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.