ABSTRACT
The “state” is a form of government that has achieved wide appeal in the modern world. Apparently, the current world is organized into almost 200 states. But only a relatively limited number of these political units can be considered to be successful states in a strict sense of the word. Perhaps the fact that the worldwide organization reuniting all governments is called the United Nations might after all have some significance (besides that of avoiding confusion with the unit usually known as the United States).
