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A sovereign state which, by treaty, has placed itself under the general protection of another. This almost always involves the conduct by the stronger state of the foreign relations and defence of the weaker one. The terminological expression of this status – and, indeed, the status itself – was deeply out of step with the ethos of the later twentieth century, so that all treaties of protection appear to have been brought to an end by 1971. However, much of the substance of the status has been incorporated in the Compacts of Free Association made since the mid-1980s between the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau on the one hand and the United States on the other, whereby the latter has full responsibility for the defence – but not for the foreign relations – of these very small sovereign states. See also associated state; political resident; protectorate.
A state whose interests in a second state are protected by the diplomatic mission of a third. See also interests section; protecting power. |
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