A multinational state or a multinational union is a sovereign entity that comprises two or more nations or states. This contrasts with a nation state, where a single nation accounts for the bulk of the population. Depending on the definition of "nation", a multinational state is usually multicultural or multilingual, and is geographically composed of more than one country, such as the countries of the United Kingdom.
The largest two ethnic groups, excluding Russians, in each region (Census 2010)
A state is a political entity that regulates society and the population within a territory. Government is considered to form the fundamental apparatus of contemporary states.
Painting of Roman Senators encircling Julius Caesar
The frontispiece of Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan