This is a topic that comes up in politics a lot. The first slot is nation and the second is state. Despite them often appearing side by side, it is important to distinguish between the 2. For some people to be a nation, there needs to be a sense of communality and cultural elements. Nations can exist without states (having territorial control of the land they live in) just like natives in various parts of the world. Also, states can exist without a specified nation living there; for example there are multicultural states or states with very few inhabitants that can hardly call themselves a nation.