[tanbog]

In political theory and International Relations studies, there is a reasonably well established set of theories regarding the difference between "A nation", "A state" and a "Nation-State" the three are not synonymous and it irks me somewhat how even in an article like this the three seem to be conflated as I think it adds t everyone's confusion about things.

Having said that, there is no "hegemon" (arbiter/judge/police/enforcer-of-rules) at international level so what is, or is not, a state is somewhat arbitrary and contingent on whatever power structures are at play at the time.