"if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it is a duck".<p>By that definition, Taiwan is already a country, even though the UN still doesn't recognise it. My memory card says "Made in Taiwan".<p>It also makes California seem much more independent; my iPhone says "Designed by Apple in California", not "Made in USA".<p>In my opinion, anywhere that can make its own immigration policies and issue passports is a country. And anywhere that makes it easier for me to get one of those passports is a country I'm interested in.