stadsstat

A city-state, or stadsstat in Swedish, is a political unit that consists of a single urban center and the surrounding territory that it governs as an independent sovereign state. The city serves as the seat of political authority and economic life, while maintaining sovereignty over its hinterland. City-states are typically small in territorial extent and population, but they possess a high degree of urban autonomy and self-government.

Historically, city-states were common in various regions. In ancient Greece, Athens, Sparta, and other poleis operated as independent political entities with their own laws and institutions. During the medieval and Renaissance periods, Italian city-states such as Venice, Genoa, Milan, and Florence gained power through commerce, banking, and naval strength, often operating as republics or oligarchies with distinctive diplomatic practices. The common thread across these examples is a strong urban center that exercises political sovereignty over nearby lands.

In the modern era, the concept survives in a few sovereign urban polities. Singapore is a contemporary example of a city-state that is a full sovereign state with its own government and international autonomy. Monaco and Vatican City are smaller, highly urbanized city-states that function as independent states centered on a city or principality.

City-states differ from larger nation-states by their compact geography and strong emphasis on urban governance, trade networks, and civilian institutions. Their historical role influenced the development of diplomacy, municipal law, and urban autonomy, even as the rise of centralized nation-states reduced the prevalence of independent city-states.