あと (後) / にある question

[killerinsidee]

I have 2 questions:
1. 「このレポートはあとけつろんをかくばかりだ。」= The only thing left to do with this report is to write a conclusion. (from DBJG) I don't get the meaning of あと in this sentence.

2. 「この10年で初めての殺人事件以来、地元の住民は不安な緊張状態にある。」「自分は外国人として社内で独特の立場にあることを承知している。」「もっと良い状況にある人」and so on. (taken from alc)

While these sentences make sense to me just fine, the ある here has been bothering be for a bit. I'm wondering if this is the same "X(animate) Yにいる" meaning " X exists/is in Y". If it is that same "existence of animate objects" thing, then why is ある used instead or いる. Or it's something totally different and にある is not connected to the subject (地元の住民 and 自分 in the first examples) at all. From what I can tell, it seems to be used mainly for abstract meanings, like states, positions, etc.

There are some いる examples as well : 「私は考えられる中で最悪の状態にいる。」「私は自分が実際に誰かの人生を変えることができるという立場にいる。」The meaning appears to be the same as the sentences with ある (be in...), but there was very few examples on alc in comparison. I can't see why both are viable and ある is used more. I probably have the wrong idea about it.

Any explanations for these questions would be appreciated.

 

[Toritoribe]

1)

あと【後】
8 〔残り〕the rest
後は来月に支払っていただきます
Please pay the rest [remainder] next month.
もういい，後は分かる
That's enough. I can guess the rest.
後 (のこと) は私に任せなさい
I'll take care of the rest.／Leave the rest to me.

あと【後】の英語・英訳 - 和英辞書 - goo辞書

2)
Your undertanding "to be used mainly for abstract meanings, like states, positions, etc" is correct. In the first three examples, the subject that exists can be considered not a person/people themselves. It's more likely their state, position or situation, as in 住民の状態は緊張状態にある, 自分の立場は独特の立場にある or その人の状況がもっと良い状況にある人. That's why ある can be used here.

One of the reasons why いる seems less common than ある would be that ある also can be used for non-animated things (e.g. その国, その高校, 世界経済). Of course a few subtle differences exist among them, for instance, 状態 means "state" whereas 状況 is "situation" so 状態にいる is rarer than 状況にいる, or いる has an active nuance whereas ある is more passive, but they are basically intercangeable in those examples.

 

[killerinsidee]

Awesome, that explains a lot. Thanks.