Sovereign State Law and Legal Definition
A sovereign state refers to a state that possesses full sovereignty over its affairs, existence, and territory. It is complete in itself. A sovereign state is recognized as being legitimate nation by the other major nations in the world. Major characteristics of a sovereign state are:
a. a defined territory on which the state exercises internal and external sovereignty;
b. a permanent population;
c. a government, not under the control of a foreign power;
d. independence from other states and powers; and
e. the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states.
