From the definitions of the State, given above, we learn that it is composed of four essential elements or attributes:
(i) Population;
Physical bases of the State;
(ii) Land or Territory,
(iii) Government
Population:
Man is by nature a social being; hi cannot but live among other human beings. The State is an association of men living together. We cannot, conceive’of a State without a population. Broadly speaking, the population of a State consists of three kinds of inhabitants; full Members State, called the citizens, who enjoy all rights and perform every duty towards their State; the subjects or nationals of the State who enjoy some rights; and non-members, called aliens, who are given only civil rights of life and property. The first two categories are the real elements of the population of a State.
The question, which had much occupied the attention of ancient as well as modem thinkers, is: How large should be the population of a State? Plato believed that an ideal State should have a population of 5040 persons. Aristotle considered that it should be between ten thousand to one lakh persons. He, however, laid down a general principle that the number should neither be too large nor too small. It should be large enough to be self-sufficient and small enough to be well governed.22 But the ideal of these thinkers was a city-State. Rousseau, who also did not like large States, put the figure at 10,000.
In modem times the States consist of-large populations. There are small States with a population of few lakhs, like Panama or Albania, and very large States such as USSR with 28 crores, or China with 100 crores
12 ‘A city (Slate) should consist of such numbers as will be sufficient (to enable the habitats to live happily in their political community’. Cf. Politics of Aristotle, p. 210. (Everyman’s , Library).
population.23 No limit, theoretical or practical, can be placed on the population of a State. Only one thing can be said. The population should be so much as would be sufficient to perform all the needs of culture, arts, learning, industry, agriculture, defence and civilised life. It should not exceed the natural and human resources of the country.
Territory:
It is the second physical basis of the State. The people must live on a definite portion of territory of an appropriate size.24 They must not wander from country to country, like the nomadic tribes. Wandering tribes do not form a State. When a people live together on a particular territory, they develop community of interests and patriotism, which are necessary elements of Statehood. For instance, the Jews of Europe and America did not have a State till they occupied Palestine with the help of Anglo- American support and built their State of “Israel”. Similarly the Muslims of pre-partition India were a nation but no State, till Pakistan was parcelled out of the pre-Independence India. Like the population, the territory of modern States varies greatly.
There are small States, like Luxembourg and big continental States, like Russia and Australia. Political writers differ regarding the size of the territory of the State. Formerly, they generally declared that the territory must be small enough to be well administered. It was thought that “a small State was proportionately stronger than a large one”. On the contrary, in modem times, the tendency is towards large States, because the means of communication and transport have become so fafet and cheap that vast areas can make a compact State.
The Times of London bemoaned over their tiny populations and meagre resources as thus: “Zanzibar now will be simply one of the many Uny States thrown up by the process of decolonization as the result of fierce but parochial nationalism, and it is far from being the richest Cyprus has a population of 5,800,000 and exports and budget of about £ 30 per head. Trinidad, with a population of 9.00.000 has exports of LI45 a head’and a budget of £ 50 a head. Gobao with a population of 3.20.000 exports of £ 20 a bead and a budget of L15 a head. There is a deficit of L4.50.000 on a budget of L32.47.000. Expenditure will rise as the cost of a diplomatic establishment is added, and on account of rising expectations of education, health and welfare.” The London Time has conveniently forgotten to mention Kuwait, Israel or Singapore, the tiniest of all the tiny States but not so meagre in finances and budgets. (L = Pound Sterling).
Aristotle remarks: To the size of States there is a limit, as there are to other things, plants, animals; implements; for none of these retain their natural power when they are too large or loo small but they either wholly lose their nature or are spoiled. For example, a ship which is only a span long will not be a ship at all, nor a ship a quarter of a mile long; yet there may be a ship of a certain size, either too large or too small which will still be a ship, but bad for sailing.
Moreover, a small State does not possess enough natural resources within its boundaries for economic and military needs of modem life and defence. A small State cannot defend itself and perform other functions adequately which a State is expected to perform. The German writer, Treitschke, said, “The State is a power, and it is a sin for the State to be small”. Modem tendency is towards economic self-sufficiency which is possible in large-sized States? Nonetheless, the population and territory should be correlated: State does not mean only the land, soil, rivers, lakes, mountains, etc. but also the subsoil and its natural resources. It extends to three miles into the sea or ocean and up to 20 miles (32 Kilometres), for economic purposes.
If it is a Maritime State up into the air space above it. As regards the limits of air-space of the State, a very interesting question has arisen in the present days due to the invention of the artificial satellites and spacecrafts which spin around our planet thousands of kilometres up in the cosmic space. When the aeroplanes were invented, the air-space was extended as far as the highest flight of the latest aeroplane. But there is an obvious difficulty to apply this rule of the international law to the man- made “moons” and spaceships. This problem of the territorial limits of the ‘cosmic space’ is yet to be solved by international law.
Government:
A people living permanently on a definite territory do not form a State without a government to which they render habitual obedience. The State is nothing if there is no government to make it real. A people without a government are a mere assemblage of human beings and not a politically organised community. Government is die machinery or agency through which the will of the State is formulated and expressed. The State plans and acts through the government. It is die government that administers the State* keeps law and order, formulates the policy of the State, and organises the people dwelling within its territory. If the people are the limbs and the territory the body, the government is the head of the State.