What is a unitary state?
To better understand what a unitarystate, let us turn to the dictionary: the term "unitarity" came from the Latin word "unitas", meaning "unity." A unitary form of state structure is one in which parts of this state (most of them) do not have the status of state education, although it may include separate autonomous regions.
Signs of a unitary state
There are a number of features that characterize a unitary state:
- Unified supreme authorities (representative, executive and judicial). A single constitution for all administrative-territorial units, as well as a common credit and tax system.
- None of the constituent parts of a unitary state has state sovereignty. However, local governments can be endowed with some autonomy.
- If small nationalities live in the country, then the state allows national (sometimes legislative) autonomy.
- On the international arena, the country is represented by central government bodies, which carry out all foreign political relations.
- The leadership of the unified armed forces is also entrusted to the central authorities.
- Territorial division, as a rule,political-administrative, but there are also administrative-territorial units of a special type (here there are judicial districts), and of a general type (with bodies of the general administration).
Now you know the signs of a unitarystate. Some contradictions in definitions are encountered because the development of society and various political processes lead to the existence of different, sometimes even mutually opposite tendencies.