Nationality

Nationality is a legal relationship between an individual person and a state. Nationality affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the state. What these rights and duties are varies from state to state.

History

The concept of nationality is recent, dating from the French Revolution. It was an answer to the question of whether a person could be simultaneously a subject of more than one state. It was decided that a person would have only one nationality, and would be subject to the laws of that state, and no other.

Nationality and citizenship

Nationality is often used as a synonym for citizenship – in English, a person who is a national of a state is commonly referred to as its citizen. Nationality is, however, distinct from citizenship, which is a different legal relationship between a person and a country. The latter may imply rights available to specific nationals such as consular protection from other countries while travelling abroad.

Nationality and ethnicity

Nationality can also be associated with an ethnicity, where individuals identify with a common heritage, culture, or language. However, nationality is not always directly related to ethnicity, and individuals may identify with a nationality without being a part of the associated ethnic group.

Nationality laws

Nationality law is the law in each country and in each jurisdiction within each country which defines the rights and obligations of citizenship within the jurisdiction and the manner in which citizenship is acquired as well as how citizenship may be lost. A person can be recognised or granted citizenship on a number of bases. Usually citizenship based on circumstances of birth is automatic, but an application may be required.

See also

• Citizenship
• Ethnicity
• Nationality law
• State (polity)

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