By choosing an avowed republican from Sydney, Tasmania has gone further than any other Australian state in modernising this anachronistic constitutional position.

ECONOMIST: The convicts would be astonished

The constitutional position is clear: Mr Saakashvili has another year to go.

ECONOMIST: Georgia

Whilst Northern Ireland's constitutional position is particular, the Games have provided plenty of examples of how elastic a concept national identity can be.

BBC: An Olympian spirit of generosity