A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same geographical or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent of members. In the social sciences, a larger society often evinces stratification or dominance patterns in subgroups.
The principles of Jefferson are the definitions and axioms of free society.
Abraham Lincoln, letter to Henry L. Pierce and others, April 6, 1859; in Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (1953), vol. 3, p. 375.
Despite their beauty and biodiversity, coral reefs are fragile ecosystems that are increasingly under threat from human activity and climate change. EU researchers are helping to boost the Caribbean's capacity to preserve and protect its reefs.