GEOG 1014 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Equal Voice, Direct Democracy, Biological Warfare
Document Summary
Sovereign states are distinct geographic areas that have been politically and legally defined. They are owned and operated by the government of those places. The u. s. is one of the oldest sovereign states, but not one of the youngest states. Similar ethnic groups identified with each other, rather than with territory. State: legally defined territory that has been recognized by other states; 193 states in the world. Nation: group of people who share a common culture. Nation-state: people who share a common culture and rule themselves in a defined political area. The basque of northern spain is a good example. The only thing you really need to become a state is sovereignty. Sovereignty: the quality of having supreme independent authority over a territory. You prove you have sovereignty by being able to kill your own citizens without any repercussions and having defendability and/or a strong ally.
