Constituent state
Encyclopedia
A constituent state, constituent entity, or constituent part, is a territorial and constitution
al entity forming part of a sovereign state
. A constituent state holds administrative jurisdiction over a defined geographic territory and is a form of regional government.
under a federal government
are more specifically known as federated states.
that are not federated but enjoy a greater degree of autonomy
or self-government than others within the same country can be considered constituent states of a larger sovereign state. This relationship is called a federacy
. Autonomous republics like Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan
and Crimea
in Ukraine
are examples.
States existing in free association
with another can be considered constituent states of a sovereign entity. For example, the Cook Islands
, New Zealand
and Niue
constitute the three constituent entities of the Realm of New Zealand
, united under a single head of state
, which is the Queen of New Zealand.
sovereignty
remains in dispute.
region consists of a number of breakaway and autonomous republic
s in addition to the states of Armenia
, Azerbaijan
and Georgia
recognised by the United Nations
.
The breakaway republics of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia
, which have effectively maintained independence since declaration, are considered constituent republics of Georgia by the majority of world governments. The republic of Nagorno-Karabakh
, which is also independent in effect, is considered by the United Nations to be a constituent entity of Azerbaijan.
, which is recognised as a sovereign state only by Turkey
. Both entities are given the title of constituent state of Cyprus by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Annan Plan
for reuniting Cyprus consistently used the term constituent state to refer to each entity.
at present, which is divided between the governments of Israel
and the State of Palestine
. It has also been used to label both states in proposals for federal solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
.
in Somalia
, the Somali
country is now divided into a number of constituent states with varying degrees of independence from the Transitional Federal Government
.
The breakaway republic of Somaliland
in the north, which maintains de facto independence over its territory, is still regarded by member states of the United Nations as a constituent state of Somalia
despite its declaration of independence
in 1991. The states of Puntland
and Galmudug
in central Somalia retain control over their own territories with little oversight from the TFG, which is based in Mogadishu
in the south. The administrations in these states have stated that, unlike Somaliland, they do not seek outright independence
from Somalia, and are merely maintaining stability until such a time when the transitional government can effectively implement its constitution within the states.
In the south and in opposition to the central government are regions
administered by various Islamic
insurgent groups
, most notably Hizbul Islam and al-Shabaab
, both of which seek to establish Sharia law within the country.
has unilaterally declared independence from the Republic of Serbia
in early 2008.
is divided into sixteen administrative division
s termed "states
", which were before 1984 called municipalities. The change in terminology reflects the fact that these divisions are afforded a larger degree of autonomy than before, with each state having its own constitution. As a unitary republic, however, the government of Palau is centralised
and these divisions exist solely to establish regional government; they are not united in a federal union.
, or Burma, presently operates as a unitary state, with sovereignty confined within the central government. Burma comprises a number of "states", which exist alongside the country's regional divisions. Both "states" and "divisions" can be described as ethnically-defined; while the Bamar
remain predominant within divisions, the states are mostly dominated by minority groups.
In terms of politics, the use of the term "state" in this context is largely historical, with a number of these states having been united in various federal unions during the British
colonial period. At present, most states are afforded a greater degree of autonomy than other divisions. Political separatism in many states is rampant, and territory controlled by the central government in these cases is limited. In these cases, jurisdiction within a state is mostly confined to its respective regional government.
In addition, various proposals have been made for instituting federalism
in Burma, which would allow these states to implement individual constitutions.
over which a devolved
government has been granted regional jurisdiction by and under a larger sovereign government. For example, Greenland
is a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark
, with its own government in place and little oversight from the Danish government.
to refer to member states. It is also used to refer to sovereign states in bilateral
negotiations or agreements between two or more states.
The term was also applied to former Soviet Republic
s within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
al entity forming part of a sovereign state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
. A constituent state holds administrative jurisdiction over a defined geographic territory and is a form of regional government.
Federated entities
Constituent entities united in a federal unionFederation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
under a federal government
Federal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
are more specifically known as federated states.
Within a federacy
Administrative unitsAdministrative division
An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...
that are not federated but enjoy a greater degree of autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
or self-government than others within the same country can be considered constituent states of a larger sovereign state. This relationship is called a federacy
Federacy
A federacy is a form of government where one or several substate units enjoy considerably more independence than the majority of the substate units. To some extent, such an arrangement can be considered as similar to asymmetric federalism.-Description:...
. Autonomous republics like Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
and Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
are examples.
States existing in free association
Associated state
An associated state is the minor partner in a formal, free relationship between a political territory with a degree of statehood and a nation, for which no other specific term, such as protectorate, is adopted...
with another can be considered constituent states of a sovereign entity. For example, the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
constitute the three constituent entities of the Realm of New Zealand
Realm of New Zealand
The Realm of New Zealand is the entire area in which the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state. The Realm comprises New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency in Antarctica, and is defined by a 1983 Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General of New...
, united under a single head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, which is the Queen of New Zealand.
Breakaway states
The term can also be applied as an alternative to formal recognition of a secessionist state that has unilaterally declared independence, and whose de jureDe jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
remains in dispute.
The Caucasus
The South CaucasusSouth Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
region consists of a number of breakaway and autonomous republic
Autonomous republic
An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...
s in addition to the states of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
recognised by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
The breakaway republics of Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
and South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
, which have effectively maintained independence since declaration, are considered constituent republics of Georgia by the majority of world governments. The republic of Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, which is also independent in effect, is considered by the United Nations to be a constituent entity of Azerbaijan.
Cyprus
The country of Cyprus is divided between two independent political entities: the internationally-recognised Republic of Cyprus in the south, and the Turkish Republic of Northern CyprusTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus...
, which is recognised as a sovereign state only by Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Both entities are given the title of constituent state of Cyprus by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Annan Plan
Annan Plan for Cyprus
The Annan Plan was a United Nations proposal to resolve the Cyprus dispute, reuniting the breakaway Northern Cyprus with the Republic of Cyprus. The proposal was to restructure Cyprus as the "United Cyprus Republic", which would be a federation of two states. It was revised a number of times before...
for reuniting Cyprus consistently used the term constituent state to refer to each entity.
Palestine
The term constituent state can also be applied in describing the region of PalestinePalestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
at present, which is divided between the governments of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the State of Palestine
State of Palestine
Palestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...
. It has also been used to label both states in proposals for federal solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
.
Somalia
Because of the ongoing warSomali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, the Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
country is now divided into a number of constituent states with varying degrees of independence from the Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
.
The breakaway republic of Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
in the north, which maintains de facto independence over its territory, is still regarded by member states of the United Nations as a constituent state of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
despite its declaration of independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
in 1991. The states of Puntland
Puntland
Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....
and Galmudug
Galmudug
Galmudug is an autonomous region in central Somalia. It is bordered to its north by the Puntland region, to the west by Ethiopia, and to the south by other regions of Somalia.Galmudug's name is derived from a conflation of the Galguduud and Mudug provinces...
in central Somalia retain control over their own territories with little oversight from the TFG, which is based in Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
in the south. The administrations in these states have stated that, unlike Somaliland, they do not seek outright independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
from Somalia, and are merely maintaining stability until such a time when the transitional government can effectively implement its constitution within the states.
In the south and in opposition to the central government are regions
Regions of Somalia
Somalia is officially divided into eighteen administrative regions , which in turn are subdivided into districts. On a de facto basis, northern Somalia is now divided up among the autonomous states of Puntland and Somaliland...
administered by various Islamic
Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism refers to two related and partially overlapping but also distinct aspects of extremist interpretations and pursuits of Islamic ideology:...
insurgent groups
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
, most notably Hizbul Islam and al-Shabaab
Al-Shabaab (Somalia)
Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen , more commonly known as al-Shabaab , is a terrorist group of militants fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia. As of 2011, the group controls large swathes of the southern parts of Somalia, where it is said to have imposed its own strict form of Sharia law...
, both of which seek to establish Sharia law within the country.
Kosovo/Serbia
KosovoRepublic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
has unilaterally declared independence from the Republic of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in early 2008.
Palau
PalauPalau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
is divided into sixteen administrative division
Administrative division
An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...
s termed "states
States of Palau
Palau is divided into sixteen administrative regions, called states .-External links:**...
", which were before 1984 called municipalities. The change in terminology reflects the fact that these divisions are afforded a larger degree of autonomy than before, with each state having its own constitution. As a unitary republic, however, the government of Palau is centralised
Central government
A central government also known as a national government, union government and in federal states, the federal government, is the government at the level of the nation-state. The structure of central governments varies from institution to institution...
and these divisions exist solely to establish regional government; they are not united in a federal union.
Burma
Like Palau, the government of MyanmarMyanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, or Burma, presently operates as a unitary state, with sovereignty confined within the central government. Burma comprises a number of "states", which exist alongside the country's regional divisions. Both "states" and "divisions" can be described as ethnically-defined; while the Bamar
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
remain predominant within divisions, the states are mostly dominated by minority groups.
In terms of politics, the use of the term "state" in this context is largely historical, with a number of these states having been united in various federal unions during the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
colonial period. At present, most states are afforded a greater degree of autonomy than other divisions. Political separatism in many states is rampant, and territory controlled by the central government in these cases is limited. In these cases, jurisdiction within a state is mostly confined to its respective regional government.
In addition, various proposals have been made for instituting federalism
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
in Burma, which would allow these states to implement individual constitutions.
Constituent country
Another form of constituent entity is a countryCountry
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
over which a devolved
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
government has been granted regional jurisdiction by and under a larger sovereign government. For example, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
is a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark
Kingdom of Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark or the Danish Realm , is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting of Denmark proper in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. Denmark is the hegemonial part, where the...
, with its own government in place and little oversight from the Danish government.
Other uses
The term "constituent state" is sometimes also used to refer to member states of an international organisation. It is used within the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
to refer to member states. It is also used to refer to sovereign states in bilateral
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
negotiations or agreements between two or more states.
The term was also applied to former Soviet Republic
Republics of the Soviet Union
The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
s within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.