Chapter 5 (State Territory and Jurisdiction) Notes of Public International Law
State Territory and Jurisdiction Meaning of State Territory STATE TERRITORY IN INTERNATIONAL LAW 1. Concept of State Territory State territory refers to the defined geographical area over which a state exercises sovereign authority. It is a fundamental aspect of statehood, as sovereignty over a specific territory is one of the key criteria for the existence of a state under international law. A state's territory is the physical space within which it has exclusive legal and political authority. This includes land, airspace, and territorial waters. 2. Definition of State Territory State territory is defined in different ways by legal scholars and international conventions: Oppenheim’s Definition : "State territory is that definite portion of the surface of the globe which belongs to a particular state and over which the state exercises its supreme authority." Montevideo Convention (1933) : Defines a state as possessing a "...