Citizen

Citizenship is membership in a political community (originally a city but now a state ), and carries with it rights topolitical participation; a person having such membership is a citizen. It is largely coterminous with nationality , although it is possible to have a nationality without being a citizen(i.e. be legally subject to a state and entitled to its protection without havingrights of political participation in it); it is also possible to have political rights without being a national of a state - forexample a citizen of Mozambique (or another Commonwealth country) resident in the UK is entitled to full political rights. See nationality for further discussion of how citizenship can be acquired, etc.

Citizenship implies working towards the betterment of the community one lives in throughparticipation, volunteer work and efforts to improve life for all citizens.

Subnational citizenship

Subnational entities may impose requirements of residency or otherwise in order to participate in the political life of thatentity, or to enjoy benefits provided by the government of that entity.

European Union (EU) citizenship

Currently " EU Citizenship" is not quite equal in status to national citizenship (andcertainly not outside the EU). Rather one holds the "nationality of a member state" and, as a result of the Maastricht Treaty , thereby becomes a "citizen of the Union". This offerscertain privileges within the EU: in many areas EU citizens have similar rights to native citizens in member states. Such rightsgranted to foreign EU citizens include the right of abode , the right to vote in local electionsand the right to work in any position (including the civil service )except for very specific positions (defense...). The EU member states use a common passport design, burgundy coloured with the name of the member state, national seal and the title "European Union"or equivalent.

Honorary Citizenship

Some countries extend honorary citizenship to those whom they consider to be especially admirable or worthy of thedistinction.

By Act of Congress, honorary United States citizenship has been awarded to British statesman Winston Churchill (1963); Swedish humanitarian and diplomat Raoul Wallenberg (1981); Pennsylvania founder WilliamPenn and his wife Hannah Callowhill Penn (1984);Macedonian-born Catholic nun and humanitarian Mother Teresa (1996);French nobleman and American Revolutionary War ally Marquisde la Fayette (2002); and Russian nuclear physicist and prisoner of conscience Dr. Andrei Sakharov (2002).

See also:

• jus sanguinis
• jus soli
• Multiple citizenship
• Britishness test
• Foreign-born Japanese

External links

• EU Glossary: Citizenship of the Union
• The Concept of Citizenship in Education for Democracy