We build a composite index of formal sovereignty as an alternative to the binary classification ‘Sovereign vs Affiliated’ for the purpose of a comparative, quantitative analysis on a large sample of small islands. This index takes into account different degrees of sovereignty through the different attributes of sovereignty (diplomacy, executive, legislative, judicial, defence, and monetary). We use a conservative method to code the components and to aggregate them, trying to stay as simple and objective as possible, while remaining transparent and laying the foundations for future improvements. The index is calculated for a sample of 104 small islands and coastal territories. The results show that the binary classification based on United Nations (UN) membership is significantly limited, if not mistaken, because according to our index some territories which are not UN members have a higher sovereignty score than some UN members.

中文翻译：

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小岛屿和沿海地区正式主权综合指数

我们建立了正式主权综合指数，以替代二元分类“主权与附属”的分类，目的是对大量小岛进行比较，定量分析。该指数通过主权的不同属性（外交，行政，立法，司法，国防和金钱）考虑了不同程度的主权。我们使用保守的方法对组件进行编码和汇总，以尽可能保持简单和客观，同时保持透明性并为将来的改进奠定基础。该指数是针对104个小岛和沿海地区的样本计算得出的。结果表明，如果没有记错的话，基于联合国会员资格的二进制分类会受到很大的限制，