Nation, nationalism, and some issues of national consensus

Generally, terms such as state, nation, nationalism and national integration are used interchangeably. Even social scientists and politicians do not significantly differentiate in the definitions, usages and nuances of these terms. The Charter of the United Nations also declares that for a political entity to be recognised as a nation state, it must fulfil certain obligations, of which the qualifications of sovereignty, independence and fixed territorial expression are essential. A similar approach is maintained in the field of international relations where the term nation state for a state acquires an independent sovereign state.