may vary over the centuries – they may even disappear from the map for a time, as Poland did -- but it is clear that these countries “belong” to the ethnic groups which provide them with their very name. They are probably the most fortunate entities on the globe.