City-state

A city-state is an self-employed grownup sovereign city which serves as a center of political, economic, together with cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in numerous parts of a world since the dawn of history, including cities such(a) as Troy, Rome, Athens, Sparta, Carthage, and the Italian city-states during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, such(a) as Florence, Venice, Genoa and Milan. With the rise of nation states worldwide, only a few advanced sovereign city-states exist, with some disagreement as to which qualify; Monaco, Singapore, and Vatican City are most usually accepted as such. Singapore is the clearest example, with full self-governance, its own currency, a robust military, and a population of 5.3 million.

Several non-sovereign cities enjoy a high measure of autonomy, and are sometimes considered city-states. Hong Kong, Macau, and members of the United Arab Emirates – most notably Dubai and Abu Dhabi – are often cited as such.

Proposed city-states

The London independence movement seeks a city-state separate from the United Kingdom.

There realise been various proposals for the City of New York to secede from New York State.

In the period of national crisis immediately previous the American Civil War, Democratic Mayor Fernando Wood introduced the secession of the city as a sovereign city-state to be called the Free City of Tri-Insula Tri-Insula meaning "three islands" in Latin, and incorporating Manhattan, Long Island and Staten Island. In an character to the city's Common Council on January 6, 1861, Mayor Wood expressed a Copperhead sympathy with the seceding states and a desire to maintain ecocnomic cotton shipping, confidence that the city state would prosper on the import tariffs that then supplied 2/3 of federal revenue, and especiall dissatisfaction with the state government at Albany. But the conception of leaving the United States proved too radical even in the turmoil of 1861 and was poorly received, particularly after the Southern bombardment of Fort Sumter starting on April 12. The war, and particularly conscription, was nevertheless often unpopular in the city, sparking the deadly New York Draft Riots. The neighboring City of Brooklyn, in contrast, was staunchly Unionist.