state · province

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 州 denotes a state or province; its on-reading is しゅう.
• Basic usage: 州(しゅう) means a state or province, while 欧州(おうしゅう) means Europe.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An administrative division and the name Europe
  • 五つの州 means five states, and 州の境 means a state boundary.
  • 欧州 names Europe in the examples about rail travel and old streets. Treating 州 here as one individual administrative division would miss the word's meaning.