Independence

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/independence

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the political status?Condition of self-government and sovereignty over territory
2. What is the historical precedent?Often achieved through decolonization and the dismantling of empires
3. Why is independence important?It lets a nation build its own schools, hospitals, and laws that fit its people, and it helps keep its special culture and identity.
4. How does a country become independent?A country usually creates a constitution, sets up a government with a parliament, president, and courts, and then starts making its own laws and collecting taxes.

Sovereignty: The supreme authority within a territory, free from external control or influence.
Self-Determination: The right of a people to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status.
Nation-State: A political entity where a distinct national identity corresponds with sovereign control over a territory.