Constituent country

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Constituent country is a phrase sometimes used in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity. The term constituent country does not have any defined legal meaning, and is used simply to refer to a country which is a part (i.e. a constituent) of something else.

Contents

[edit] Denmark

Main articles: Kingdom of Denmark and Rigsfællesskabet

The Kingdom of Denmark consists of three constituent parts, each part sometimes referred to as a country:

However, this terminology is not consistent. The Faroes are also referred to as a "self-governing territory" or similar by (e.g.) the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands[3] and the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[4] Similarly, the Danish Government also refers to Greenland as an "autonomous province"[5] and neither of the laws forming Greenland's constitution refer to Greenland as a country.[6]

[edit] France

Main article: Overseas country of France

French regions (e.g., Pays d'Auge, Pays de la Loire, and Pays de Caux) often bear the appellation pays ("land"), which is sometimes also used in reference to other nations (e.g., Pays-Bas is the French name of the Netherlands).

In 2004, the French overseas collectivity of French Polynesia was legally designated as a pays d'outre-mer au sein de la République.[7] Although some translated this as an "overseas country inside the Republic",[8] the Constitutional Council of France ruled that this was merely a change of appellation and did not represent a constitutional change in legal status.[9]

[edit] Germany and Austria

The states of Germany and of Austria are referred to as Bundesländer ("Federal Lands") and Gliedstaaten ("Member States") in German, a usage implying their former sovereignty in a manner parallel to the American use of "states" (German: Bundesstaaten and Gliedstaaten). However, they are never considered countries in their own right and are referred to as Bundesländer or terms such as "states" in other languages to avoid confusion.

[edit] Netherlands

Main article: Kingdom of the Netherlands

As of 10 October 2010, the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four countries:[10]

Each is expressly designated as a land in Dutch law by the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[11] Unlike the German and Austrian bundesländer, landen is consistently translated as "countries" by the Dutch government.[12][13][14]

[edit] New Zealand

Main article: Realm of New Zealand

The Realm of New Zealand consists of three parts usually referred to as countries:

However, the Constitutions of the Cook Islands[18] and of Niue[19] do not describe either as a country, nor do the New Zealand Acts which brought those constitutions into force.[20][21]

[edit] Soviet Union

Main article: Republics of the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was a Union of the free associate Soviet Socialist Republics, by constitution, in reality the Union was represented as a single uniform state.

Map of the Union Republics from 1956-1991
Republics of the USSR.svg
Soviet
socialist
republic		 member
since		 population
(1989)
 pop./
USSR pop.
(%)		 area
(km²)
(1991)		 area/
USSR area
(%)		 capital

 independent
state
 No.
Flag of Russian SFSR Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic 1922 &10000000147386000000000147,386,000 &1000000000000005139999951.40 &1000000001707540000000017,075,400 &1000000000000007662000076.62 Moscow  Russia 1
Flag of Ukrainian SSR Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic 1922 &1000000005170674600000051,706,746 &1000000000000001803000018.03 &10000000000603700000000603,700 &100000000000000027100002.71 Kiev
(Kharkov before 1934)		  Ukraine 2
Flag of Uzbekistan SSR Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic 1924 &1000000001990600000000019,906,000 &100000000000000069400006.94 &10000000000447400000000447,400 &100000000000000020099992.01 Tashkent
(Samarkand before 1930)		  Uzbekistan 4
Flag of Kazakhstan SSR Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic 1936 &1000000001671190000000016,711,900 &100000000000000058300005.83 &100000000027273000000002,727,300 &1000000000000001224000012.24 Alma-Ata  Kazakhstan 5
Flag of Belarusian SSR Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic 1922 &1000000001015180600000010,151,806 &100000000000000035400003.54 &10000000000207600000000207,600 &100000000000000009300000.93 Minsk  Belarus 3
Flag of Azerbaijan SSR Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic 1936 &100000000070379000000007,037,900 &100000000000000024500002.45 &1000000000008660000000086,600 &100000000000000003900000.39 Baku  Azerbaijan 7
Flag of Georgian SSR Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic 1936 &100000000054008410000005,400,841 &100000000000000018799991.88 &1000000000006970000000069,700 &100000000000000003100000.31 Tbilisi  Georgia 6
Flag of Tajikistan SSR Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic 1929 &100000000051120000000005,112,000 &100000000000000017800001.78 &10000000000143100000000143,100 &100000000000000006400000.64 Dushanbe  Tajikistan 12
Flag of Moldovan SSR Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic 1940 &100000000043376000000004,337,600 &100000000000000015100001.51 &1000000000003384300000033,843 &100000000000000001500000.15 Kishinev  Moldova 9
Flag of Kyrgyzstan SSR Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic 1936 &100000000042578000000004,257,800 &100000000000000014800001.48 &10000000000198500000000198,500 &100000000000000008900000.89 Frunze  Kyrgyzstan 11
Flag of Lithuanian SSR Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic 1940 &100000000036897790000003,689,779 &100000000000000012900001.29 &1000000000006520000000065,200 &100000000000000002900000.29 Vilnius  Lithuania 8
Flag of Turkmenistan SSR Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic 1924 &100000000035227000000003,522,700 &100000000000000012299991.23 &10000000000488100000000488,100 &100000000000000021899992.19 Ashkhabad  Turkmenistan 14
Flag of Armenian SSR Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic 1936 &100000000032877000000003,287,700 &100000000000000011499991.15 &1000000000002980000000029,800 &100000000000000001300000.13 Yerevan  Armenia 13
Flag of Latvian SSR Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic 1940 &100000000026665670000002,666,567 &100000000000000009300000.93 &1000000000006458900000064,589 &100000000000000002900000.29 Riga  Latvia 10
Flag of Estonian SSR Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic 1940 &100000000015656620000001,565,662 &100000000000000005500000.55 &1000000000004522600000045,226 &100000000000000002000000.20 Tallinn  Estonia 15
  The annexation of the Baltic republics in 1940 was and is considered as illegal occupation, which has never been recognized by a number of Western countries, including the United States and European international organizations like the European Union.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] The Soviet Union officially recognized their secession on September 6, 1991, prior to its final dissolution.

[edit] United Kingdom

Constituent countries of the UK.
Main articles: Countries of the United Kingdom and History of the formation of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is generally considered to comprise four countries:[30][31][32][33]

However, the kingdom itself is a unitary one and not a personal union: properly speaking, the principality of Wales ceased to exist in 1542, the kingdoms of England and Scotland in 1707, and the kingdom of Ireland in 1800 (or 1953[34]). Further, the word country does not always appear in the acts of union which established the modern nation. The term can be particularly controversial when applied to Northern Ireland, which was created when Ireland was partitioned in 1921.

Northern Ireland had a devolved parliament from 1921–73 and an assembly from 1973–74 and from 1982–86. After referenda in Wales and Scotland in 1997, new devolved governments were created in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland[35] but not England, which remains directly under Parliament.

At sporting events such as rugby union, an alternate title, Home Nations is used, which in these contexts can include Ireland as a whole.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ The West Nordic Council. website. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  2. ^ Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Factsheet Denmark: Greenland.
  3. ^ Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands. "About the Faroe Islands". Retrieved 8 March 2011
  4. ^ Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Factsheet Denmark – the Faroes.
  5. ^ Danish Government.[dubious – discuss] "Denmark in Brief".
  6. ^ The "Act on Greenland Self-Government 2008" refers to Greenland as a "people" and the "Greenland Home Rule Act 1978" referred to Greenland as a "community".
  7. ^ "Loi organique n°2004-192 du 27 février 2004" (in (French)). Legifrance.gouv.fr. http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000005765456&dateTexte=vig. Retrieved 2011-12-18. 
  8. ^ Regions and territories: French Polynesia BBC, 11 December 2010, retrieved 8 March 2011
  9. ^ "Décision n° 2004-490 DC du 12 février 2004". Conseil-constitutionnel.fr. http://www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr/conseil-constitutionnel/francais/les-decisions/acces-par-date/decisions-depuis-1959/2004/2004-490-dc/decision-n-2004-490-dc-du-12-fevrier-2004.892.html. Retrieved 2011-12-18. 
  10. ^ "Netherlands Antilles no more - Stabroek News - Guyana". Stabroek News. 2010-10-09. http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/news/regional/10/09/netherlands-antilles-no-more/. Retrieved 2011-12-18. 
  11. ^ "Article 1 of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands". Lexius.nl. http://lexius.nl/statuut-voor-het-koninkrijk-der-nederlanden/artikel1. Retrieved 2011-12-18. 
  12. ^ "Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations -Aruba". English.minbzk.nl. 2003-01-24. http://english.minbzk.nl/subjects/aruba-and-the. Retrieved 2011-12-18. 
  13. ^ St Martin News Network 18 November 2010
  14. ^ "Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations - New Status". English.minbzk.nl. 2009-10-01. http://english.minbzk.nl/subjects/aruba-and-the/new-status-for-the/@122971/10-10-10-end-of-the. Retrieved 2011-12-18. 
  15. ^ Cook Islands Government. "The Cook Islands Government Online". Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  16. ^ Australian Government. "AusAid". Retrieved 8 March 2008.
  17. ^ Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. "Niue". Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  18. ^ "Constitution of the Cook Islands".
  19. ^ "Constitution of Niue".
  20. ^ "New Zealand legislation - Cook Islands".
  21. ^ "New Zealand legislation - Niue".
  22. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Latvia; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
  23. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EU; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
  24. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Court; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
  25. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named UN; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
  26. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named USA; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
  27. ^ European parliament: Resolution on the situation in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (No C 42/78) (1983). Official Journal of the European Communities. European Parliament. 
  28. ^ Aust, Anthony (2005). Handbook of International Law. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521530347. 
  29. ^ Ziemele, Ineta (2005). State Continuity and Nationality: The Baltic States and Russia. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 90-04-14295-9. 
  30. ^ Number 10.gov.uk. "Countries within a Country."[dead link]
  31. ^ Office for National Statistics. "Glossary".
  32. ^ Statistics.gov.uk. "2001 British Census".[dead link]
  33. ^ British Embassy in the United States of America. "Countries in the UK".[dead link]
  34. ^ The year Elizabeth II ceased to be styled Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, &c. and was instead styled Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, &c. See: Titles of Elizabeth II.
  35. ^ Although this Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended on several occasions, including from 2002 – 2007.
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