Confederation 227091 move=:edit= 225853845 2008-07-15T18:31:51Z 78.21.220.54 change wikilink to first appearance [[Image:Frankfurter Fürstentag 1863 Abschlußphoto.jpg|thumb|400px|The monarchs of the member states of the German Confederation meet at Frankfurt in 1863.]] A '''confederation''' is a group of empowered states or communities, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. Confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues, such as [[defense (military)|defense]], [[foreign affairs]], [[foreign trade]], and a common [[currency]], with the central government being required to provide support for all members. A confederation, in modern political terms, is usually limited to a permanent union of sovereign states for common action in relation to other states.<ref>Oxford English Dictionary</ref> The main differences with a [[federation]] are: (1) No real direct powers: many confederal decisions are externalised 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. The nature of the relationship between the entities constituting a confederation varies considerably. Likewise, the relationship between the member states and the central government, and the distribution of powers among them, is highly variable. Some looser confederations are similar to [[international organization]]s, while tighter confederations may resemble federations. In a non-political context, confederation is used to describe a type of organization which consolidates authority from other semi-autonomous bodies. Examples include sports confederations or confederations of Pan-European [[trades union]]s. The noun '''confederation''' <!-- not a [[verbal noun]] -->refers to the process of (or the event of) confederating; i.e., establishing a confederation (or by extension a federation). In [[Canada]], [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]] generally refers to the [[British North America Act, 1867]] which initially united four colonies of British North America ([[Province of Upper Canada]], [[Province of Lower Canada]], [[Province of New Brunswick]] and [[Province of Nova Scotia]]), and to the subsequent incorporation of other colonies and territories. Despite this use of the word "confederation", [[Canada]] is a federal state. == List of entities considered to be confederations == Note that historical confederations, especially those predating the 20th century, may not fit the current definition of a confederation, may be proclaimed as a federation but be confederal, and may not show any qualities that are today recognized as those of a federation. === Today === * [[Iroquois Confederacy]] (1090&ndash;present) === Historic confederations === Some have more the characteristics of a [[personal union]], but they are still listed here because of their own self-styling. * [[Crown of Aragon]] (1137&ndash;1716) * [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]] (confederated personal union; 1447&ndash;1492, 1501&ndash;1569, (different [[government]]s, [[armies]], [[Treasury|treasuries]], [[law]]s, [[territory (country subdivision)|territories]] with [[border]]s, [[citizenship]]s; common [[monarch]] ([[Grand Duke]] of Lithuania and [[King of Poland]]), [[parliament]] ([[Sejm#Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Sejm]]) and [[currency]]) * [[Switzerland]] (1291&ndash;1848), officially the Swiss Confederation * [[Republic of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands]] (1581-1795) * [[Confederate Ireland]] (1641-1649) * [[New England Confederation]] (1643&ndash;1684) * [[United States of America]] under the [[Articles of Confederation]] (1781&ndash;1789) * [[Confederate States of America]], (1861&ndash;1865) * [[Aro Confederacy]], (1690 -1902), in what is now [[Nigeria]], [[Cameroon]] and [[Equatorial Guinea]] * [[Union of African States]] (1961&ndash;1963, [[Mali]]+[[Ghana]]+[[Guinea]]) * [[Sénégambia Confederation|Senegambia]] (1982&ndash;1989, [[Senegal]]+[[Gambia]]) * [[Hanseatic League]] * [[United Provinces of New Granada]] (1810&ndash;1816 in what is now [[Colombia]]) * [[Powhatan Confederacy]] * [[Carlist States in Spain]] (1872&ndash;1876) * [[State Union of Serbia and Montenegro|Serbia and Montenegro]] (2003&ndash;2006) * [[United Arab Republic]] (confederation de-facto; 1958&ndash;1961, [[Egypt]]+[[Syria]]; 1963, [[Egypt]]+[[Syria]]+[[Iraq]]) * [[Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan|Arab Federation]] (confederation de-facto; 1958, ([[Iraq]]+[[Jordan]]) * [[Federation of Arab Republics]] (confederation de-facto; 1972, [[Egypt]]+[[Syria]]+[[Libya]]) * [[Arab Islamic Republic]] (confederation de-facto; 1974, [[Libya]]+[[Tunisia]]) * [[Peru-Bolivian Confederation]] (1836&ndash;1839) * [[Kalmar Union]] (confederated personal union; 1397&ndash;1523, [[Denmark]]+[[Sweden]]+[[Norway]]) * [[Denmark-Norway]] (confederated personal union; 1536&ndash;1814) * [[Union between Sweden and Norway|Sweden-Norway]] (confederated personal union; 1814&ndash;1905) * [[Confederation of Central America]] (1842&ndash;1844, [[El Salvador]]+[[Guatemala]]+[[Honduras]]+[[Nicaragua]]) * [[Confederation of the Equator]] (1824) - located in Northeast [[Brazil]]. * Pre-united Germany after the [[Holy Roman Empire]] ** [[Confederation of the Rhine]] (1806&ndash;1813) had no head of state nor a government ** [[German Confederation]] (1815&ndash;1866) ** [[North German Confederation]] (1866&ndash;1871) Became the [[German Empire]] in 1871 === Fictional confederations === * [[Confederacy of Independent Systems]] ([[Star Wars]]) * [[Terran Confederation]] ([[Wing Commander (computer game)|Wing Commander]]) * [[Terran Confederacy]] ([[StarCraft]]) * [[Capellan Confederation]] ([[Battletech]]) * Confederation of Planet Omega (animated series [[Once Upon a Time... Space]]) == See also == * [[Confederacy]] * [[List of forms of government]] * [[Multi-speed Europe]] * [[Commonwealth]] * "[[Federal Europe]]" == References == {{reflist}} == Sources and external links == {{Wiktionary}} * [http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/federal/fathers.htm The Fathers of Confederation] * [http://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/keys/webtours/GE_P1_2_EN.html Confederation: The Creation of Canada] &mdash; Illustrated Historical Essay * [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/South_Africa.html WorldStatesmen- here South Africa] {{Supranationalism/World government topics}} [[Category:Constitutional state types]] [[Category:Forms of government]] [[Category:Federalism]] [[Category:political systems]] [[bs:Konfederacija]] [[bg:Конфедерация]] [[ca:Confederació]] [[cs:Konfederace]] [[cy:Conffederasiwn]] [[da:Konføderation]] [[de:Staatenbund]] [[et:Konföderatsioon]] [[es:Confederación]] [[fa:کنفدراسیون]] [[fr:Confédération (organisation politique)]] [[gl:Confederación]] [[ko:국가연합]] [[hr:Konfederacija]] [[id:Konfederasi]] [[it:Confederazione]] [[he:קונפדרציה]] [[lt:Konfederacija]] [[mk:Конфедерација]] [[nl:Confederatie]] [[ja:国家連合]] [[no:Konføderasjon]] [[nn:Konføderasjon]] [[pl:Konfederacja]] [[pt:Confederação]] [[ro:Confederaţie]] [[ru:Конфедерация]] [[sr:Конфедерација]] [[sh:Konfederacija]] [[fi:Valtioliitto]] [[sv:Konfederation]] [[tr:Konfederasyon]] [[uk:Конфедерація]] [[zh:邦联制]]