Sovereign states

States whose subjects or citizens are in the habit of obedience to them, and which are not themselves subject to any other (or paramount) state in any respect. The state is said to be semisovereign only, and not sovereign, when in any respect or respects it is liable to be controlled (like certain of the states in India) by a paramount government, (e. g., by the British empire.) Brown. "In the intercourse of nations, certain states have a position of entire independence of others, and can perform ali those acts which it is possible for any state to perform in this particular sphere. These same states have also entire power of self-government; that is, of independence upon ali other states as far as their own territory and citizens not living abroad are concerned. No foreign power or law can have control except by convention. This power of independent action in external and internal relations constitutes complete sovereignty."

Wools. Pol. Science, I. 204.