Quote:
Originally Posted by Exeter
Nation-states are human constructs. Italy is also modern.
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More or less. There are human contructs and nations made out of natural/ethnic boundaries. England (or Japan, or Ireland or Spain) is the opposite of Belgium in this matter, there is a geographical reality in the existance of England, since it is delimited naturally by sea except the border to Scotland (I am not sure what made the scottish border) and Wales, which is a natural reality too (mountains). Belgium is completely artifical. Italy might be modern but there is still a geographical reality for the existence of Italy. It is no hasard that the most nationalistic people in the world are insular people (naturally defined by sea) and nations naturally defined by mountains.