What Are The Elements Of The State And Its Definition?

The state is an abstract institution that only exists if it is acknowledged by those who reside in it. The area the state covers is the first element. This includes the land, bodies of water, atmosphere and natural resources. The next element is the people who live within the state. The people within a state are bound by the laws. Sovereignty is another element, and its responsibility is to ensure the inhabitants abide by the law. The government, another element, is the institution who is responsible for ratifying laws and for being an outlet of opinions and beliefs held by the people.

The land is essential to form a state because it needed for containing all of the other elements. Resources such as agriculture, livestock, minerals, oil, natural gas, and forestry can be found on the land. These resources benefit the state because they supply the economy. The people are the most important element because they are the ones who create the state. They also maintain the resources, live on the land, and form the government.

Sovereignty is an abstract but necessary element of the state. The sovereign is only an authority if the majority of the people recognise it as one. The sovereign is different in every type of government. In police states, the police and/or military are the sovereign powers. In some countries, the monarch is the sovereign. Unfortunately, some people have to endure a dictator as the sovereign power. In true communism, the people are the sovereign power. Others elect their sovereign, or the sovereign is appointed by government members. Sometimes the court holds the sovereign power in a country. The government is linked to the sovereign because it creates the laws. All four elements are intertwined with each other, and all depend on each other to remain stable.

According to the Montevideo Convention (1933), a state must comprise of 4 essential elements:
1)Territory - A state cannot exist without territory. Territory refers to land, surrounding water upto 3 nautical miles, as well as the air above the land and water. Nomadic settlements did not possess any permanent territory. Hence, they cannot be called a state.

2)Population - A state fundamentally comprises of a permanent population over which it exercises its unlimited authority. The nature of the state depends upon the quality and quantity of its population. No ideal size of population can be stated. Aristotle stated "A population must be large enough to be self-sufficient, but small enough to be well-governed." A good population makes a good state; a bad one, a bad state.

3)Government - It is a body of a few people who administer the population and are meant to express the will of the state. The government has limited power, as opposed to the state's unlimited authority. The government is subject to change and is bound to obey will of the people as well as state. To equate the Government with State is a dangerous, yet common mistake.

4)Sovereignity - It is the soul of a state. It implies that the state is independent from external interference, as well as can maintain integrity within itself. India could not be referred to as a state prior to 1947, as it did not have an independent government.

According to Kelson:a community to be recognized as an international person must possess the following essentials:
1)Population
2)Government
3)Sovereignty
4)Territory

Most popular form of government of the world today

The elements are citizens