同胞 means 'compatriot' — a fellow citizen or person from the same country, especially used in political or collective contexts (e.g. overseas Chinese, cross-strait relations). It also means 'sibling (born of the same parents)' in a narrower, literal sense. Unlike 同类 (tóng lèi, same kind/category), which groups by type or trait, 同胞 emphasizes shared nationality or blood. 乡亲 (xiāng qīn) is more local, referring to people from the same village or hometown.