The major difference between a state and a nation is that the latter presupposes a

The major difference between a state and a nation is that a nation presupposes a homogenous population. A state is a politically organized community living under a single system of government while a nation refers to a group of people who share a common culture, language, history, or ethnicity. A nation-state is a country where the majority of the people share a common national identity. However, a state may be made up of people from different nations or ethnic groups, while a nation may span across multiple states. Thus, the key distinguishing feature of a nation is the homogeneity of its population.