city states
Independent urban nations
City states are independent, self-governing territories consisting of a city and its surrounding area.
Ancient Athens, Sparta, and Renaissance Venice were city states—politically autonomous units smaller than nations but functioning as sovereign powers.
Today Singapore and Vatican City operate as city states.
The term often appears unhyphenated: city-state or city state.
Greek sovereign urban center
- AthensGreece's capital city
- SpartaAncient Greek warrior state
- CarthagePhoenician colony that challenged Rome
- ThebesAncient city, two locations
Corinth · Syracuse · Argos · Mycenae · Tyre · Ephesus · Ur · Phoenicia
Independent management of affairs
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
- home ruleDelegated local autonomy
devolution · self-rule · polity · jurisdiction · legislation · constitution · assembly · council
Southeast Asian city-state
- MonacoTiny European nation
- VaticanPapal city-state
- San MarinoLandlocked republic within Italy
- LiechtensteinSmall nation between Switzerland, Austria
Andorra · Hong Kong · Macau · Dubai · Qatar · Luxembourg · microstate · enclave
Lagoon city, northeastern Italy
- GenoaLigurian capital city
- FlorenceTuscan capital city
- AmalfiCampanian coastal commune
- PisaTuscan city, tilting tower
Hamburg · Bremen · Riga · Dubrovnik · Hanseatic · doge · commune · guild
Large important city
- wallsVertical enclosing structures
- citadelFortified urban stronghold
- harborSafe anchorage for ships
- marketplaceVenue for commerce
temple · plaza · district · quarter · fortification · gates · towers · densely populated
polis
Greek sovereign urban center
- AthensGreece's capital city
- SpartaAncient Greek warrior state
- CarthagePhoenician colony that challenged Rome
Thebes · Corinth · Syracuse · Argos · Mycenae · Tyre · Ephesus · Ur · Phoenicia · agora
self-governance
Independent management of affairs
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
home rule · devolution · self-rule · polity · jurisdiction · legislation · constitution · assembly · council · authority
Singapore
Southeast Asian city-state
- MonacoTiny European nation
- VaticanPapal city-state
- San MarinoLandlocked republic within Italy
Liechtenstein · Andorra · Hong Kong · Macau · Dubai · Qatar · Luxembourg · microstate · enclave · financial hub
Venice
Lagoon city, northeastern Italy
Pisa · Hamburg · Bremen · Riga · Dubrovnik · Hanseatic · doge · commune · guild · merchant
metropolis
Large important city
marketplace · temple · plaza · district · quarter · fortification · gates · towers · densely populated · compact
- Early ModernRenaissance, 1500s, 1600s, Reformation, sixteenth century
- Ancient Near EastMesopotamia, Sumer, Babylon, Assyria, Assyrian Empire
- prehistorystone tools, Neolithic, Stone Age, caveman, cavemen
- territoriesprovince, region, country, colony, dominion
- Magna GraeciaGreek colonies, Croton, Syracuse, Taranto, Naples
city statesempires
Extensive ruled territories
nation-states · superpowers · kingdoms · colonial empires · great powers
city statesfederations
Unions of semi-autonomous states
federal states · confederations · unions · federal republics · empires
city statestribal territories
Areas governed by indigenous groups
city, state, cities, states, city's, state's, citizen, citizenship, civilian