A nation is a territory where all its people are led by the same government.

The word “nation” can also refer to a group of people who share a history, traditions, culture and, often, language—even if the group does not have a political territory of its own. People within this type of nation share a common identity, and think of themselves as belonging to the same group.

Palestinians, who live in and near the nation of Israel, fit in this category. Though Palestinians share a national identity, elect their own government, and share cultural beliefs, they do not have an internationally recognized nation of their own.

The United Nations currently recognizes 193 nations around the world, though only 192 are members of the UN's General Assembly. (Vatican City, which is led by the Roman Catholic Church, is recognized as a sovereign nation but is not a member of the General Assembly.)

Other nations are not recognized by one or more states for varying reasons. Sometimes, a single nation does not recognize another nation. North Korea and South Korea do not recognize each other as nations, for instance. They each oppose the politics of the other.

The leaders of some unrecognized nations maintain a “government in exile.” These leaders were ousted by social change, such as a revolution, in their country. The leaders currently live in another country, but consider themselves the leaders of their nation.

Sometimes, people of that nation want the leader to return. Many Tibetans, for instance, look forward to a time when the Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibet’s government in exile, will return to the country. The Dalai Lama has not been to Tibet since 1959, when Tibet became a part of China.

Other times, a government in exile can form entirely outside the nation it wants to govern. The Free Republic of Vietnam considers itself a government in exile of the nation of Vietnam. The Free Republic of Vietnam was formed after the Vietnam War by emigrants who did not want to live in the new, socialist government of Vietnam.