Requirements for Nation State

A territory is “a geographical region, such as a colonial possession, that is dependent on an external authority” in its wide definition, but it is “a geographic region, such as a colonial possession, that is dependent on an external government” in its narrower sense. In most countries, a territory is an organised division of an area controlled by a country that has not been formally evolved into, or absorbed into, a political unit of the country with equal status to other political units referred to as “provinces,” “regions,” or “states.” In international politics, a territory is usually either the complete area from which a claim is made or the area from which a claim is made.

. The extent of a state’s territory can range from 17 million km2 in Russia to 2 km2 in the principality of Monaco. The specific state’s territory must  and should have reasonably defined boundaries. Border disputes do not always exclude the formation of states; for example, India and Pakistan both exist as states despite their long-standing territorial dispute in Kashmir. The refusal to specify the bounds of a state is not fatal to its existence; Israel has refused to set maximum limitations on its claims to Palestinian territory, but there is no dispute that Israel is a state. The fact that territory is attacked or invaded by an aggressor has no bearing on whether or not it will be destroyed.

Government – The existence of a government in charge of territory and population is required for statehood. It has to be efficient. The government’s level of control is likely to have an impact on a state’s long-term viability. The government’s structure and legitimacy are only relevant to this issue. The Montevideo Convention does not require a democratic or legitimate government. The government does not have to wield complete control. Civil war may pose a major threat to efficient government, yet the state, as in Libya in 2011 and Syria in 2012, still exists under international law.

The following are some examples of different sorts of territory:

• Territorial capital

• Territorial dependency

A geographical area claimed by two or more hostile governments is known as disputed territory. The territory of Kashmir, for example, is claimed by both India and Pakistan; each country involved in the issue claims the entire territory as a part of its existing state. Another example is the Republic of China (often referred to as “Taiwan”), whose sovereignty is disputed by the People’s Republic of China, which claims territory.

• Federal jurisdiction

• Maritime jurisdiction

Occupied territory is a place that is under the military authority of a foreign power that does not have universal international recognition. Crimea, which is occupied by Russia; East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank, which are all occupied by Israel; and Western Sahara, which is partially occupied by Morocco. Other examples of occupied territory include Kuwait after Iraq attacked it briefly in 1990, Iraq after the American invasion in 2003, Germany after WWII, and Kosovo after 1999.

Territorial jurisdiction

Unorganised territory is a stretch of land that lacks a “typically” organised administration. This does not imply that the territory has no government or that it is ungoverned.

Unorganised territory is a stretch of land that lacks a “typically” organised administration. This does not imply that the region is without a government or that it is unclaimed. Such lands are always lightly populated in practise.

A capital territory, also known as a federal capital territory, is a specially defined territory that houses a country’s seat of government. As a result, no single state or territory has primacy in the federal government because the capital is located within its borders. A capital territory is a particular type of federal district.

Canberra, Australia’s capital, is part of the Australian Capital Territory, which was previously known as the FCT.

The Territory of the National Capital Unorganized territory is a stretch of land that lacks a “typically” organised administration. This does not imply that the region is without a government or that it is unclaimed. Such lands are always lightly populated in practise.

A permanent population

As a person of international law, a state must have the following characteristics: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined area; (c) government; and (d) the ability to engage in international relations.

Permanent population – term refers to a population that is permanently attached to a specific piece of land. The population needs to remain somewhat stable. It was established in Western Sahara Advisory Opinion ICJ Rep 1975, 12 that nomadic tribes qualified as a state because they had ties to the specific land. The population does not have to be indigenous, and the level of social and cultural cohesiveness required is unknown. In practise, the majority of a state’s population will be its’nationals,’ who have the right to vote.

Population Density

It refers to the entire population of a given land region. Typically, population density is estimated using the permanent resident population and indicates the population density. It’s usually measured in terms of people per square kilometre. The formula is as follows:

Population density = permanent resident population/ total area of land

Birth rate (or Crude Birth Rate)

 It refers to the ratio of births to the average population (or mid-period population) over a specific time period (typically a year), expressed as In this chapter, the term “birth rate” refers to the annual birth rate.

Death rate 

 It refers to the ratio of the number of deaths to the average population (or mid-period population) during a certain period of time (usually a year), expressed in % Death rate in the chapter refers to annual death rate. 

Fertility Rate in General

refers to the overall birth rate of women aged 15 to 49 for a given time period, as indicated in data. It actually refers to the number of children a typical woman between the ages of 15 and 49 has.

Ratio of Gross Dependency

refers to the proportion of youngsters aged 0-14 years old and the elderly population aged 65 and up to the working-age population aged 15 to 64 years old. It represents the amount of non-working-age people who will be cared for by every 100 working-age people.

Conclusion

In this article we have discussed the basic definition of territory and it’s function in the country. We have seen the permanent population and birth rate ,death rate, population density etc. We have also seen the concept of entering into relationships with other countries on how to maintain a healthy relationship with neighbouring countries. After reading this article we will know all the concept of territory and topics associated with it.