I see a lot of people saying that countries like Israel, Latvia, Belgium and Dubai are not real countries, but how are they not? They seem to meet the threshold. How are they any less real then any other country?
I see a lot of people saying that countries like Israel, Latvia, Belgium and Dubai are not real countries, but how are they not? They seem to meet the threshold. How are they any less real then any other country?
It has to do with recognition. For instance, Sealand meets all of the requirements: a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government, and the capacity to engage in relations with other states (I believe this is codified somewhere in the UN’s laws and policies).
But, most places don’t consider Sealand a real country because other countries don’t officially recognize it. Which is kind of weird to think, that being a country is like being a popular girl: if the other popular girls say you’re a popular girl, then you are. If they decide you’re not, then you’re not.
So, while there is a quantified threshold, the de facto rule is whether other countries recognize you. It’s also similar for honorific titles.