Compare and contrast the concept of state and nation

Dear student,

​​​​A state is an organised community living under a unified political system, the government.

This is basically just a community (usually in a specified territory) that was ruled by a specific government. 

It may or may not have been sovereign.

A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, or history.

Note that a nation has no required geographical tie-in. But they must/should, as a rule, share history, culture and language.

Regards