Sovereignty is one of the most important characteristics of a state. It refers to the supreme and absolute authority of the state to govern itself without external interference and to make and enforce laws within its territory. A political entity cannot be considered a state in the full sense without possessing sovereignty.
The four essential features of a state, as recognised in political science, are: population, territory, government, and sovereignty. Without sovereignty, a territory may be a colony, protectorate, or dependent territory, but it does not qualify as a fully independent state.
A strong military is a resource that some states possess, but it is not a defining characteristic of statehood; many recognised states have small or no militaries. A treasury (financial resources) is useful for governance but is not a requirement for a territory to be called a state. Homogeneous culture is not a feature of most modern states, many of which are multi-ethnic and multi-cultural.
