Does birthplace effect nationality?

[Bill Malone]

A quick, probably google-able question?

If a lithe, pneumatic, cock-hungry 19 year old porn starlet had French parents and was brought up in Paris but was born whilst they were living abroad for a year in Germany, would she be French or German?
Is it where you were born, where you live or where your parents were from that defines your nationality?
I'm ashamed I don't know this answer but then I didn't know tomatoes were fruit until I read one of those book things.

[Carausius]

It depends... Each country has its laws. In France, for example every individual born in the country is reputed to be French. That's they call "droit du sol". In Germany and, I think, in Switzerland, it's the parents nationality that counts ("droit du sang"). Please, correct me if I am wrong.
C.

[jj]

Strictly speaking, one's passport is one's "nationality". But of course one can
hold several passports, as in this sense nationality is essentially a legal fiction.

Nationality in [faute de mieux] a 'spiritual' sense is harder to define; one can
'feel at home' in more than one country. Your girl is clearly French and any
German connection seems little more than an accident of birth.
I think the best working definition for nationality is the language you think in....
although it's of course possible to ride two horses in this sense, too.

I liked the "QI" story about a female Russian spy in WWII Germany who was only
'outed' as [having gone a little TOO native] she gave birth. Instead of cussing
in her adopted tongue she unfortunately gave vent to her feelings in her native
Russian- and was promptly executed : -)

[Deuce Bigolo]

Nationality = where you spent most of your formulative years

Legally its a minefield with some countries offering you citizenship
so you end up with both

People like Nicole Kidman who was born in the USA to Australian parents
but left there aged 4 is clearly an Australian but one who holds dual citizenship.

[jj]

Deuce Bigolo wrote:
> People like Nicole Kidman.....

She was- to me- Oz when she was all cute and getting raped on schooners.
Then she did all those shite Hwood movies in a funny accent and became, in
my mind, a Yank. She didn't seem to manage The Sublime Cate Blanchett's trick
of doing Hwood but retaining her essential Oz-ness. That alone makes her, IMO,
the better actress.
I can't help despising NK a bit, as a sell-out. I have much the same opinion
about our [former] own Kate Beckinsale, although the latter went much farther
in dispensing with any pretence to integrity and is now a fully-paid-up
Hollywood Hore. I sat through 'Pearl Harbor' rooting for the Japs.

[Bill Malone]

This is all very helpful. Blanchett/Kidman/Beckinsale discussion is a bonus. All very lovely ladies.

Thanks

[Deuce Bigolo]

Not really relevant to the topic what they become after their formulative years
but i agree they all kind of sell out when they reach that in demand famous level.

Given Sydney seems to be home to cheap film making cost wise its not hard to see the big names that prefer to live & work in Australia can.

[jj]

.... I thought Sydney was expensive?

[Bad Samaritan]

Carausius wrote:

> It depends... Each country has its laws. In France, for example
> every individual born in the country is reputed to be French.
> That's they call "droit du sol". In Germany and, I think, in
> Switzerland, it's the parents nationality that counts ("droit
> du sang"). Please, correct me if I am wrong.
> C.

Exactly. Nationality equals to citizenship of a certain state, which is determined at birth by the respective national legislation as per two legal approaches you indicated; jus soli and jus sanguinis. Rest is pure speculation.

[jj]

I don't think it's that simple.
Mrs JJ's brother was born in England of an Irish father. He resided for many
years in Australia; he holds Irish, British and Australian passports but regards
himself as essentially British. He is [he says] a British national but a citizen
of all three nations [although he now spends about four months every year in
Switzerland, and no time at all in Eire or Oz....].
Before you ask: I have no idea why he feels the need for three passports. All I
can say is that Mrs JJ is completely mad [well, she'd have to be, wouldn't she?],
and it must run in the family : -)