macronation

noun

1. An internationally recognised country, as opposed to a micronation; a sovereign state, especially a member or observer state of the United Nations.

   “I suggest, however, that micronations perform a useful function for "macronations" -- providing an opportunity to experiment with new and radical forms of government in a world that appears to be increasingly centralized, with less and less room for experimentation.”

   “They still worked in the US, but sent a notice of secession to the macronation's government. I remember seeing the article in the "Lifestyle" section of the Times, and it started me to wondering.”

   “But Romkerhall is not simply a fancy gimmick to sell a hotel; like many good micronations, it's taken advantage of a loophole in the law to proclaim its own state of being and to secede from the macronation surrounding it.”

   “Dagostinia pays taxes to the ruling authority when due. We desire not to offend. But Dagostinia does not owe or pay one single penny to the macronation for transactions that happen within our borders.”

   “The only alternative for micronations, then, as the existence of Sealand proves, is to hope for survival as a harmless tourist oddity, tolerated by the surrounding macronations and defanged of oppositional intent.”

2. (rare)A large country; a sovereign state of considerable size, population or both.

   “This brings us, finally, to those countries that we think can safely be labeled as democracies today, keeping in mind the widely accepted two key requirements […] Based on the foregoing discussion, and (to repeat) excluding the microstates, we would offer the following honor roll of what, for want of a better term, we call the democratic "macronations" […]”

   “Excluding microstates with a population of less than one million people there are 29 democratic macronations.”

   “It led to the birth of a new nation, the only one of its kind in Africa as a product of a merger of two independent states. The macronation was Tanzania. Without the Zanzibar revolution, the two countries of Tanganyika and Zanzibar would not have united when they did, if at all.”

3. (rare)A large nation; a nation of considerable size in population or membership.