Country is the most usual word to use when you are talking about the major political units that the world is divided into. State is used when you are talking about politics or government institutions. ...the new German state created by the unification process. ...Italy's state-controlled telecommunications company. State can also refer to a political unit within a particular country. ...the American state of California. Nation is often used when you are talking about a country's inhabitants, and their cultural or ethnic background. Wales is a proud nation with its own traditions... A senior government spokesman will address the nation. Land is a less precise and more literary word, which you can use, for example, to talk about the feelings you have for a particular country. She was fascinated to learn about this strange land at the edge of Europe.

當談論世界所劃分成的主要政治單位時， country 最爲常用，當談論政治或政府組織時用 state。例如，the new German state created by the unification process (統一後成立的新德國)，Italy's state-controlled telecommunications (意大利由國家控制的電信公司)。state 還可指某國國内的行政單位，例如，the American state of California (美國加利福尼亞州)。當談論某國的居民及其文化或種族背景時常用 nation。例如：Wales is a proud nation with its own traditions (威爾士是一個擁有自己傳統的自豪的民族)，A senior government spokesman will address the nation (一位政府高級發言人將發表全國講話)。land 含義較爲籠統而文學意味更濃，可用來談論對某國的感情等。例如，She was fascinated to learn about this strange land at the edge of Europe (她非常渴望了解這個位於歐洲邊緣的奇異國度)。