A country and a division may look alike on a map, yet one is a state and the other is not. Where is the difference? The answer is hidden in four elements, and one of them stands above the rest.
1. What a state is
The state is a political institution. By the book's count there are 195 states in the world, small and large together.
Professor Garner said: “An independent population permanently residing in a definite territory, allegiant to the organized government by nature and free from external enemies is called the state.”
2. The four elements
A state has four elements: definite territory, population, government and sovereignty. Take one away and there is no state. Let us look at them one by one.
3. Territory
Territory means a state's land, water and sky areas.
A territory can be small or large. The People's Republic of China, India, the United States and Canada are far larger than Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's territory has grown too. Under the land boundary agreement, the exchange of enclaves on 31 July 2015 added 10,050.61 acres of land. With the verdict of the maritime boundary case carried out, the maritime area grew by 19,467 sq. km; Bangladesh's sovereignty is now established over 1,18,813 sq. km of sea area.
4. Population
Population is an essential element of a state. But how many people it takes to make one, there is no fixed rule. Tap the book's three examples.
gridthere is no fixed rule
Population
state
population
year
Bangladesh
about 165 million
2022
India
about 1210 million
2011
Brunei
about 400,000
2015
Bangladesh. About 165 million, by the Population and Housing Census 2022.
India. About 1210 million, by the 2011 figure.
Brunei. About 400,000, by the 2015 figure. A state can exist with a population this small.
Still, according to political scientists, a state should have a population consistent with the resources it possesses.
5. Government
Government is an essential element of a state. No state can be formed without one, and all the activities of the state are carried out through it.
The government consists of three organs: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. Tap them in order of what they do.
in orderlaw first, enforcement after
Three organs
Which organ makes the law in the first place?
Yes. What comes next?
Not yet. With no law made, there is nothing to enforce and nothing to judge.
The legislature makes laws, the executive enforces them and governs, the judiciary punishes the guilty and establishes justice.
The formation of government is the same in every state, but the form differs. Bangladesh has parliamentary government; the United States has presidential government.
6. Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the most important and indispensable element of a state. It is the absolute, supreme and highest power of the state.
Sovereignty has two facets: internal and external. Through internal sovereignty the state enacts orders and directives inside the country and exercises authority over individuals and associations. Through external sovereignty the state keeps the country free from the control of outside powers.
sort theminside versus outside
Two facets of sovereignty
Pick up a chip, then drop it in a box. Ask: is this done inside the country, or against outside powers?
Right. Next one.
Not yet. What applies to the people and associations of the country is the inside facet.
All in place. Orders and authority inside, freedom from outside powers outside.
7. Which element is which, and what is a state
Now all four elements together. Drop each description into the element it belongs to.
sort themfour elements
Which element?
Pick up a chip, then drop it in a box.
Right. Next one.
Not yet. Ask: is this about land, people, the machinery of rule, or supreme power?
All in place. Issuing orders inside the country is also sovereignty, its internal facet.
Whether a region is a state is judged by these four elements. A region without sovereignty, such as a division or a province, is not a state. The book's task asks you to test West Bengal, Sri Lanka and Chattogram exactly this way.
Do the book's task right here. Pick a region and see which of the four pillars is missing. Then take one element away from Bangladesh.
test for a statepick a region, pull a pillar
a roof on four pillars
8. Check yourself
Three questions, in the book's words.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 1
What is the necessary feature of the population required for forming a state?
That is not the answer: It will be fixed. A state generally forms when a population resides permanently.
Right. A state generally forms when a population resides permanently.
That is not the answer: It will be an ethnic group. A state generally forms when a population resides permanently.
That is not the answer: It will speak the same language. A state generally forms when a population resides permanently.
Think the second one through.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 2
The territory of a state includes-
i. i. land area ii. ii. water area iii. iii. sky area
This combination does not match; the true statements are i, ii and iii. Territory comprises land, water and sky areas.
This combination does not match; the true statements are i, ii and iii. Territory comprises land, water and sky areas.
This combination does not match; the true statements are i, ii and iii. Territory comprises land, water and sky areas.
Right. Territory comprises land, water and sky areas.
The last question.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 3
What kind of institution is the state?
That is not the answer: Social. The state is a political institution.
Right. The state is a political institution.
That is not the answer: Religious. The state is a political institution.
That is not the answer: Economic. The state is a political institution.
The whole note on seven cards.
cut from the notetap to turn over
Seven cards
QuestionWhat are the four elements of a state?
AnswerDefinite territory, population, government and sovereignty.
QuestionWhat does territory comprise?
AnswerLand, water and sky areas.
QuestionAccording to the book, over how many sq. km of sea area is Bangladesh's sovereignty established?
Answer1,18,813 sq. km.
QuestionWhich three organs make up the government?
AnswerThe legislative, executive and judiciary.
QuestionWhat is the absolute, supreme and highest power of a state called?
AnswerSovereignty.
QuestionWhat are the two facets of sovereignty?
AnswerInternal and external.
QuestionHow do we check whether a region such as a division is a state?
AnswerBy testing the four elements, especially sovereignty; without sovereignty it is not a state.
Source: Civics and Citizenship, Classes 9-10 (NCTB), Chapter 1 “Civics and Citizenship”, the “The State” part.