Characteristics of A State
What is a Nation?
• A particular geographic boundary within
which an organized government makes
and enforces law
• WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF A
HIGHER AUTHORITY
NO ONE TO ANSWER TO
GOVERNMENT
LOWER
GOVERNMENT
STATE, LOCAL
ETC.
TERRITORY
• Boundaries must be recognized
by other nations
POPULATION
• Yes, they must have people.
1 China 1,339,190,000
2 India 1,184,639,000
3 USA 309,975,000
4 Indonesia 234,181,400
188 Monaco 33,000
192 Nauru10,000
193 Vatican City800
SOVEREIGNTY
• THE RIGHT, POWER, AND AUTHORITY
TO GOVERN ITS OWN PEOPLE
• How does a nation get it?
• By Declaring It
GOVERNMENT
• UNITARY GOVERNMENT
• The unitary system gives the main
powers to the central government.
State, provincial, and local
governments are all created by the
central government. The noncentral governments have only the
powers that are appointed by the
central government.
EXAMPLES
France, Italy, Japan, and the
United Kingdom,
GOVERNMENT
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Unlike the unitary system, the federal system
develops when a number of states or
provinces federate, or form a union,
eventually in order to establish a nation. In a
government using the federal system, the
powers of the governments are jointly shared
between the central government and the
more local or regional governments (state,
providential, district, etc.)
EXAMPLES
The United States and Canada have
federal systems. Other countries that use
the federal plan include Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,
Germany, India, Mexico, and Switzerland.