II.   Sovereign

A Territory is a 15th Century term meaning part of a Country separated from the rest having a unique geographic and topographical position, possessing one (1) or more permanent settlements united by a distinct body politic and demography and formally recognized through one (1) or more treaties, usually with the indigenous land owners recognized as “Nations”.

The word “Territory” is derived from the combination of two (2) Latin words Terra meaning “land” and Torus meaning “bind by (strong) knot”. Hence the literal meaning of Territory is “to bind (the use of) the land by some strong knot (treaty)”.

The key elements by original definition of what constitutes a Territory are Geography, Topography, Settlements, Body Politic, Demography, Parent Country, Nation and Political Recognition:

(i) Geography of a Territory is the survey and measurement of the physical characteristics of a particular place including its boundaries that it may be described uniquely; and

(ii) Topography of a Territory is the application of certain names and language of cultural meaning to landmarks, maps, charts and surveys of the Geography including the physical evidence of these points of topography including but not limited to posts, monuments and markers; and

(iii) Settlements within a Territory is the existence of at least one (1) permanent settlement upon declared and claimed sovereign soil, also representing a topographical post; and

(iv) A Body Politic of a Territory is the existence of a form of government and sovereignty by which the permanent settlements agree to be governed; and

(v) The Demography of a Territory is the unique survey and characteristics of the people, the political and administrative divisions of the place according to the Topography of the Territory; and

(vi) A Parent Country of a Territory is that Country claiming ultimate sovereignty over the boundaries of the Territory and whose citizens or subjects primarily founded one (1) or more of the Settlements granted partial legislative autonomy; and

(vii) A Nation being a homogenous race of traditional land owners, usually called “Natives”, “Aborigines” or “Indians” possessing a distinct documented culture and leadership formally recognized as a “Nation” and capable of entering into a formal binding agreement or “treaty”; and

(viii) Political Recognition of a Territory being the signing and enacting of a Treaty between the Body Politic of Settlers and the Nation of Traditional and Indigenous Land Owners involving some transfer of rights of recognition of the sovereignty of land claimed by the Settlers.

A Territory may itself also represent a Country but being a Territory of another “higher” Country. Alternatively, a Territory may possess one (1) or more Territories itself, that may also qualify as being defined as one (1) or more Countries.

Whereas the legal personality of a Country may be said to be that of a parent, the legal personality of a Territory may be said to be a child to its parent.

The recognition of a Territory by an external body or other Countries does not diminish or abrogate the validity of a Territory that is capable of demonstrating the key elements of what constitutes a Territory.