Nationality refers to the legal identification of a person as a subject or national of a sovereign state. It is the status that allows a nation to grant rights to the subject and impose obligations upon them. In international law, nationality is a crucial aspect, as it affords the state jurisdiction over the person and provides the person with the protection of the state against other states. Nationality is determined by each state, and it is a necessary precondition for any rights and obligations created by the state. It is important to note that nationality is not the same as ethnicity or national origin, although people sometimes use it interchangeably with citizenship. Your nationality is the country you come from, and it is usually where you are a legal citizen, often the country where you were born.