control of the government of a state, community, or other body by its own members; democratic government. the condition of being self-governed.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. Named after the Roman god of war, it is often referred to as the Red Planet because the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance.
Due to the 687-day orbit of Mars around the Sun (almost twice that of the Earth), the planet experiences its summer and winter solstices at approximately 23 month intervals. The most recent northern summer solstice on Mars was on 15 February 2014, and the next will occur on 3 January 2016.