I see a lot of people saying that countries like Israel, Latvia, Belgium and Dubai are not real countries, but how are they not? They seem to meet the threshold. How are they any less real then any other country?
It has to do with recognition. For instance, Sealand meets all of the requirements: a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government, and the capacity to engage in relations with other states (I believe this is codified somewhere in the UN’s laws and policies).
But, most places don’t consider Sealand a real country because other countries don’t officially recognize it. Which is kind of weird to think, that being a country is like being a popular girl: if the other popular girls say you’re a popular girl, then you are. If they decide you’re not, then you’re not.
So, while there is a quantified threshold, the de facto rule is whether other countries recognize you. It’s also similar for honorific titles.
Legally: if any other countries recognize it.
Morally: no country is real. Nationalism is a mind virus.
???
Out of the ones you mention, Dubai is in fact not a real country and I have not seen anyone claim that it is; it is a city and region of the country called the United Arab Emirates.
Israel isn’t universally recognized by all countries because some countries claim it is illegitimate (for religious reasons, because they say it is a colonialist project, etc. etc.).
Belgium is a country with different parts speaking different languages also spoken in neighboring countries, that is why some people have claimed it’s not (culturally) its own country, but I don’t think anyone seriously refuses to recognize it as a country.
As for Latvia, no idea whatsoever what you’re talking about.
So the question as asked is unanswerable because you’re giving confusing and inconsistent examples.
