This describes basically any civilized area. By this definition, San Francisco is a state - it has a permanent population, a well-defined border, and a legitima

This describes basically any civilized area. By this definition, San Francisco is a state - it has a permanent population, a well-defined border, and a legitimate government. It also has the ability to enter into relations with other states, provided anyone recognizes San Francisco as a sovereignty. By this definition it seems there's no meaningful difference between a geographic sub-government as part of a larger whole, and a nation-state in an of itself.