The four elements of a state are population, territory, government, and sovereignty

• Population A state requires a group of people to exist, but there is no specific number required

. The population can be homogeneous or not

• Territory A state must have a defined geographical territory

• Government A state needs a government to enforce rules, maintain order, and ensure obedience from the population

• Sovereignty A state has to be internally supreme and free from external control, with full authority over its citizens and complete independence from outside influence

. Internal sovereignty means the state has a monopoly on authority within its borders, while external sovereignty means the state is independent of other states