Nationality refers to the status of belonging to a particular nation, which can be defined as a group of people organized in one country, under one legal jurisdiction, or as a group of people who are united by a common culture, history, traditions, and awareness of a... . In international law, nationality is a legal identification establishing the person as a subject, a national, of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the state against other states.

Nationality can also refer to a persons citizenship, which is the official right to belong to a particular country. It can be acquired by birth or naturalization. People of the same nationality usually share traditions and customs, and they might look a little alike, too.

It is important to note that nationality is sometimes used interchangeably with ethnicity or national origin, but they are not the same thing. Ethnicity refers to a group of people who share a common ethnic identity, language, culture, lineage, history, and so forth. Race, on the other hand, refers to physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features.