f politics and its role in confirming states. There are certain characteristics of a state that are deemed crucial to its existence and operation. These are: territory; population; government (the political agent for the state); and independence of action (sovereignty - both domestic and Westphalian). The term government here can be defined as 'a group of individuals sharing a defined responsibility for exercising power' (Papadimos A, 2000: web). A sovereign government can be defined as 'a group of individuals exercising legitimate authority, and protecting and adapting the community by making and carrying out decisions' (Papadimos A, 2000: web).
             International recognition, that by which one state recognises another formally or informally, is also stated in some contemporary definitions to be a requisite of statehood along with the other four criterion of territory, population government and sovereignty. Recognition is fundamentally a political decision from which legal and economic consequences flow. Formally it allows a particular actor the ability to participate within the international system. Recognition of a state essentially means acceptance of it as a fully independent and sovereign member of the community of nations. There are three circumstances in which recognition can be applied: in determining the legitimacy of states and governments and a nation's right to secede. States accord recognition to other entities seeking international legal personality. It therefore involves an element of choice an
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