We explain what the national territory is, its elements, conformation and other characteristics. Also, provincial territories.
What is the national territory?
The national territory It is the geographical space that belongs to a specific nation and over which it exercises its sovereignty. That is, the entire portion of the earth's surface that is within the borders of a country constitutes its territory.
All those territories subject to its law (such as colonies and extraterritorial possessions) or to its jurisdiction (such as embassies, consultees, and warships) are also part of the national territory. Each national territory is under the management and authority of the State in charge of administering it, and normally the exercise of said authority is entrusted to the armed forces of each country.
Thus, the State administers the right to enter or leave the country, the economic activities that are carried out in the territory, the transportation dynamics that exist in it, etc. Similarly, the interference without consent of the forces of one State in the national territory of another is usually considered aggression and a cause of war.
There is also a specific use of this term, in the case of the legislation of some countries, such as Argentina, Colombia or the United States, according to which a national territory or national territories are lower-ranking political-administrative instances within the organization. of the State.
In the latter case, these are portions of territory considered “subnational”, that is, subject to the discretion of the nation despite not actually being part of the State. Such was, for example, the case of the Argentine Patagonian region, inhabited by indigenous peoples, between 1853 and the middle of the 20th century.
Characteristics of the national territory
The national territories are characterized by the following:
- They are portions of the earth's surface administered politically, economically and legally by a sovereign State that is, for a country.
- have delimited borders and adjacent to foreign borders, which delimit where the national territory begins and ends.
- Generally can be alienated without this implying the cessation of its geographical belonging to a nation: a house is private property, but it is still located in a specific country, nor subject to the laws by which it is governed.
- not only cover land geography, but also maritime and aerial geography.
Elements of the national territory
Every national territory consists of:
- A terrestrial space which includes both the soil and the subsoil (up to the center of the earth, proportionally), enclosed between the national borders, encompassing the lakes and rivers that exist within it, and also the soil and subsoil of the islands that are part of the territory.
- A maritime space which is the extension of the terrestrial space towards the sea, especially in the region adjacent to its coasts, covering the seabed and the subsoil below it. This same criterion applies to the islands or islets that exist.
- an airspace which is a portion of the Earth's atmosphere located directly above the territorial and maritime space, until reaching the stratosphere. Airspace above this level is usually considered international airspace.
- A legal space which are the set of buildings committed to diplomatic delegations, war ships and aircraft, commercial ships and aircraft, as well as other types of possessions that are subject to national legislation.
Formation of the national territory
The national territories of most countries were formed historically, that is, as a result of a series of political, economic, military and cultural dynamics.
The configuration of nations has varied immensely over time (and will surely continue to do so). In fact, until the 17th century it could not be said that national States really existed, endowed with a territory and a relationship of identity with respect to their citizens.
However, some national territories are the result of the interference of other nations through processes of imperialism and colonialism, as is the case of African nations.
These are the only countries in the world whose borders are 100% straight, because they do not obey, as is usual, the topographic or geographical limits imposed by nature (rivers, mountain ranges, etc.), but were drawn by the European powers during their colonial division of Africa, guided by the terrestrial meridians.
Provincial territories
Provincial territories are those that are part of a national territory, but that differ from each other by belonging to different provinces, that is, to political-territorial entities of lower hierarchy than the nation.
Thus, most countries are divided into provinces, states or communities, depending on the case. Each of these divisions has its own assigned provincial territory, delimited by borders and in which it has full jurisdiction, although always subject to the general power embodied by the national State.
Continue with: Political region
References
- “National territory” in Wikipedia.
- “National territory” in Political Database of the Americas.
- “Elements of the State” in the National Library of Chile.
- “Territoriality” in International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
