Explanation

In political theory (as codified in classical definitions by political scientists like Garner and standard international jurisprudence under the Montevideo Convention), the State is defined by four foundational elements:

– 1. Population: A community of persons.
– 2. Territory: A definite, demarcated geographical domain.
– 3. Government: An organized administrative machinery.
– 4. Sovereignty: Complete internal supremacy and external independence from foreign control.

Option A captures all four constitutive elements accurately and comprehensively. Options B, C, and D describe attributes of civil society, nations, or specific governance arrangements without encompassing external sovereignty.

Thus, the classic definition is Option A.