Land (political territory)

Land is the territory governed or claimed by a political authority. Its boundaries and status can be shaped by law, settlement, conflict, and international recognition.

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Territory: A geographic area under the control or influence of a person, group, or political authority. Political land is territory defined by a governing authority’s jurisdiction.
Territorial integrity: The principle that a state’s territory should not be altered by force or external coercion. It protects the territorial extent a state claims to govern.
Treaty of Westphalia: The 1648 peace settlement that ended the Thirty Years’ War and reshaped political relations in Europe. It is often associated with the development of territorial state sovereignty.
Exclusive economic zone: A maritime zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a coast, where a state has specified resource rights. It grants limited rights at sea rather than full sovereignty over land.
Sovereignty: The authority of a state to govern itself and exercise power within its jurisdiction. Sovereignty describes the political authority asserted over land.
Effective control: The actual exercise of governmental authority over a place or population. Control on the ground can differ from legal claims to land.
Colonialism: A system in which a power establishes and maintains political control over another territory and its population. Colonial rule imposed territorial boundaries and jurisdictions that often endured after independence.
Antarctic Treaty System: A network of agreements governing Antarctica, including limits on territorial claims and military activity. Antarctica’s regime differs from ordinary national territorial jurisdiction.
Political boundary: A line separating areas governed by different political authorities. Boundaries mark where one jurisdiction’s land ends and another begins.
International recognition: Acceptance by states or international bodies that an entity or status has legal or political standing. Recognition can strengthen or contest claims over territory.