Statehood, Sovereignty and Self-Determination Concepts

Basic concepts of statehood and of the authority a state holds. An entry belongs here when its cited source describes what a state is, who holds supreme authority within it, or when a people may decide its own political status. The state is the organization that holds authority over a territory and its population, sovereignty is supreme authority within that territory and independence from outside control, and self-determination is the claim of a people to decide its own political status and form of government. The group places these three linked concepts side by side.