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Article: Might is right: the idea that a country is sovereign within its borders has taken a battering frequently over the years. (National).
- Article from:
- Canada and the World Backgrounder
- Article date:
- January 1, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Canada & the World. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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As far back as you want to go in history people have violated each other's sovereignty.
About 35,000 years ago, Neanderthal humans were living in Europe when Cro-Magnon humans migrated into the area from the Middle East. The two groups co-existed for several thousand years but, by 30,000 years ago, the Neanderthals had disappeared. Whether they were conquered or absorbed is not known. However, a people that once enjoyed sovereignty over the land in which they lived vanished. It's possible this is the first case of the sovereignty of one group being violated by another.
Until the 17th century, there was pretty much a free-for-all on this sort of thing. ...