definition
strict definition
group of countries
A set of countries treated as one unit, whether by a treaty, a shared history or common geography.
A group of countries is a set of states recorded together because something treats them as one: a union they joined, an alliance, a trade bloc, or a shared geography that everyone names.
Membership rather than position defines the set, so a group need not be contiguous and a state can join or leave without the group changing its identity. Two groups covering the same part of the world may hold different members.
Where the ground is one continuous area recognized by its geography alone, the term is a continent. A group of countries is drawn around its members.