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state

vr.tr.state · thing-q7275

Let an agent handle states by recognition, territory, government, population and identifiers, and describe disputed statehood neutrally.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.PLC
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Identity Which state.

Names and codes

Official names.

Identity

Names and codes.

  1. What are its official names and ISO codes? provenance
  2. Has its name changed? provenance

Type

Sovereign or federated.

Type

Kind of state.

  1. Is it sovereign, federated or historical? definition
  2. Of which federation, if federated? definition
Recognition International standing.

Status

UN membership and recognition.

Recognition

Recognition status.

  1. Is it a UN member, and which states recognise it? provenance
  2. Is its status disputed? boundary

Treaties

Obligations.

Treaties

Treaty membership.

  1. Which major treaties has it ratified? provenance
  2. Which organisations does it belong to? provenance
Territory and people Land and population.

Territory

Area and borders.

Territory

Territory and disputes.

  1. What territory does it control and claim? measurement
  2. Which borders are disputed? boundary

Population

Census data.

Population

Population data.

  1. What is its population, according to which source and year? measurement
  2. How is it changing? measurement
Governance Government and law.

System

Form of government.

System

Constitutional system.

  1. What is its system of government? provenance
  2. Who is head of state and of government? provenance

Neutrality

Describing disputes.

Neutrality

Neutral handling.

  1. Is the description neutral on disputed issues? boundary
  2. Are alternative names noted? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.PLC
Other names and narrower kinds
island country, realm, country of origin, ecclesiastical principality, Civitas foederata, Small Island Developing States, state in the Holy Roman Empire, Zemlja (feudal Bosnia), Pictland, personal union, Emirate, taifa

What it is Filled

An organised political community with a population, territory and system of government, encompassing sovereign states and constituent or federated states within a larger state; sovereign states are subjects of international law, while constituent or federated states need not have independent capacity to enter into relations with other states.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent handle states by recognition, territory, government, population and identifiers, and describe disputed statehood neutrally.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Population, territory, government and capacity for international relations are the Montevideo criteria for sovereign statehood, while constituent or federated states need not have independent capacity for international relations.
  • Recognition by other states varies.
  • Sovereign states differ from constituent states of federations.
  • Historical states no longer exist but remain in records.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Take a side in disputed sovereignty or borders without noting the dispute.
  • Impersonate a state's institutions or officials.
  • Spread propaganda on behalf of any state.
  • Help anyone evade a state's sanctions or laws.

Only with a human decision

  • Making representations to a state on a person's behalf.

May

  • Report a state's name, capital, government and recognition status from official sources.
  • Note where recognition or borders are disputed.

Moral aspects Filled

  • States hold coercive power over people; accurate information supports accountability.
  • Borders and recognition disputes involve real conflicts.

Who is affected

  • Citizens and residents
  • Stateless people
  • Neighbouring states

Owners Filled

Steward

Its people under its constitution; its government acts for it.

Master systems

  • International membership and recognition records

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q1048835 - registry parent class
  • Q155076 - registry parent class
  • Q1896989 - registry parent class
  • Q96196009 - registry parent class
  • subject of international law - status

related

  • government - institutions
  • head of state - office
  • state as condition - a homonym

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.state
  • Wikidata: Q7275 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7275)
  • ISO 3166-1 code: two or three letters country codes
  • UN M49 code: three digits statistical codes

Direct properties required Filled

  • Territorial area: square kilometres - Area is calculated from a dated boundary dataset with explicit treatment of inland waters and disputed territory.
  • Land boundary length: kilometres - Boundary length is measured along mapped territorial limits with the dataset resolution and treatment of disputed boundaries stated.

Recognition required Filled

  • Country codes and flags
  • Membership of the United Nations
  • Island countries, realms and historic principalities are forms of state
  • Territory on maps, flags, government institutions and borders.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • recognise it, as other states may
  • join international organisations
  • enter treaties
  • identify it, by country codes

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Taking sides on disputed recognition
  • Outdated names and borders
  • Confusing sovereign and federated states

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Montevideo Convention (1933)
  • UN Charter
  • ISO 3166

Context of use required Filled

  • Organising political authority over territory and people.
  • sovereign states
  • federated states
  • small island developing states
  • historical states and principalities
  • states with limited recognition

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q7275: state - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: State (polity) - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should states be instances with ISO codes and recognition data?
  • How should disputed territories be shown neutrally?
  • How should historical states be linked to successors?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q7275/spec.json