PROTECTORATE

Protectorate

In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship. However, it retains formal sovereignty, and remains a state under international law. A territory subject to this type of arrangement is also known as a protected state.

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protectorate

Noun

  1. Government by a protector; -- applied especially to the government of England by Oliver Cromwell.
  2. The authority assumed by a superior power over an inferior or a dependent one, whereby the former protects the latter from invasion and shares in the management of its affairs.
  3. An autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: protectorate
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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