List of stateless societies

This is a non-exhaustive list of societies that have been described as examples of stateless societies.

There is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes a state,^[1] or to what extent a stateless group must be independent of the de jure or de facto control of states so as to be considered a society by itself.

Historical societies

The following groups have been cited as examples of stateless societies by some commentators. But the classification of these societies as truly "stateless" is controversial.

Society	Period	Notes	Ref.
Essenes	2nd century BCE – 1st century CE	Mystic Jewish sect with communal living practices.	[2]
Frisian freedom	800–1523	Territory notably not run under the feudal practices normal in Europe at the time.	[3]
Taborites	1420–1452	Hussite faction which maintained an independent Tábor. Arguably a prototypical anarcho-communist society.	[4]
Republic of Cospaia	1440–1826	Microstate created by historical anomaly, independent of bordering major powers. This territory lacked many state-like apparatuses.	[5]

Indigenous societies

Human society predates the existence of states, meaning that the history of almost any ethnic group would include pre-state organisation. The groups listed below have been identified as examples of stateless societies by various commentators, including discussions relating to anarchism.

Society	Provisioning system	Homeland	Ref.
Aboriginal Australians	Various	Australia	[6]
Imazighen	Agricultural	Maghreb	[6]
Andamanese	Hunter-gatherer	Andaman Islands	[7]
Anga	Horticultural	Jos Plateau	[8]
Anuak	Horticultural	Anuak Zone, Gambela	[6]
Bassa	Subsistence agriculture	Bassaland	[8]
Berom	Subsistence agriculture	Jos Plateau	[8]
Birifor		Volta	[8]
Bobo	Subsistence agriculture	Bobo-Dioulasso	[8]
Croatan	Subsistence agriculture	Croatan Sound	[9]
Dan	Agricultural	Man	[8]
Dayak	Agricultural	Borneo	[6]
Dogon	Subsistence agriculture	Dogon country	[8]
Ekoi	Horticultural	Ekoi land	[8]
Gagu	Pastoral agriculture		[8]
Grebo		Grebo land	[8]
Hopi	Agricultural	Hopi Nation	[10]
Ibibio	Horticultural	Akwa Ibom	[8]
Idoma	Hunter-gatherer	Benue	[8]
Ifugao	Horticultural	Ifugao	[6]
Igbo	Horticultural	Igboland	[11][8]
Ijaw	Horticultural	Niger Delta	[8]
Inuit	Hunter-gatherer	Arctic	[6]
Kissi	Subsistence agriculture	Guinea Highlands	[8]
Konkomba	Horticultural	Northern Ghana	[6][8]
Kru	Fishing	Grand Kru County	[8]
Kusasi		Kasaug Traditional Area	[8]
Lugbara	Subsistence agriculture	West Nile	[6]
Mamprusi		East Mamprusi	[8]
Mano	Horticultural	Nimba County	[8]
Mapuche	Pastoral agriculture	Araucanía	[12]
Maragoli		Vihiga County	[8]
Mbuti	Hunter-gatherer	Ituri Rainforest	[13]
Niitsitapi	Hunter-gatherer	Blackfeet Nation	[14]
Nubian	Agricultural	Nubia	[15]
Nuer	Pastoralism	Nuer Zone, Gambela	[8]
Pequot	Agricultural	Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation	[16]
Piaroa	Subsistence agriculture	Orinoco	[17]
Puliklah	Hunter-gatherer	Yurok Indian Reservation	[6]
Tallensi	Horticultural	Tallensi Traditional Area	[8]
Plateau Tonga	Subsistence agriculture	Binga	[6]
Quinnipiac	Hunter-gatherer	Quinnipiac River	[18]
Sami	Pastoralism	Sápmi	[6]
San	Hunter-gatherer	Central Kalahari	[19]
Santals	Agricultural	Jharkhand	[6]
Semai	Subsistence agriculture	Perak	[20]
Seminoles	Hunter-gatherer	Seminole Nation	[21]
Shona	Subsistence agriculture	Mashonaland	[8]
Tiv	Horticultural	Tivland	[6][8]
Urhbo	Subsistence agriculture	Niger Delta	[8]
Zomia			[22]

See also

• Politics portal
• Society portal

• Stateless society
• Stateless nation
• Statelessness