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A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city, and usually having sovereignty. Historically, city-states have often been part of larger cultural areas, as in the city-states of ancient Greece and Phoenicia, the Aztecs and Mayans of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, along the Silk Road in Central Asia, or the city-states of Renaissance Italy.

City-states were common in ancient times. Though sovereign, many such cities joined in formal or informal leagues under a high king. In some cases historical empires or leagues were formed by the right of conquest (e.g., Mycenae, or Rome), but many were formed under peaceful alliances or for mutual protection (e.g., the Peloponnesian League).

In the Middle Ages, city-states were particularly a feature of what are now Germany, Italy and Russia. A number of them formed the Hanseatic League, which was a significant force in trade for a number of centuries.

Modern-day city-states

Monaco

The Principality of Monaco is a perfect example of a city-state: Monaco-Ville (the ancient fortified city, which is not a city even though its name means "Monaco-City") and the well known district Monte-Carlo are actually districts, not cities. The territory of the country corresponds to the city limits (one government and one town hall, each having specific powers): the Principality of Monaco and the city of Monaco.

Singapore

Unrest marked the two short years during which Singapore was part of Malaysia. Race-riots between the majority Chinese and minority Malays in the city were frequent, and the federal government, dominated by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), clashed with the state government, which was dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP). The UMNO feared that the PAP would challenge their dominant position in the federal government and tip the racial demographics of Malaya. Eventually, Singapore was expelled from the federation in 1965, becoming an independent sovereign state.

After Singapore's involuntary independence, it rapidly industrialized and modernized, becoming one of the four "Asian Tigers". It is now a multicultural, major global city with cosmopolitan ideals.

Vatican City State

Until 1870, the city of Rome had been controlled by the pope as part of his "papal states". When King Victor Emmanuel II annexed the city in 1870, Pope Pius IX refused to recognise the newly-formed Kingdom of Italy. Because he could not travel through a place that he did not admit existed, Pius IX and his successors each claimed to be a "Prisoner in the Vatican", unable to leave the 0.17-square mile (440,000 m²) papal enclave once they had ascended the papal throne.

The impasse was resolved in 1929 by the Lateran Treaties negotiated by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini between King Victor Emmanuel III and Pope Pius XI. Under this treaty, the Vatican was recognized as an independent state, with the pope as its head. The Vatican City State has its own citizenship, diplomatic corps, flag, and postal system. With a population of less than 1000, it is by far the smallest sovereign country in the world, and widely recognized internationally as such.

Other examples

As well as the above sovereign states, the term "city-state" can also refer to federal states such as the German states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, the Austrian state of Vienna, the Russian cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the Ethiopian chartered cities (astedader akababiwach) of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, and the Spanish ciudades autónomas of Ceuta and Melilla.

Countries that have a very high proportion of their population within a single city are sometimes referred to as virtual or near city-states, Kuwait being one such example. In China, the term is sometimes used for the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. Nauru is a very small nation which has no official capital, and whose population is essentially in one conurbation ringing the island, so Nauru might also be considered a city-state.

The term "city-state" should not be confused with that of "independent city", which refers to a city which is not administered as part of another local government area (eg, a county).

City-states in history

The recent past

In the 19th and 20th centuries, a variety of changing political circumstances left several self-governing city-states as enclaves surrounded by the territory of another state.

In Europe, they have included Fiume, Danzig, Memel and Trieste. On the edges of Europe they have included Batumi and Tangiers. For others which are still in existence, see above under "Modern-day city states".

Elsewhere in the world, European colonialism resulted in a number of tiny colonies that were no bigger than a port and its immediate surroundings, such as Zanzibar, Pondicherry, Weihai, and others. A few of these continue to exist as separate political entities, either as fully independent city-states, like Singapore, or highly autonomous territories of the country to which they are now part, such as Hong Kong.

The Middle Ages and the early-modern era

The Holy Roman Empire

For further details, see under: Imperial Free City.

During the long history of the Holy Roman Empire (modern-day Germany and neighbouring countries), dozens of towns and cities obtained local independence. By the late 18th century, their number had slowly been reduced to around 50,

Ancient city-states

Examples include:

• The poleis of Ancient Greece
• Ancient Rome
• Jericho, in the Levant
• Mayan city-states
• Phoenician cities (incl. Carthage)
• Sumer, in Mesopotamia; made up of the city and the farmland around it. Each city was surrounded by a wall.
• Troy, a Greek city state in Asia minor
• The city-states of the Shang and Zhou dynasties

Fictional City-States

• Mega-City One
• Sigil
• Zion
• Ankh-Morpork
• East Meg One
• The Sprawl
• Waterdeep
• Zero One
• Menzoberranzan
• Hondo City
• Brit-Cit
• Ciudad Baranquilla

See also

• nation-state
• microstate

• Political geography
• Political science terms