failed state

English

Etymology

Initially applied to Somalia in the 1990s.

Noun

failed state (plural failed states)

1. (politics) A state that has failed to meet the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government; one that has lost physical control of its territory, the ability to provide public services, etc.
   • 2011, Rory Stewart, “Here we go again”, in London Review of Books, 33.VII:

     Against these stand the four national security arguments for intervention: fear of a rogue state, fear of a failed state, fear for the neighbours and fear for ourselves.

   • 2022 September 16, Milo Milfort, Anatoly Kurmanaev, Andre Paultre, “Fuel Hike Plunges Haiti Into Near Anarchy”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     In July, the prime minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, called Haiti a “failed state,” and told local media that Caribbean leaders are considering opening direct talks with Haitian gang leaders to solve the country’s political crisis.

Translations

type of state

• Afrikaans: mislukte staat
• Armenian: չկայացած պետություն (čʻkayacʻac petutʻyun)
• Basque: egindako estatu
• Catalan: estat fallit m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 失敗國家／失败国家 (shībài guójiā)

• Danish: fejlslagen stat c
• Dutch: mislukte staat m
• Finnish: epäonnistunut valtio
• French: État en déliquescence m, État failli m
• Galician: estado falido m
• German: gescheiterter Staat m
• Greek: αποτυχημένο κράτος n (apotychiméno krátos)
• Italian: stato fallito m
• Norwegian: mislykket stat m
• Portuguese: estado falido m, estado falhado m
• Russian: несостоя́вшееся госуда́рство n (nesostojávšejesja gosudárstvo), фейл стейт m (fejl stejt)
• Spanish: estado fallido m
• Swedish: sviktande stat c