Annexation

Illegal acquisition of a state's territory by another state / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:

Can you list the top facts and stats about Annexation?

Summarize this article for a 10 years old

SHOW ALL QUESTIONS

Annexation,[1] in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory.[2] In current international law, it is generally held to be an illegal act.[3] Annexation is a unilateral act where territory is seized and held by one state,[4] as distinct from conquest[lower-alpha 1][7][8] and differs from cession, in which territory is given or sold through treaty.

Jerusalem_Law_%D7%97%D7%95%D7%A7_%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%93-_%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%AA_%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C.jpg
Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel, passed by the Knesset on 30 July 1980
page1-125px-Federal_Law_On_Ratifying_the_Agreement_between_the_Russian_Federation_and_the_Republic_of_Crimea_on_Admitting_to_the_Russian_Federation.pdf.jpg
Federal Law Admitting to the Russian Federation the Republic of Crimea, passed by the State Duma on 21 March 2014
Two examples of unilateral annexation laws, both illegal under international law

Annexation can be legitimized if generally recognized by other states and international bodies.[4][9][2]

The illegality of annexation means that states carrying out such acts usually avoid using the word annexation in describing their actions;[10][11] in each of the unresolved annexations by Israel, Morocco and Russia, the states have avoided characterizing their actions as such.[11][12]