Category talk:Former countries

Comments
There are some awfully contentious inclusions in this category. Many of these are merely extinct regimes, but existing countries. For example, there are several terms here that refer to past constitutional arrangements of France and Spain. It seems to me we should distinguish between former regimes and former countries. -- Jmabel 17:43, Aug 25, 2004 (UTC) Yes as I was going to say. Zaire is the D.R. of Congo, North Vietnam is Vietnam, Yugoslavia=Serbia, Spanish State=Spain, etc etc. Vital Component--
 * Perhaps it should be moved to "former states"? The same thing struck me reading it. Palmiro 18:37, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

Please distinguish between COUNTRIES, STATES, and REGIMES (or systems of government). Even when there is a revolution, the state continues to exist. This is not just a technical matter, as it determines that a treaty concluded by one regime is binding on later regimes (of the same state). Sometimes it is hard to tell whether the a state is new or not, notably when there is a major geographic change. That is determined somewhat arbitrarily by other states as well as by the way the entity presents itself. The USSR, for example, was treated legally as the same international personality as Russia under the czars despite a considerable loss of territory. When the USSR broke up in 1991, there might have been some argument for treating the Russian Federation as just one of 15 new successor states, but that was not done. The Russian Federation, for example, remained a member of the UN and a permanent member of the Security Council (with the veto), without having to apply as a new member. Treaties concluded by the USSR are binding on it although it now has changed both its government and its boundaries. Also, COUNTRY is a very inexact term, popularly used for states most of the time. But some would even call a colony a country. If we could agree on a definition of "country," perhaps the only way it could become a FORMER country would be for it to sink under the sea. Sorry to keep teaching after so long. Eleanor1944 (talk) 23:49, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

??
Why is the Republic of Ragusta listed under 'd'? - This website is good for this topic. Cwolfsheep 18:16, 27 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Probably for Dubrovnik, the modern name of Ragusa. -- Jmabel | Talk 22:26, July 16, 2005 (UTC)
 * Sho'nuff. I've now changed it, but won't be surprised if I'm reverted. I'm not putting the article on my watchlist, so if anyone cares, I suggest you watchlist Republic of Ragusa. -- Jmabel | Talk 22:35, July 16, 2005 (UTC)