A country is an area of land with its own government and borders, where people live under the same laws and often share a common identity. The United States, Japan, Brazil, and Kenya are all countries. Each country has its own flag, its own leaders, and its own rules about everything from what side of the road people drive on to what holidays they celebrate.

Countries can be enormous, like Russia or Canada, or tiny, like Vatican City, which is smaller than many city parks. What makes a place a country isn't its size but whether it governs itself independently. Monaco is smaller than Central Park in New York City, but it's still a country because it has its own government and makes its own decisions.

The word can also mean the rural areas outside of cities and towns. When people talk about the country, they often mean farmland, forests, and open spaces where houses are spread far apart instead of clustered together. Someone might say they're going to visit their grandparents in the country, meaning somewhere quieter and less developed than a city or suburb.

Finally, country can describe a type of music that originated in the rural American South, featuring guitars, fiddles, and songs about everyday life. Country music artists like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton helped make this style famous worldwide.