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Characteristics or Features of a States
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| Characteristics or Features of a States
Population or people: A state must be inhabited by people who may have homogenous (same or common culture) or heterogenous characteristics (diverse culture). People constitute an indispensable part of the because the main purpose of a state is service to the people. There is no minimum, maximum or standardize population requirement for the establishment of a state. Defined Territory: A state must possess a definite territory which separates it from the marked territories or boundaries of other neighbouring states. Similarly, there is no limit to the size of the territory which a state can occupy. For instances, while some smaller states may have between units of tens of thousands kilometers square e.g. Luxembourg, Gambia, Equitorial Guinea and Ghana, other bigger states may have a territorial site in the range of tens of million Kilometers square e.g., China, India, USA and Canada. Government: Government acts as the pivot or an indispensable machinery of the state through which the goals and aspirations of the state are performed and realized. If a state must continue to exist, there must be an established government to firmly direct and control its affairs, otherwise, the absence of a government in a state automatically leads to anarchy or a state of lawlessness. Sovereignty: This is also one of the essential features or attributes of a state. Sovereignty means the legal supreme power of a state to make and enforce laws within its territory using the necessary available Coercive instrument of the state without any external influence or control. However, it must be noted that a country that possesses all the other characteristics of a state and yet lacks sovereignty is not a state. Recognition: A state must be recognized and respected both within and outside her shores. This simply means that both the citizens of state and other states within the international community must be ready to respect and recognize her sovereign status or position. Permanence or Continuity: A state is said to be relatively permanent. Permanent because under the modern political arrangement, a state may collapse, disintegrate or split and this may lead to the emergence of other states from the parent body. For example, what we used to know as USSR has since 1994 splitted into fragmented states of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Croatia, Russia, etc. Nigeria too almost had a similar experience in 1967 civil war when the eastern part of the country threatened to break away from the Nigerian state and form a state of Biafra under the leadership of Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu. Download 418.5 Kb. Share with your friends:
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