# Federation

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Political union of partially self-governing territories under a national government

This article is about the political system. For other uses, see [Federation (disambiguation)](/source/Federation_(disambiguation)) and [Federal Union (disambiguation)](/source/Federal_Union_(disambiguation)).

Not to be confused with [Confederation](/source/Confederation) or [Federated state](/source/Federated_state).

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  Federal states

  [Unitary states](/source/Unitary_state)

The spectrum of regional integration or separation

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A **federation** (also called a **federal state**) is an entity characterized by a [union](/source/Political_union) of partially [self-governing provinces, states, or other regions](/source/Federated_state) under a [federal government](#Federal_governments) ([federalism](/source/Federalism)). In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, is [constitutionally](/source/Constitution) entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision, neither by the component states nor the federal political body without constitutional amendment.

Sovereign [power](/source/Power_(social_and_political)) is formally divided between a central authority and a number of constituent regions so that each region retains some degree of control over its internal affairs.[1]

Overriding powers of a central authority theoretically can include the constitutional authority to suspend a constituent state's government by invoking gross mismanagement or civil unrest, or to adopt national legislation that overrides or infringes on the constituent states' powers by invoking the central government's constitutional authority to ensure "peace and good government"[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] or to implement obligations contracted under an international treaty.

The governmental or constitutional structure found in a federation is considered to be [federalist](/source/Federalist), or to be an example of [federalism](/source/Federalism). It can be considered in comparison with the [unitary state](/source/Unitary_state). [France](/source/France) and [Japan](/source/Japan), for example, have been unitary for many centuries. The [Austrian Empire](/source/Austrian_Empire) was a unitary state with [crown lands](/source/Crown_lands#Austria); after the transformation into the [Austria-Hungary](/source/Austria-Hungary) monarchy, the remaining crown lands of [Cisleithania](/source/Cisleithania) became federated as *[Länder](/source/States_of_Austria)* of the [Republic of Austria](/source/Republic_of_Austria) through the implementation of [its constitution](/source/Constitution_of_Austria). [Germany](/source/Germany), with its 16 [states, or *Länder*](/source/States_of_Germany), and [Nigeria](/source/Nigeria), with its 36 [states](/source/States_of_Nigeria) and [federal capital territory](/source/Federal_Capital_Territory_(Nigeria)), are examples of federations. Federations are often [multi-ethnic](/source/Ethnic_group) and cover a large area of territory (such as [Russia](/source/Russia), the [United States](/source/United_States), [Canada](/source/Canada), [India](/source/India), [Brazil](/source/Brazil), [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan) or [Australia](/source/Australia)), but neither is necessarily the case (such as [Saint Kitts and Nevis](/source/Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis) or the [Federated States of Micronesia](/source/Federated_States_of_Micronesia)).[2] About 40% of the world population, or approximately 3.2 billion people, lives in a federation.[3]

## History

Several ancient chiefdoms and kingdoms, such as the 4th-century-BCE [League of Corinth](/source/League_of_Corinth), [Noricum](/source/Noricum) in [Central Europe](/source/Central_Europe), and the [Iroquois Confederacy](/source/Iroquois) in [pre-Columbian North America](/source/Pre-Columbian_North_America), could be described as federations or [confederations](/source/Confederation). The [Old Swiss Confederacy](/source/Old_Swiss_Confederacy) was an early example of formal non-unitary statehood.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Several colonies and dominions in the [New World](/source/New_World) consisted of autonomous provinces, transformed into federal states upon independence such as the [United States](/source/United_States), and various countries in [Latin America](/source/Latin_America) (see [Spanish American wars of independence](/source/Spanish_American_wars_of_independence)). Some of the New World federations failed; the [Federal Republic of Central America](/source/Federal_Republic_of_Central_America) broke up into independent states less than 20 years after its founding. Others, such as [Argentina](/source/Argentina), have shifted between federal, [confederal](/source/Confederation), and unitary systems, before settling into federalism. [Brazil](/source/Brazil) became a federation only after the fall of [the monarchy](/source/Brazilian_Empire), and [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela) became a federation after the [Federal War](/source/Federal_War).

[Australia](/source/Australia) and [Canada](/source/Canada) are also federations. They became federations while still part of the British Empire, and gradually evolved towards full independence.

[Germany](/source/Germany) is another [nation-state](/source/Nation-state) that has switched between confederal, federal and unitary rules, since the [German Confederation](/source/German_Confederation) was founded in 1815. The [North German Confederation](/source/North_German_Confederation), the succeeding [German Empire](/source/German_Empire) and the [Weimar Republic](/source/Weimar_Republic) were federations.

Founded in 1922, the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union) was formally a federation of [Soviet republics](/source/Republics_of_the_Soviet_Union), [autonomous republics](/source/Autonomous_Soviet_Socialist_Republics_of_the_Soviet_Union) and other federal subjects, though in practice highly centralized under the [government of the Soviet Union](/source/Government_of_the_Soviet_Union). The [Russian Federation](/source/Russia) has inherited a similar system.

[India](/source/India), [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan), [Nigeria](/source/Nigeria) and [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia) (then [Federation of Malaya](/source/Federation_of_Malaya)) became federations on or shortly before becoming independent from the [British Empire](/source/British_Empire).

In some recent cases, federations have been instituted as a measure to handle [ethnic conflict](/source/Ethnic_conflict) within a state, such as [Bosnia and Herzegovina](/source/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina), and [Iraq since 2005](/source/Federalism_in_Iraq) as well as [Somalia since 2012](/source/Somalia).

With the [United States Constitution](/source/United_States_Constitution) having become effective on 4 March 1789, the [United States](/source/United_States) is the oldest surviving federation, while the newest federation is [Nepal](/source/Nepal), after its [constitution](/source/Constitution_of_Nepal_2015) went into effect on 20 September 2015.

## Federations and other forms of state

A map of the [Russian Federation](/source/Russia), showing its eighty-three [federal subjects](/source/Federal_subjects_of_Russia) before the [annexation of Crimea](/source/Annexation_of_Crimea_by_the_Russian_Federation) in 2014

 A map of the [Federative Republic of Brazil](/source/Brazil), showing its [twenty-six constituent states](/source/Brazilian_states) and the [Federal District](/source/Federal_District_(Brazil))

 A map of the [Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia](/source/Ethiopia), showing its regions

 A map of the [Federal Republic of Nigeria](/source/Nigeria), showing its [36 states and the Federal Capital Territory](/source/States_of_Nigeria)

 A map of the [United Mexican States](/source/Mexico), showing its thirty-one constituent [states](/source/States_of_Mexico) and [Mexico City](/source/Mexico_City)

 A map of the [United States of America](/source/United_States) showing its fifty constituent [states](/source/U.S._state) and the [District of Columbia](/source/District_of_Columbia)

A map of [Canada](/source/Canada) showing its ten [provinces](/source/Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada) and three territories

A map of the [Commonwealth of Australia](/source/Australia) showing its six [states](/source/States_and_territories_of_Australia) and ten territories

A map of the [Federal Republic of Germany](/source/Germany) showing its sixteen constituent states ([*Länder*](/source/States_of_Germany)) including three [city-states](/source/City-states)

A map of the [Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal](/source/Nepal) showing its seven constituent provinces

A map of [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia) showing its thirteen [states](/source/States_and_federal_territories_of_Malaysia) and three federal territories

### Federations

The component states are in some sense sovereign, insofar as certain powers are reserved to them that may not be exercised by the central government. However, a federation is more than a mere loose alliance of independent states. The component states of a federation usually possess no powers in relation to foreign policy and so enjoy no independent status under [international law](/source/International_law). However, [German Länder](/source/States_of_Germany) have that power,[4] which is beginning to be exercised on a European level.

Some federations are called [asymmetric](/source/Asymmetric_federation) because some states have more autonomy than others. An example of such a federation is [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia), in which [Sarawak](/source/Sarawak) and [Sabah](/source/Sabah) agreed to form the federation on different terms and conditions from the states of [Peninsular Malaysia](/source/Peninsular_Malaysia).[5]

A federation often emerges from an initial agreement between several separate states. The purpose can be the will to solve mutual problems and to provide for mutual defense or to create a [nation-state](/source/Nation_state) for an ethnicity spread over several states. The former was the case with the United States and Switzerland. However, as the histories of countries and nations vary, the federalist system of a state can be quite different from these models. Australia, for instance, is unique in that it came into existence as a nation by the democratic vote of the citizens of each state, who voted "yes" in referendums to adopt the [Australian Constitution](/source/Australian_Constitution). Brazil, on the other hand, has experienced both the federal and the unitary state during its history. Some present-day states of the Brazilian federation retain borders set during the Portuguese colonization (before the very existence of the Brazilian state), whereas the latest state, [Tocantins](/source/Tocantins_(state)), was created by the [1988 Constitution](/source/1988_Brazilian_Constitution) for chiefly administrative reasons.

Seven of the top eight [largest countries by area](/source/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_area) are governed as federations.

### Unitary states

A [unitary state](/source/Unitary_state) is sometimes one with only a single, centralized, national tier of government. However, unitary states often also include one or more self-governing regions. The difference between a federation and this kind of unitary state is that in a unitary state the autonomous status of self-governing regions exists by the sufferance of the central government, and may be unilaterally revoked. While it is common for a federation to be brought into being by agreement between a number of formally independent states, in a unitary state self-governing regions are often created through a process of devolution, where a formerly centralized state agrees to grant autonomy to a region that was previously entirely subordinate. Thus, federations are often established voluntarily from "below" whereas devolution grants self-government from "above".

### Confederation

The [Swiss Confederation](/source/Swiss_Confederation) and its [26 cantons](/source/Cantons_of_Switzerland)

A [confederation](/source/Confederation), in modern political terms, is usually limited to a permanent union of sovereign states for common action in relation to other states.[6] The closest entity in the world to a confederation at this time is the [European Union](/source/European_Union). While the word *confederation* was officially used when the Canadian federal system was established in 1867, the term refers only to the process and not the resulting state since Canadian provinces are not sovereign and do not claim to be. In the case of [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland), while the country is still known officially as the Swiss Confederation, this is now a misnomer since the Swiss cantons [lost their sovereign status](/source/Switzerland_as_a_federal_state) in 1848.[7]

In Belgium, however, the opposite movement is underway.[8] Belgium was founded as a centralized state, after the French model, but has gradually been reformed into a federal state by consecutive constitutional reforms since the 1970s. Moreover, although nominally called a federal state, the country's structure already has a number of [confederational traits](/source/Confederation#Belgium). At present, there is a growing movement to transform the existing federal state into a looser confederation with two or three constitutive states and/or two special regions.[9]

A confederation is most likely to feature three differences when contrasted with a federation: (1) No real direct powers: many confederal decisions are externalized by member-state legislation; (2) Decisions on day-to-day-matters are not taken by simple majority but by special majorities or even by consensus or unanimity (veto for every member); (3) Changes of the constitution, usually a treaty, require unanimity.

Over time these terms acquired distinct connotations leading to the present difference in definition. An example of this is the United States under the [Articles of Confederation](/source/Articles_of_Confederation). The Articles established a national government under what today would be defined as a federal system (albeit with a comparatively weaker federal government). However, Canadians, designed with a *stronger* central government than the US in the wake of the Civil War of the latter, use the term ["Confederation"](/source/Canadian_Confederation) to refer to the formation or joining, not the structure, of Canada. Legal reforms, court rulings, and political compromises have *decentralized* Canada in practice since its formation in 1867.

### Empire

An [empire](/source/Empire) is a multi-ethnic state, [multinational state](/source/Multinational_state), or a group of nations with a [central government](/source/Central_government) established usually through [coercion](/source/Coercion) (on the model of the [Roman Empire](/source/Roman_Empire)). An empire often includes self-governing regions, but these will possess autonomy only at the sufferance of the central government. On the other hand, a political entity that is an empire in name may comprise several partly autonomous kingdoms organised together in a federation, with the empire being ruled over by an [emperor](/source/Emperor) or senior king ([great king](/source/Great_king), [high king](/source/High_king), [king of kings](/source/King_of_kings)...). One example of this was the [German Empire](/source/German_Empire) (1871–1918).

### Comparison with other systems of autonomy

#### Federacy

A [federacy](/source/Federacy)[10] is a unitary state that incorporates one or more self-governing [autonomous areas](/source/Autonomous_area). It is distinguished from a federation in that the constitutional structure of the state is still unitary, but incorporates federalist principles. Some federacies, notably [Åland](/source/%C3%85land), were established through [international treaty](/source/International_treaty).

#### Devolution

A federation differs from a [devolved state](/source/Devolution), such as [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia) and the United Kingdom, because, in a devolved state, the central government can revoke the independence of the subunits (the [Scottish Parliament](/source/Scottish_Parliament), the [Welsh Parliament](/source/Welsh_Parliament) and the [Northern Ireland Assembly](/source/Northern_Ireland_Assembly) in the case of the United Kingdom) without changing the constitution. In some cases, such as the [autonomous communities of Spain](/source/Autonomous_communities_of_Spain), devolution has led to federation in all but name, or "federation without federalism".[11]

#### Crown dependencies

The relation between the [Crown Dependencies](/source/Crown_Dependencies) of the [Isle of Man](/source/Isle_of_Man) and the bailiwicks of [Guernsey](/source/Guernsey) and [Jersey](/source/Jersey) in the [Channel Islands](/source/Channel_Islands) and the United Kingdom is very similar to a federate relation: the Islands enjoy independence from the United Kingdom, which, via The Crown, takes care of their foreign relations and defense – although the UK Parliament does have overall power to legislate for the dependencies. However, the islands are neither an incorporated part of the United Kingdom nor are they considered to be independent or associated states. The islands do not have a monarch, *per se*; rather in the Isle of Man the [British Monarch](/source/Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom) is, *[ex officio](/source/Ex_officio)*, [Lord of Mann](/source/Lord_of_Mann), and in the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey, the [British Monarch](/source/Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom) rules as the [Duke of Normandy](/source/Duke_of_Normandy).

#### Dependent territories

[Dependent territories](/source/Dependent_territory), such as the [British overseas territories](/source/British_overseas_territories), are vested with varying degrees of power; some enjoy considerable independence from the sovereign state, which only takes care of their foreign relations and defense. However, they are neither considered to be part of it nor recognized as sovereign or associated states.

### *De facto* federations

The distinction between a federation and a unitary state is often quite ambiguous. A unitary state may closely resemble a federation in structure and, while a central government may possess the theoretical right to revoke the autonomy of a self-governing region, it may be politically difficult for it to do so in practice. The self-governing regions of some unitary states also often enjoy greater autonomy than those of some federations. For these reasons, it is sometimes argued that some modern unitary states are *de facto* federations.[12]

*De facto* federations, or quasi-federations, are often termed "[regional states](/source/Regional_state)".

#### Spain

The [Autonomous communities of Spain](/source/Autonomous_communities_of_Spain)

[Spain](/source/Spain) is suggested as one possible *de facto* federation[13] as it grants more self-government to its [autonomous communities](/source/Autonomous_communities_of_Spain)[14][15] than are retained by the constituent entities of most federations.[16] For the [Spanish parliament](/source/Cortes_Generales) to revoke the autonomy of regions such as [Galicia](/source/Galicia_(Spain)), [Catalonia](/source/Catalonia) or the [Basque Country](/source/Basque_Country_(autonomous_community)) would be a political near-impossibility, though nothing bars it legally. The Spanish parliament has, however, suspended the autonomy of [Catalonia](/source/Catalonia) in response to the [Catalan declaration of independence](/source/Catalan_declaration_of_independence), in the lead-up to the [2017 Catalan election](/source/Catalan_regional_election%2C_2017).[17] Additionally, some autonomies such as [Navarre](/source/Navarre) or the Basque Country have full control over taxation and spending, transferring a payment to the central government for the common services (military, foreign relations, macroeconomic policy). For example, scholar Enrique Guillén López discusses the "federal nature of Spain's government (a trend that almost no one denies)."[18] Each autonomous community is governed by a [Statute of Autonomy](/source/Statute_of_Autonomy) (*Estatuto de Autonomía*) under the [Spanish Constitution of 1978](/source/Constitution_of_Spain).

#### South Africa

Provinces of South Africa

Although South Africa bears some elements of a federal system, such as the allocation of certain powers to provinces, some nevertheless argue that it is functionally a unitary state.[19] On the other hand, if federation is defined as the constitutional entrenchment of the powers of subcentral units (provinces, etc.) that is not unilaterally changeable or revocable by the central authority, South Africa does qualify, formally, as a federal state.[20]

#### European Union

This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (March 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: as of the Treaty of Lisbon EU no longer consists of three pillars. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (June 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The [European Union](/source/European_Union) (EU) is a [sui generis](/source/Sui_generis) [political union](/source/Political_union) or confederation (the assemblage of societies or an association of two or more states into one state).[21] [Robert Schuman](/source/Robert_Schuman), the initiator of the European Community system, wrote that a [transnational](/source/Transnational_governance) Community like the founding of the [European Coal and Steel Community](/source/European_Coal_and_Steel_Community) lay midway between an association of States where they retained complete independence and a federation leading to a fusion of States in a [super-state](/source/Superstate).[22] The [Founding Fathers of the European Union](/source/Founding_fathers_of_the_European_Union) wrote the [Europe Declaration (Charter of the Community)](/source/Europe_Declaration) at the time of the signing of the [Treaty of Paris](/source/Treaty_of_Paris_(1951)) on 18 April 1951 saying that Europe should be organized on a transnational foundation. They envisaged a structure quite different from a federation called the [European Political Community](/source/European_Political_Community_(1952)).{{[23]}

The EU is a three-pillar structure of the original supranational [European Economic Community](/source/European_Economic_Community) and the nuclear energy cooperation and non-proliferation treaty, [Euratom](/source/Euratom), plus two largely [intergovernmental](/source/Intergovernmentalism) pillars dealing with External Affairs and Justice and Home Affairs. The EU is therefore not a *[de jure](/source/De_facto#De_jure)* federation, although some[*[who?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions)*] academic observers conclude that, after 50 years of institutional evolution since the [Treaties of Rome](/source/Treaties_of_Rome), it is *becoming* one.[24] The European Union possesses attributes of a federal state. However, its central government is far weaker than that of most federations and the individual members are sovereign states under international law, so it is usually characterized as an unprecedented form of supranational union. The EU has responsibility for important areas such as trade, monetary union, agriculture, and fisheries. Nonetheless, EU [member states](/source/Member_State_of_the_European_Union) retain the right to act independently in matters of foreign policy and defense, and also enjoy a near-monopoly over other major policy areas such as criminal justice and taxation. Since the [Treaty of Lisbon](/source/Treaty_of_Lisbon), the Member States' right to leave the Union is codified, and the Union operates with more [qualified majority voting](/source/Qualified_majority_voting) (rather than unanimity) in many areas.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

By the signature of this Treaty, the participating Parties give proof of their determination to create the first supranational institution and that thus they are laying the true foundation of an organized Europe. This Europe remains open to all nations. We profoundly hope that other nations will join us in our common endeavor.

— [Europe Declaration](/source/Europe_Declaration), signed by Konrad Adenauer (West Germany), Paul van Zeeland, Joseph Meurice (Belgium) Robert Schuman (France) Count Sforza (Italy) Joseph Bech (Luxembourg) and Dirk Stikker, J. R. M. van den Brink (The Netherlands).[25]

Europe has charted its own brand of constitutional federalism.

— European Constitutionalism Beyond the State. Edited with [Marlene Wind](/source/Marlene_Wind) (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2003) page 23, [Joseph H. H. Weiler](/source/Joseph_H._H._Weiler)

Those uncomfortable using the "F" word in the EU context should feel free to refer to it as a quasi-federal or federal-like system. Nevertheless, for the purposes of the analysis here, the EU has the necessary attributes of a federal system. It is striking that while many scholars of the EU continue to resist analyzing it as a federation, most contemporary students of federalism view the EU as a federal system. (*See, for instance, Bednar, Filippov et al., McKay, Kelemen, Defigueido and Weingast*)

— [R. Daniel Kelemen](/source/R._Daniel_Kelemen)

A more nuanced view has been given by the German Constitutional Court.[26] Here the EU is defined as 'an association of sovereign national states (*[Staatenverbund](/source/Staatenverbund)*)'.[27] With this view, the European Union resembles more of a [confederation](/source/Confederation).

#### People's Republic of China

Main article: [Federalism in China](/source/Federalism_in_China)

Constitutionally, the power vested in the [special administrative regions](/source/Special_Administrative_Region_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China) of the People's Republic is granted from the [Central People's Government](/source/Central_People's_Government), through a decision by the [National People's Congress](/source/National_People's_Congress). However, there have been certain largely informal grants of power to the provinces, to handle economic affairs and implement national policies, resulting in a system some have termed "federalism [with Chinese characteristics](/source/With_Chinese_characteristics)".[28]

#### Myanmar

Constitutionally a [unitary state](/source/Unitary_state), the political system in Myanmar bears many elements of federalism. Each [administrative division](/source/Administrative_divisions_of_Myanmar) has its own cabinets and chief ministers, making it more like a federation rather than a unitary state.

#### Wallis and Futuna

The [French](/source/France) [overseas collectivity](/source/Overseas_collectivity) [Wallis and Futuna](/source/Wallis_and_Futuna) maintains some quasi-federation attributes. The territory is divided into three traditional chiefdoms: [Uvea](/source/Uvea_(Wallis_and_Futuna)), [Sigave](/source/Sigave), and [Alo](/source/Alo_(Wallis_and_Futuna)). The chiefdoms are allowed to have their own [legal system](/source/Legal_custom) which have to be implemented along with [French legal system](/source/Law_of_France).

## Internal controversy and conflict

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The [United Provinces of Central America](/source/United_Provinces_of_Central_America) was a short-lived federal republic.

Certain forms of political and constitutional dispute are common to federations. One issue is that the exact division of power and responsibility between federal and regional governments is often a source of controversy. Often, as is the case with the [United States](/source/United_States), such conflicts are resolved through the judicial system, which delimits the powers of federal and local governments. The relationship between federal and local courts varies from nation to nation and can be a controversial and complex issue in itself.

Another common issue in federal systems is the conflict between regional and national interests, or between the interests and aspirations of different ethnic groups. In some federations the entire jurisdiction is relatively homogeneous, and each constituent state resembles a miniature version of the whole; this is known as 'congruent federalism'. On the other hand, incongruent federalism exists where different states or regions possess distinct ethnic groups.

The ability of a federal government to create national institutions that can mediate differences that arise because of linguistic, ethnic, religious, or other regional differences is an important challenge. The inability to meet this challenge may lead to the secession of parts of a federation or to civil war, as occurred in the United States (southern states sought to protect the institution of slavery while northern states opposed it, with a catalysis occurring in the then–[Kansas Territory](/source/Bleeding_Kansas)), in [Nigeria](/source/Nigeria) and in [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland). In the case of [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia), [Singapore](/source/Singapore) was expelled from the federation because of rising racial tension. In some cases, internal conflict may lead a federation to collapse entirely, as occurred the [Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland](/source/Federation_of_Rhodesia_and_Nyasaland), the [Gran Colombia](/source/Gran_Colombia), the [United Provinces of Central America](/source/United_Provinces_of_Central_America), and the [West Indies Federation](/source/West_Indies_Federation).

## Federal governments

The federal government is the common government of a national or supranational federation. A federal government may have distinct powers at various levels authorized or delegated to it by its member states. The structure of federal governments varies. Based on a broad definition of a basic [federalism](/source/Federalism), there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and govern through common institutions with overlapping or shared powers as prescribed by a constitution.

The federal government is the government at the level of the sovereign state. Usual responsibilities of this level of government are maintaining national security and exercising international diplomacy, including the right to sign binding treaties. Basically, a modern federal government, within the limits defined by its constitution, has the power to make laws for the whole country, unlike local governments.

Federal government within this structure are the government ministries and departments and agencies to which the ministers of government are assigned.[29]

### Contemporary

Main articles: [Federal republic](/source/Federal_republic), [Federal monarchy](/source/Federal_monarchy), and [Federated state § List of constituents by federation](/source/Federated_state#List_of_constituents_by_federation)

There are 27 federations in the world, with 6 each in [Africa](/source/Africa), [Asia](/source/Asia) and [Europe](/source/Europe), 4 in [North America](/source/North_America), 3 in [South America](/source/South_America) and 2 in [Oceania](/source/Oceania).

Current federations Year est. Country Type [t 1] Structure Top-level subdivisions (federated and other) Major federated units Minor units[t 2] (federated or other) 1853 Argentine Republic R Presidential Provinces of Argentina 23 provinces 1 autonomous city 1901 Commonwealth of Australia M Parliamentary States and territories of Australia 6 states 3 internal territories (of which 2 are self-governing) and 7 external territories 1920 Republic of Austria R Parliamentary[t 3] States of Austria 9 states (Länder or Bundesländer) incl. the city-state of Vienna 1993 Kingdom of Belgium M Parliamentary Divisions of Belgium 3 communities, 3 regions 3 communitarian commissions 1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina R Parliamentary Divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 entities, one of which is itself a federation of 10 cantons 1 district[t 4] 1889 Federative Republic of Brazil R Presidential Federative units of Brazil 27 federative units (of which one is a federal district and the others are states)[t 5] 5,569 municipalities[30][31] 1867 Canada M Parliamentary Provinces and territories of Canada 10 provinces 3 territories 1992 Union of the Comoros R Presidential Autonomous islands of the Comoros 3 autonomous islands 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia R Parliamentary Regions and chartered cities of Ethiopia 12 regions[32] 2 chartered cities 1949 Federal Republic of Germany R Parliamentary States of Germany 16 states (Länder or Bundesländer) incl. the city-states of Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen 1947[t 6] Republic of India R Parliamentary States and union territories of India 28 states 8 union territories, including a national capital territory 2005 Republic of Iraq R Parliamentary Governorates of Iraq 19 provinces (governorates) 1963 Malaysia M Parliamentary States of Malaysia 13 states 3 federal territories 1824 United Mexican States R Presidential States of Mexico 31 states Mexico City 1979 Federated States of Micronesia R Presidential Administrative divisions of Micronesia 4 states 2015 Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal R Parliamentary Provinces of Nepal 7 provinces 1960[t 7] Federal Republic of Nigeria R Presidential Subdivisions of Nigeria 36 states 1 federal capital territory 1947[t 8] Islamic Republic of Pakistan R Parliamentary Provinces and territories of Pakistan 4 provinces 2 autonomous territories and 1 federal capital territory 1992[t 9] Russian Federation R Semi-presidential Federal subjects of Russia 89 total subjects; 48 oblasts, 24 republics, 9 krais, 4 autonomous okrugs, 3 federal-level cities, 1 autonomous oblast[33][34] 1983 Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis M Parliamentary The islands Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 federal unit (the island of Nevis) The island of Saint Kitts (directly administered by the federal government) 2012 Federal Republic of Somalia R Parliamentary Federal Member States of Somalia 7 states[35] 2011 Republic of South Sudan R Presidential States of South Sudan 10 states 3 administrative areas (which one of them has special administrative status) 1956 Republic of the Sudan R Military junta States of Sudan 18 states 1848 Swiss Confederation R Directorial Cantons of Switzerland 26 cantons[t 10] 1971 United Arab Emirates M Semi-constitutional monarchy Emirates of the UAE 7 emirates 1776[t 11] United States of America R Presidential US states and territories 50 states 1 federal district; 16 territories[t 12] 1863 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela R Presidential States of Venezuela 23 states 1 federal district, 1 federal dependency

1. **[^](#cite_ref-30)** R = [Federal republic](/source/Federal_republic); M = Monarchy

1. **[^](#cite_ref-31)** That is, first-level subdivisions possessing less autonomy than the major federated units.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-32)** *[De facto](/source/De_facto)*; *[de jure](/source/De_jure)* a [semi-presidential republic](/source/Semi-presidential_republic).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-33)** [Brčko District](/source/Br%C4%8Dko_District) is *de jure* part of both entities, and *de facto* administered separately from either.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-34)** 20 provinces during the [Empire of Brazil](/source/Empire_of_Brazil) 1822–89

1. **[^](#cite_ref-38)** As an [independent Dominion](/source/Dominion_of_India); republic declared in 1950

1. **[^](#cite_ref-39)** As the [Federation of Nigeria](/source/Federation_of_Nigeria); republic declared in 1963

1. **[^](#cite_ref-40)** As an [independent Dominion](/source/Dominion_of_Pakistan); republic declared in 1956

1. **[^](#cite_ref-41)** After the [dissolution of the Soviet Union](/source/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union), a new [Treaty of Federation](/source/Treaty_of_Federation) was signed in 1992, which did not include all of the same components as the Soviet Union.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-45)** Three pairs of cantons have less power at federal level than the other 20 cantons, but the same degree of internal autonomy.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-46)** The [United States Constitution](/source/United_States_Constitution), which replaced the [Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union](/source/Articles_of_Confederation_and_Perpetual_Union), was drafted in 1787 and was ratified in 1788. The [first Congress](/source/1st_United_States_Congress) and [President](/source/George_Washington) did not take office until March 1789.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-47)** Of the 5 territories that are permanently inhabited, all are [unincorporated](/source/Unincorporated_territories_of_the_United_States), two are [commonwealths](/source/Commonwealth_(U.S._insular_area)) and a third is formally [unorganized](/source/Territories_of_the_United_States#Organized_vs._unorganized). Of the other 11, one is incorporated and all are unorganized; together they form the [United States Minor Outlying Islands](/source/United_States_Minor_Outlying_Islands). The term *[insular area](/source/Insular_area)* includes both territories and places with a [Compact of Free Association](/source/Compact_of_Free_Association).

### Defunct

- [Holy Roman Empire](/source/Holy_Roman_Empire) (800–1806)[36]

- [Inca Empire](/source/Inca_Empire) (1197–1572)

- [Confederation of Madja-as](/source/Confederation_of_Madja-as) (1200–1569)

- [Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederation)](/source/Iroquois) (15th/16th century-1799)

- [Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth](/source/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth) (1569–1795)

- [Federated Dutch Republic](/source/Federated_Dutch_Republic) (1581–1795)

- [Confederate Ireland](/source/Confederate_Ireland) (1642–1652)

- [Hawaiian Kingdom](/source/Hawaiian_Kingdom) (1795–1827)[37]

- [United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves](/source/United_Kingdom_of_Portugal%2C_Brazil_and_the_Algarves) (1815–1825)

- [Hispaniola](/source/Unification_of_Hispaniola) (1822–1844)

- [United Provinces of Central America](/source/United_Provinces_of_Central_America) (1823 – c. 1838)

- [Peru–Bolivian Confederation](/source/Peru%E2%80%93Bolivian_Confederation) (1836–1839)

- [Confederation of New Granada](/source/Neogranadine_Confederation) (1858–1863)

- [Confederate States of America](/source/Confederate_States_of_America) (1861–1865)

- [United States of Colombia](/source/United_States_of_Colombia) (1863–1886)

- [North German Confederation](/source/North_German_Confederation) (1867–1871)

- [Austria-Hungary](/source/Austria-Hungary) (1867–1918)

- [German Empire](/source/German_Empire) (1871–1918)

- [Federal Republic of Spain](/source/First_Spanish_Republic) (1873–1874)

- [French Indochina](/source/French_Indochina) (1887–1949)

- [Federated Malay States](/source/Federated_Malay_States) (1896–1946)

- [French West Africa](/source/French_West_Africa) (1904–1958)

- [French Equatorial Africa](/source/French_Equatorial_Africa) (1910–1934)

- [Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic](/source/Transcaucasian_Democratic_Federative_Republic) (1918)

- [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics](/source/Soviet_Union) (1918–1992)

- [Weimar Republic](/source/Weimar_Republic) (1919–1933)

- [Syrian Federation](/source/Syrian_Federation) (1922–1925)

- [Federal State of Austria](/source/Federal_State_of_Austria) (1934–1938)

- [Mengjiang Autonomous United Government](/source/Mengjiang) (1937–1945, since 1941 autonomous region of the [Reorganized National Government of China](/source/Reorganized_National_Government_of_China))

- [Malayan Union](/source/Malayan_Union) (1946–1948)

- [Federation of Malaya](/source/Federation_of_Malaya) (1948–1963)[38]

- [United States of Indonesia](/source/United_States_of_Indonesia) (1949–1950)

- [United Kingdom of Libya](/source/United_Kingdom_of_Libya) (1951–1963)

- [Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea](/source/Federation_of_Ethiopia_and_Eritrea) (1952–1962)

- [Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland](/source/Federation_of_Rhodesia_and_Nyasaland) (1953–1963)

- [West Indies Federation](/source/West_Indies_Federation) (1958–1962)

- [Mali Federation](/source/Mali_Federation) (1959–1960)

- [First Congolese Republic (Léopoldville)](/source/First_Congolese_Republic) (1960–1964)

- [Federal Republic of Cameroon](/source/Cameroon) (1961–1972)

- [Republic of South Africa](/source/South_Africa) (1961–1994)

- [Republic of Uganda](/source/Uganda) (1962–1967)

- [Republic of Kenya](/source/Republic_of_Kenya) (1963–1964)

- [United Republic of Tanzania](/source/United_Republic_of_Tanzania) (1964–1965)

- [Czechoslovak Socialist Republic](/source/Czechoslovak_Socialist_Republic)[39] (1969–1992)

- [Federal Republic of Yugoslavia](/source/Serbia_and_Montenegro) (1992–2003)

Some of the [proclaimed Arab federations](/source/Confederation#Historical_confederations) were confederations *de facto*.

## See also

- [Anti-Federalism](/source/Anti-Federalism) – 1780s political movement in the USPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- [Canadian Confederation](/source/Canadian_Confederation) – 1867 unification of Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick

- [Centre for Studies on Federalism](/source/Centre_for_Studies_on_Federalism) – Turin university established 2000

- [Commonwealth](/source/Commonwealth) – Political community established for common good

- [Corporative federalism](/source/Corporative_federalism) – Federalism based on members' legal personhood

- [Constitutional economics](/source/Constitutional_economics) – Research program in economics and constitutionalism

- [Federalism in Australia](/source/Federalism_in_Australia)

- [Federalist](/source/Federalist) – Set of political beliefs

- [*The Federalist Papers*](/source/The_Federalist_Papers) – 1788 essay collection by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

- [Federation of Australia](/source/Federation_of_Australia) – Process of Australian unification

- [Foederati](/source/Foederati) – Peoples and cities bound by a treaty, typically with ancient Rome

- [Independent city#Federal capitals](/source/Independent_city#Federal_capitals) – Type of city or town

- [International organisation](/source/International_organization) – Organization established by treaty between governments

- [Międzymorze (Intermarium)](/source/Mi%C4%99dzymorze) – Proposed country during World War IPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- [Multinational state](/source/Multinational_state) – State comprising multiple nations

- [Neo-functionalism](/source/Neofunctionalism) – Political theory

- [New federalism](/source/New_federalism) – Transfer of certain powers from the United States federal government back to the statesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- [Non-governmental federation](/source/Non-governmental_federation) – Federations which are not states or national governments

- [Rule according to higher law](/source/Rule_according_to_higher_law) – Belief that universal principles of morality override unjust laws

- [Supranationalism](/source/Supranationalism) – Multinational political union with a central authorityPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- [Supranational union](/source/Supranational_union) – Multinational political union with a central authority

- [World Federalist Movement](/source/World_Federalist_Movement) – Political idea of a global federal governmentPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Federalism and Federation"](https://pesd.princeton.edu/node/431). *The Princeton Encyclopedia of Self-Determination*. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Anderson, George (28 July 2008). [*Federalism: an introduction*](https://forumfedorg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Federalism-pdf-to-press.pdf) (PDF). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. p. 2. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-542904-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-542904-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-u838_3-0)** ["Countries"](https://www.forumfed.org/countries/). *Forum of Federations*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250525034923/https://www.forumfed.org/countries/) from the original on 25 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Leonardy, U. (1992). "Federation and Länder in German foreign relations: Power-sharing in treaty-making and European affairs". *German Politics*. **1** (3): 119–135. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/09644009208404305](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F09644009208404305).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Harding, Andrew (25 January 2021). ["Asymmetric Federalism and Protection of Indigenous Peoples: The Case of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Federalism"](https://50shadesoffederalism.com/case-studies/asymmetric-federalism-and-protection-of-indigenous-peoples-the-case-of-sabah-and-sarawak-in-malaysian-federalism/). *50 Shades of Federalism*. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["confederation"](https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?q=confederation). *[Oxford English Dictionary](/source/Oxford_English_Dictionary)* (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or [participating institution membership](https://www.oed.com/public/login/loggingin#withyourlibrary) required.)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [CH: Confoederatio Helvetica - Switzerland - Information](http://www.swissworld.org/en/politics/general_information/ch_confoederatio_helvetica/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150330035550/http://www.swissworld.org/en/politics/general_information/ch_confoederatio_helvetica/) 30 March 2015 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). Swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Lagasse_8-0)** One of the most important recent books about the Belgian institutions, written by one of the leading French-speaking jurists[*[who?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions)*] concludes: *Vers le confédéralisme* (Toward a Confederation). See: Charles-Etienne Lagasse, *Les Nouvelles institutions politiques de la Belgique et de l'Europe*, Erasme, [Namur](/source/Namur) 2003, p. 603 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [2-87127-783-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/2-87127-783-4)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Belgium_9-0)** Many Flemings would prefer two states, Flanders and Wallonia, and two special regions, Brussels and the German-speaking region. In Wallonia, there is wider support for three states: Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Some dictionaries, such as the Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language (1989 ed.), state that federacy is synonymous with confederacy ("by aphesis"). In French, the English words federacy, confederacy, and confederation are all translated by "confédération".

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Spain_Xavier_Arbós_Marín_page_375_11-0)** The Federal Option and Constitutional Management of Diversity in Spain Xavier Arbós Marín, page 375; included in 'The Ways of Federalism in Western Countries and the Horizons of Territorial Autonomy in Spain' (volume 2), edited by Alberto López-Eguren and Leire Escajedo San Epifanio; edited by [Springer](/source/Axel_Springer_SE) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-642-27716-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-642-27716-0), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-642-27717-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-642-27717-7)(eBook)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Sahadzic, Maja. ["Federal Theory on Constitutional Asymmetries: revisited"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190227060720/https://www.qmul.ac.uk/law/media/law/docs/undergrad/13-Sahadzic.pdf) (PDF). *Queen Mary Law Journal*: 135–147. Archived from [the original](https://www.qmul.ac.uk/law/media/law/docs/undergrad/13-Sahadzic.pdf) (PDF) on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Is Spain a federation?"](https://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/25811-Is-Spain-a-federation). *Eupedia.com*. 8–25 May 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Mallet_14-0)** Mallet, Victor (18 August 2010). ["Flimsier footings"](https://www.ft.com/content/de6c00f0-8c25-11de-b14f-00144feabdc0). *Financial Times*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/de6c00f0-8c25-11de-b14f-00144feabdc0.html) from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2010.([registration required](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Access_to_sources))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-economist.com_15-0)** ["A survey of Spain: How much is enough?"](http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12501023). *The Economist*. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2010.(subscription required)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Moreno, Luis. ["Federalization in multinational Spain"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210922083211/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/36013985.pdf) (PDF). Unidad de Políticas Comparadas (CSIC). Working Paper 07-04. Archived from [the original](https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/36013985.pdf) (PDF) on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Rajoy cesa al Govern, disuelve el Parlament y convoca elecciones para el 21 de diciembre"](https://www.eldiario.es/politica/Rajoy-cesa-Puigdemont-Govern_0_701680927.html). *eldiario.es*. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [Enrique Guillén López](http://www.ugr.es/~pwdconst/enrique/ENRIQUE%20GUILLEN.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091011102721/http://www.ugr.es/~pwdconst/enrique/ENRIQUE%20GUILLEN.htm) 11 October 2009 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), JUDICIAL REVIEW IN SPAIN: THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT, 41 Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review 541, 544 (2008).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Wright, Jonathan Haydn Faure (31 March 2014). ["The type of government in the Republic of South Africa - Examining the presence of federal and unitary state elements in the republic"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261213778). *www.researchgate.net*. Retrieved 8 November 2016. After careful research and analysis of various sources and the constitution, it can be confirmed that the government system in the Republic of South Africa is a unitary system. Observance of the government in action, as well as analysis of the constitution, has contributed to this confirmation. Despite the delocalization enjoyed within the republic, the federal principle is not evident enough and it failed Wheare's very simple federal test right in the beginning

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** van Staden, Martin (Fall 2021). ["The Potential for Constitutional Devolution in South Africa"](https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/fall-2021/potential-constitutional-devolution-south-africa). *[Cato Journal](/source/Cato_Journal)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** "Federalist Paper No. 9", p. 70 Alexander Hamilton

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** *La Communaute du Charbon et de l'Acier*, p7 Paul Reuter with a preface by Robert Schuman. Paris 1953.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** [https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/history/1945-59_en](https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/history/1945-59_en)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** Josselin, J. M.; Marciano, A. (2006). "How the court made a federation of the EU". *The Review of International Organizations*. **2**: 59–75. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s11558-006-9001-y](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11558-006-9001-y). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [153687230](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:153687230).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** *Schuman or Monnet? The real Architect of Europe.* p 129. Bron 2004

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** ["Federal Constitutional Court Press Release No. 72/2009 of 30 June 2009. Judgment of 30 June 2009: Act Approving the Treaty of Lisbon compatible with the Basic Law; accompanying law unconstitutional to the extent that legislative bodies have not been accorded sufficient rights of participation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121022061516/http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/en/press/bvg09-072en.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/en/press/bvg09-072en.html) on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Due to this structural democratic deficit, which cannot be resolved in an association of sovereign national states (Staatenverbund), further steps of integration that go beyond the status quo may undermine neither the States' political power of action nor the principle of conferral. The peoples of the Member States are the holders of the constituent power. The Basic Law does not permit the special bodies of the legislative, executive and judicial power to dispose of the essential elements of the constitution, i.e. of the constitutional identity (Article 23.1 sentence 3, Article 79.3 GG). The constitutional identity is an inalienable element of the democratic self-determination of a people. The original German uses the word *Staatenverbund*, which they translate as "association of sovereign states", rather than the word *Staatenbund* (confederation of states) or *Bundesstaat* (federal state).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** Senat, Bundesverfassungsgericht, 2. (30 June 2009). ["Bundesverfassungsgericht - Decisions - Act Approving the Treaty of Lisbon compatible with the Basic Law - accompanying law unconstitutional to the extent that legislative bodies have not been accorded sufficient rights of participation"](http://www.bverfg.de/entscheidungen/es20090630_2bve000208en.html). *www.bverfg.de*.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** Gregory H. Fuller (2008). "Economic Warlords: How De Facto Federalism Inhibits China's Compliance with International Trade Law and Jeopardizes Global Environmental Initiatives". *Tennessee Law Review*. **75**: 545. [SSRN](/source/SSRN_(identifier)) [1151187](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1151187).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Gttsdpc_29-0)** ["Guidebook to the Somali Draft Provisional Constitution"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130120021547/http://unpos.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=v067edqd7a8%3D&tabid=9705&language=en-US). Archived from [the original](http://unpos.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=v067edqd7a8%3D&tabid=9705&language=en-US) on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-35)** [*[clarification needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)*]["IBGE atualiza Estruturas Territoriais do país | Agência de Notícias"](https://agenciadenoticias.ibge.gov.br/agencia-noticias/2012-agencia-de-noticias/noticias/43213-ibge-atualiza-estruturas-territoriais-do-pais). *Agência de Notícias - IBGE* (in Brazilian Portuguese). 29 April 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-36)** ["Constituição"](https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao.htm). *www.planalto.gov.br*. Retrieved 24 June 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-37)** [Ethiopia: Upper House votes to form 12th regional state](https://www.africanews.com/2023/07/06/ethiopia-upper-house-votes-to-form-12th-regional-state/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-42)** [Federal structure of Russia](http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-04.htm), Article 65 of Russian Constitution.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-43)** see [Political status of Crimea](/source/Political_status_of_Crimea).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-44)** ["Federal Member States (FMS)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220618200722/http://mop.gov.so/index.php/the-ministry/directorates/planning/federal-member-states-fms/). 13 April 2018. Archived from [the original](https://mop.gov.so/index.php/the-ministry/directorates/planning/federal-member-states-fms/) on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-48)** [Whaley, Joachim](/source/Joachim_Whaley) (2002). "2: Federal Habits: the Holy Roman Empire and the continuity of German Federalism". In Umbach, Maiken (ed.). [*German Federalism: Past, Present and Future*](https://books.google.com/books?id=YmuLDAAAQBAJ). New Perspectives in German Political Studies. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 15. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780230505797](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780230505797). Retrieved 19 November 2017. Few would query the proposition that German federalism has deep historical roots. Indeed discussion of its contemporary manestation in the Federal Republic routinely refer to the federal traditions of the Holy Roman Empire -...].

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Sai_49-0)** David Keanu Sai. ["THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION OF THE HAWAIIAN KINGDOM: BEGINNING THE TRANSITION FROM OCCUPIED TO RESTORED STATE"](https://www2.hawaii.edu/~anu/pdf/Dissertation(Sai).pdf#:~:text=Kamehameha%20I%20to%20III;%20the%20Rise%20of,the%20Prolonged%20Occupation%20of%20the%20Hawaiian%20Kingdom:.) (PDF). [University of Hawaii](/source/University_of_Hawaii). Three additional laws prohibiting the selling of rum, prostitution, and gambling were later added to the code, and proclaimed together as the first penal laws of the kingdom on December 8th 1827. The enforcement of these penal laws, however, resided within the multi-tiered feudal structure of various mesne lords who ruled over the people. The "rule of law" had not yet been laid as the cornerstone of constitutional governance and enforcement of the law was not sufficient across the realm, but it was the beginning of modernity and the move from a federal to a unitary form of governance.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-50)** Gained independence in 1957, joined with [Sabah](/source/Sabah), [Sarawak](/source/Sarawak), and Singapore to form [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia) in 1963.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-51)** Became [Czech and Slovak Federative Republic](/source/Czech_and_Slovak_Federative_Republic) through a constitutional change in 1990.

## External links

- ["Federal Government"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_New_International_Encyclop%C3%A6dia/Federal_Government). *[New International Encyclopedia](/source/New_International_Encyclopedia)*. 1905.

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Authority control databases International GND National United States France BnF data Japan Czech Republic Israel Other Historical Dictionary of Switzerland Yale LUX

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