Country within a country: how to understand it?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

Strange as it may sound, but in the modern world there are quite a lot of paradoxes when you can meet such concepts as "a state within a state" and "a country within a country". The difference between them is quite significant. Now we will try to see how a state within a state (a country within another) can exist and be governed.

The concept of enclaves and semi-enclaves

To begin with, it is worth clearly delimiting the basic concepts. As a rule, states or countries located in the territorial affiliation of other countries are called enclaves (so far, there is no question of what constitutes the supremacy of state power within a country). From the point of view of territorial dependence, vivid examples are countries like San Marino, surrounded on all sides by Italy, and Lesotho, a country completely surrounded by South Africa.

In general, this concept comes from the Latin inclavare or from the French term enclave, which inliterally translated means "locking with a key".

Semi-enclaves are countries that have access to the sea, but are surrounded on all other sides by other states. These include Portugal, Brunei, etc.

On the other hand, if we approach the issue of local self-government, often some states may not be subject to the general laws of the countries in which they are located. Most often it is associated with religious activities. However, even in this case, a country within a country may have an official or unofficial status and even full or partial independence.

Religious considerations

As far as religion is concerned, there are two most striking examples. This is the Vatican (an independent state) and Christiania in the region of the Danish capital Copenhagen - Christianshavn - with a semi-legal status. Sometimes it is also called so: Free City of Christiania.

Of course, the Order of M alta could also be classified as an enclave, but in this case, the distinction by status or self-government is very conditional, so it should not be confused with the state of M alta itself. It is rather a non-governmental organization, even without a territorial affiliation.

Vatican

The Vatican, as you know, is an independent state inside the country of Italy, more precisely, inside its capital - the city of Rome. It is clear that the borders here practically do not exist. Another thing is that in the Vaticanrestricted access at certain times.

Religiously speaking, the Vatican is the seat of the Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church. This world's smallest state does not obey Italian laws, although there is much in common between them. However, the Vatican has its own army, police, etc.

Christiania

Now a few words about Christiania. This country is within a country, and its independence exists purely conditionally, so to speak, in a semi-legal form.

It is believed that here their own laws and orders, and the country itself, if you can call it that, is not officially recognized by Denmark. Another thing is that tourists peck at such exotic things the most.

Sadest of all, despite some religious considerations, the main street called Pusher Street has an active soft drug trade, but there are bans on photography, hard drugs, bulletproof vests, weapons and cars. In addition, theft is prohibited here. Agree, such a double-edged sword.

It would seem that what can be common between drugs and Christians? After all, the canons of the Church clearly indicate the prohibition. Rather, it resembles not even a state, but a certain society of individuals, fenced off from reality and professing individual freedom, as hippies did in the 60s of the last century.

San Marino

San Marino is the smallest officially recognized country within the country. As for the laws, yes, they have their own here, but hereIf we talk about borders, then, as is already clear, there are none at all. According to the laws of the European Union, free movement is carried out within it without any passport control.

This country is headed by two captains-regents, elected for six months (from April 1 to October 1 and from October 1 to April 1). Although they are heads of state, nevertheless, it also has a parliament of 60 deputies, represented in the form of a Grand General Council. By the way, despite its small population, this country even has seven political parties within the country, and the Board of Guarantees of Constitutional Norms oversees compliance with the law.

Lesotho

Another striking example of a country completely located on the territory of another state can be called Lesotho. This country is surrounded on all sides by the territory of South Africa.

Despite this, there is a constitutional monarchy, the head of which is the king. This decision was made in 1993. As is already clear, in the event of the absence, illness or death of the monarch, the regent rules the state. But the king himself is more of a purely ceremonial person than having real power, which is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister, the bicameral parliament and the National Assembly, which performs the functions of the executive.

Conclusion

We have given only the most striking examples of pure enclaves that differ in principlesterritorial affiliation, according to their own canons of building a state system, as well as the adoption and observance of constitutional norms.

Of course, states like Christiania can be called just some conventions, since in fact they are not recognized either by the countries where they declared independence, or by the world community. From the point of view of a scientific approach, one should clearly understand the existing difference between real enclaves and pseudo-states that appear in the world almost every year.