What characteristics do political geographers look for in order to determine if a territory is a state?

For a territory to be considered as a state it must have the following characteristics:
1. It must have boundaries that are known and recognized by others.
2. It must have a government who drives the affairs of the state.
3. It must be able to make decisions concerning its domestic and foreign policies; it must have sovereignty power.
4. The population of the state can be homogeneous or heterogeneous and it may be variable in size. 

Answer// dinosaurs emerged during mesozoic era;