Sovereign state

A sovereign state is a country with borders where people live, and where a government makes laws and talks to other sovereign states. The people have to follow the laws that the government makes. Most sovereign states are made up of a singular country and nation. However, some states such as the United Kingdom are made up of multiple countries.

Most sovereign states are recognized which means other sovereign states agree that it is really a sovereign state. Being recognized makes it easier for a sovereign state to talk to and make agreements (treaties) with other sovereign states. There are hundreds of recognized sovereign states today - see List of sovereign states