What is the definition of a state?

Answer 1

A state generally refers to the set of institutions of a soverign geographical area or nation. These institutions often include the government, armed forces, institutions that manage or use Natural Resources, some national industry and public services. The role of the state changes depending on the specific ideology of the country. In a capitalist economic system, the state would for example play a different role, especially in the economy, then in a socialist system.

The sociologist Max Weber defined the state as the institution that has the "monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory."

The state is distinguished from the concept of country and nation, but is sometimes used synonymously with the term country.