États

États, or states, are political communities characterized by a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. These features establish sovereignty—the supreme authority within the territory and the autonomy to conduct foreign policy. In international law, the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (1933) is frequently cited as outlining four criteria for statehood: a defined territory, a permanent population, an effective government, and the ability to engage in international relations. While these criteria are widely used, recognition by other states and membership in international organizations influence a state's practical ability to operate on the world stage.

States can be organized in different ways. Unitary states concentrate power in a central government, while federal states allocate authority to subnational units (for example, states or provinces) within a central framework. The term "state" also refers to subnational entities within federal countries, such as the states of the United States or the Länder in Germany. A distinction is often drawn between "the state" as a sovereign actor and "a nation" as a cultural or ethnic community; many political units are nation-states, while others are multiethnic empires, federations, or stateless nations.

Not all political communities possess statehood. Microstates (very small, sovereign states) and entities with limited recognition or contested sovereignty illustrate the complexities of statehood in modern international politics.