Nationalisation (an alternative spelling is
nationalization) is the process of transforming private assets into public assets by bringing them under the
public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalisation usually refers to private assets or assets owned by lower levels of government, such as
municipalities, being transferred to the state. The opposites of nationalisation are
privatisation,
municipalisation and
demutualization. Industries that are usually subject to nationalisation include transport, communications, energy, banking and natural resources.