The Pressing Need for State Sovereignty Recognition for Post-Territorial States

This note offers an analysis of the retention of national sovereignty by states that have lost all of their territory, primarily by analyzing the international recognition of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta as a post- territorial state. This analysis will be of increasing pertinence as more nations face territorial loss due to climate change. This paper traces the development of the Order's role in world politics and its ongoing international recognition by various nations.