Based on what I have read from various references, these are the things I've gai

ned about "State" and "Government"

STATE
A state is composed of people, territory, government. It is a community occupyin
g a certain portion of territory that is under a system of government.
State is a political organization under a government in a certain territory.
States are immaterial and nonphysical social objects
A state is more than a government; that is clear. Governments change, but states
endure. A state is the means of rule over a defined or "sovereign" territory. I
t is comprised of an executive, a bureaucracy, courts and other institutions. Bu
t, above all, a state levies taxes and operates a military and police force. Sta
tes distribute and re-distribute resources and wealth, so lobbyists, politicians
and revolutionaries seek in their own way to influence or even to get hold of t
he levers of state power. States exist in a variety of sizes, ranging from enorm
ous China to tiny Andorra. Some claim a long lineage, while others are of modern
construction. In all but the short term, states are in flux. They expand and co
ntract as military and political fortunes change. Some, like Poland, even disapp
ear and re-appear later. Or they may be divided up (sometimes peacefully) by com
munities that prefer to go their separate ways (Czechoslovakia). Others, such as
Iraq, may be occupied or run as a colony or protectorate. States can also "fail
" - their governing institutions collapse due to civil war and internal strife (
as in Somalia) or because the state has little authority outside the capital cit
y (Afghanistan). While globalization and regional integration (like the European
Union) challenge the state's powers, the state is still the dominant arena of d
omestic politics as well as the primary actor in international relations.
States may be classified as sovereign if they are not dependent on, or subject t
o any other power or state. Other states are subject to external sovereignty or
hegemony where ultimate sovereignty lies in another state.[1][19] Many states ar
e federated states which participate in a federal union. A federated state is a
territorial and constitutional community forming part of a federation.[20] Such
states differ from sovereign states, in that they have transferred a portion of
their sovereign powers to a federal government.[1]
A state can be distinguished from a government. The government is the particular
group of people, the administrative bureaucracy that controls the state apparat
us at a given time.[21][22][23] That is, governments are the means through which
state power is employed. States are served by a continuous succession of differ
ent governments.[23] States are immaterial and nonphysical social objects, where
as governments are groups of people with certain coercive powers.[24]
Each successive government is composed of a specialized and privileged body of i
ndividuals, who monopolize political decision-making, and are separated by statu
s and organization from the population as a whole. Their function is to enforce
existing laws, legislate new ones, and arbitrate conflicts. In some societies, t
his group is often a self-perpetuating or hereditary class. In other societies,
such as democracies, the political roles remain, but there is frequent turnover
of the people actually filling the positions.[25]