països

Països is the Catalan term for countries or sovereign political entities. In Catalan usage, the word refers to the nations that are recognized as independent states, as well as to regions that may be culturally or historically identified as nations. The plural form països corresponds to the singular país, and the plural is written with the diaeresis on the i (països) to mark the hiatus.

In political geography and international law, a país or païs is typically understood as a unit defined by a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. This aligns with commonly cited criteria for statehood, such as those found in international law, though recognition by other states is often a determining factor in practical terms. Consequently, some països enjoy full sovereignty, while others have disputed or limited recognition, or function as de facto states with varying degrees of control.

The term is of Romance origin and is cognate with related words in other languages, such as Spanish país and French pays. In Catalan orthography, the diacritic over the i in país helps indicate the vowel separation, and the standard plural is països. Beyond its strict political meaning, països can also appear in geographic or cultural contexts, for example when discussing European or Catalan-speaking regions.