Federation
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{{otheruses1|federal states}}
[[Image:Map of federal states.svg|thumb|right|A map displaying today's official federations.]]
A '''federation''' ([[Latin]]: ''foedus'', covenant) is a [[Political union|union]] comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal") government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the [[state|component states]] is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a [[Unilateralism|unilateral]] decision of the central government.
The [[form of government]] or constitutional structure found in a federation is known as '''[[federalism]]''' (see also [[#Federalism as a political philosophy|federalism as a political philosophy]]). It can be considered the opposite of another system, the [[unitary state]]. The government of [[Germany]] with sixteen federated ''[[Länder]]'' is an example of a federation, whereas neighboring [[Austria]] and its ''[[States of Austria|Bundesländer]]'' was a unitary state with [[administrative division]]s that became federated, and neighboring [[France]] by contrast has always been unitary.
Federations may be [[ethnicity|multi-ethnic]], or cover a large area of territory, although neither is necessarily the case. Federations are often founded on an original agreement between a number of [[sovereignty|sovereign]] states.
The international organization for federal countries, the [[Forum of Federations]] <ref>[http://www.forumfed.org Forum of Federations]</ref>, is based in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. It helps share [[best practices]] amongst countries with federal systems of government, and currently includes nine countries as partner governments.
==Federations and other forms of state==
[[Image:Map of USA with state names.svg|thumb|right|A map of the United States of America, showing its fifty constituent states.]]
[[Image:Mexico states map w names.png|thumb|right|A map of the United Mexican States (Mexico), showing its thirty one constituent states and the Federal District.]]
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:2001russiabg.jpg|thumb|right|A map of the Russian Federation, showing constituent ''oblasts'', or states.]] -->
In a federation the component states are regarded as 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 they enjoy no independent status under [[international law]].
A federation will usually have a two-tier system of government in most of its territory and covering most of its population. It is not uncommon, however, for a federation to possess at least some territories which are under the direct control of the federal government. For example, the Territories of [[Canada]] and of [[Australia]] have varying degrees of self-government, which may be changed or withdrawn unilaterally by their respective federal governments; [[India]] possesses, in addition to its constituent States, several Union Territories; and the United States and Mexico govern their respective capitals as the [[District of Columbia]] and the Federal District respectively. In this latter case, the federal government has special constitutional faculties in regards to the appointment and destitution of the local government. Often, an area will be directly ruled by the federal government either because it has historically been, and continues to be, too remote or thinly-populated to justify its organisation into a State or Province; or because it is an area of particular national significance, such as a federal [[capital]].
Some federations are called [[asymmetric federation|asymmetric]] because some states have more autonomy than others. An example of such a federation is [[Malaysia]], in which [[Sarawak]] and [[Sabah]] entered the federation on different terms and conditions to the states of [[Peninsular Malaysia]].
A federation often emerges from an initial agreement between a number of separate states. The purpose can be the will to solve mutual problems or to provide for mutual defence, or to create a [[nation state]] for an ethnicity spread over several states. The former was the case with the [[United States]] and [[Switzerland]], the latter with [[Germany]].{{Clarifyme|date=March 2008}}<!-- Which German federation? --> However, as the history of countries and nations varies, the federalism 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. [[Brazil]], otherwise, has experienced both the federal and the unitary state through its history; some present day States of the Federation retain the borders set during Portuguese colonization (i.e. previous to the very existence of Brazilian state) and still have great influence in the central government, where'as the latest State was created by the 1988 Constitution, chiefly for administrative reasons.
Eight of ten of the World's [[List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_area|largest countries by area]] are governed as Federations. <!-- Would it be safe to say here that Federalism is often associated with large countries? Probably Original Research... -->
===Unitary states===
A [[unitary state]] is sometimes one with only a single, centralised, 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 centralised 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'.
It is often part of the philosophy of a unitary state that, regardless of the actual status of any of its parts, its entire territory constitutes a single sovereign entity or [[nation-state]], and that by virtue of this the central government exercises sovereignty over the whole territory ''as of right''. In a federation, on the other hand, sovereignty is often regarded as residing notionally in the component states, or as being shared between these states and the central government.
===''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.
====Spain-United Kingdom====
[[Spain]] is suggested as one possible de facto federation as it grants more self-government to its autonomous communities than most federations allow their constituent parts. For the Spanish parliament to revoke the autonomy of regions such as [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], [[Catalonia]] or the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]], or for the [[United Kingdom]] government unilaterally to abolish the [[legislature]]s of [[Wales]], [[Northern Ireland]] or [[Scotland]], would be a political near-impossibility{{Fact|date=January 2008}}, though nothing bars it legally. Additionally, some regions such as [[Navarra]] or the Basque Country have full control over taxation and spending, transferring a small payment to the central government for the common services (army, foreign relations, macroeconomic policy).
====People's Republic of China====
In the [[People's Republic of China]], a form of de facto federation has evolved without formal legislation. This has occurred as largely informal grants of power to the provinces, to handle economic affairs and implement national policies. This has resulted in a system some have termed "de facto federalism with Chinese characteristics" (in reference to [[Deng Xiaoping]]'s policy of [[socialism with Chinese characteristics]]). Constitutionally, the power vested in the [[special administrative region]]s of the People's Republic is granted from the [[Central People's Government]], through decision by the [[National People's Congress]]. To revoke the autonomy of the Special Administrative Regions of [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]] is a great political challenge if not impossible altogether.
====European Union====
The [[European Union]] (EU) is not ''[[de jure]]'' a federation but some academic observers conclude that ''[[de facto]]'' it is one ,after 50 years of institutional evolution.<ref>How the [[European Court of Justice|court]] made a federation of the EU [http://www.springerlink.com/content/f3vw032557232l64/] .Josselin (U de Rennes-1/CREM) and Marciano (U de Reims CA/CNRS).</ref> 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 [[Sovereignty|sovereign states]] under international law, so it is usually characterized as an unprecedented form of supra-national union. The EU has responsibility for important areas such as trade, monetary union, agriculture, fisheries ; and today ,around sixty per cent of the legislation in member-states originates in the institutions of the Union.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Nonetheless, EU [[European Union member states|member-state]]s 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. The proposed [[Treaty of Lisbon]] would codify the Member States' right to leave the Union, but would at the same time also provide the European Union with significantly more power in many areas. The European Union is being given 'legal personality' and taking unto itself powers that it formerly exercised only in a representative capacity for the Member States.
===Other forms of state===
[[Image:Carte suisse2.png|thumb|The Swiss Confederation and its 26 cantons.]]
;Confederation: A federation is often said to be distinguished from a [[confederation]]. By connotation, a confederation is similar in structure to a federation but with a weaker central government and one which is not [[Sovereignty|sovereign]] (the individual members of a confederation are [[Sovereignty|sovereign states]] instead). 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]]. The Articles established a national government under what today would be defined as a federal system (albeit with a comparatively weaker federal government). However, [[Canada]], designed with a ''stronger'' central government than the U.S. in the wake of the Civil War of the latter, has always been called a Confederation by Canadians (also a [[Dominion]] and/or a [[Commonwealth Realm|Realm]], but these do not bear on the current discussion). Ironically, legal reforms, court rulings, and political compromises have greatly ''decentralised'' Canada in practice since its formation in 1867.
;Empire: An [[empire]] is a multi-ethnic state or group of nations with a central government established usually through [[coercion]] (on the model of the [[Roman Empire]]). An empire will often include self-governing regions but these will possess autonomy only at the sufferance of the central government. The term ''empire'', except where used metaphorically, is usually reserved for an entity headed by an [[emperor]], although his or her constitutional role may be purely ceremonial. An empire may, in some cases, also consist of multiple [[monarchy|kingdom]]s organised together with a [[high king]] designated as an emperor. One example of this was [[Imperial Germany]].
;Remnants of colonial empires: [[Colonialism]] has left behind still other forms of federations. For instance, by [[Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands|charter]] the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]] is a federation of three countries ("''landen''"): [[the Netherlands]] (in [[Europe]]), [[the Netherlands Antilles]], and [[Aruba]]. Each country has its own constitution. The Netherlands Antilles and Aruba each has full autonomy in its internal affairs. <ref>The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency: [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/aa.html Aruba], [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nt.html the Netherlands Antilles] (Retrieved on [[2007-07-18]])</ref> The Dutch government in [[The Hague]] remains responsible for defense and foreign affairs of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. With federations of this type, the center of gravity — ''[[de jure]]'' or ''[[de facto]]'' — lies in one of the constituent parts, the "mother" country, although unmentioned as such.
===Russian Federation===
An interesting example is provided by the [[Russia|Russian Federation]]. It has inherited its structure from the [[Russian SFSR|Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] that was one of the 15 republics of the [[Soviet Union]] and itself was considered a federation. The RSFSR, however, consisted of "autonomous republics" which had a certain degree of autonomy, at least [[de jure]], and of other types of administrative units (mostly oblasts and krais) whose status was the same as that of oblasts in other - unitary - Soviet republics. In today's Russia, republics, oblasts and krais, cities of federal importance, as well as one "autonomous oblast" and "autonomous districts" are equal in legal terms, save some symbolic features of a republic (constitution, president, national language). Some regions have concluded agreements with the Federation so as to modify the degree of their autonomy. It is also to be noted that several "autonomous districts" are part of the territory of a krai, a complicated system that is now being gradually abolished through referendums on merging certain regions.
Since [[2004]], [[governor]]s of each region, who were previously elected by popular vote, have been appointed by local parliaments upon the proposals by the [[President of Russia]]. Local parliaments theoretically have authority to not agree with the candidate, but if this occurs twice the parliament must be dissolved and new elections held. This lets some argue that the [[Russia|Russian Federation]] is not a federation in the strictest sense and that it has rather a government representing a unitary system. <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4114215.stm Russia's year of shrinking liberties] BBC News</ref>{{Failed verification|date=April 2008}}
===Soviet Union (USSR)===
The constitution of the [[1922]]-[[1991]] [[Soviet Union]] (USSR) theoretically provided for a voluntary federation or confederation of [[soviet (council)|soviet]] [[socialist state|socialist republics]]. Each was notionally governed by its own supreme council and had the right to secede. Furthermore, some republics themselves possessed further nominally self-governing units. Two of them, [[Belarus]] and [[Ukraine]], were even members of the [[United Nations]], some other republics had their own foreign ministries. In practice, the system of one-party government found in the Soviet Union meant that governance of the Union was highly centralised, with important decisions taken by the leaders of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] in [[Moscow]] and merely 'rubber stamped' by local institutions. Nonetheless, with the introduction of free, competitive elections in the final years of the Soviet Union, the Union's theoretically federal structure became a reality in practice; this occurred only for a brief interim period, as the elected governments of many republics demanded their right to secede and became independent states. Thus the Soviet Union's [[de jure]] federal structure played a key role in its dissolution.
===Myanmar===
[[Myanmar]] (formerly [[Burma]]) is claimed to have adopted federation status (the country's official name is "Union of Myanmar"). However, after General [[Ne Win]] seized power Burma in 1962 and abolished the [[Constitution of the Union of Burma]], the country adopted a [[unitary state|unitary system]] under his [[military dictatorship]].
==Constitutional structure==
===Division of powers===
In a federation, the division of power between federal and regional governments is usually outlined in the [[constitution]]. It is in this way that the right to self-government of the component states is usually constitutionally entrenched. Component states often also possess their own constitutions which they may amend as they see fit, although in the event of conflict the federal constitution usually takes precedence.
In almost all federations the central government enjoys the powers of foreign policy and national defense. Were this not the case a federation would not be a single sovereign state, per the UN definition. The [[states of Germany]] retain the right to act on their own behalf at an international level. Beyond this the precise division of power varies from one nation to another.
The constitutions of [[Grundgesetz|Germany]] and the [[United States Constitution|United States]] provide that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government are retained by the states. The [[Constitution of Canada]], on the other hand, states that powers not explicitly granted to the provincial governments are retained by the federal government. Much like the US system, the Australian Constitution allocates to the Federal government (the Commonwealth of Australia) the power to make laws about certain specified matters which were considered too difficult for the States to manage, so that the States retain all other areas of responsibility. Under the division of powers of The European Union in the Lisbon Treaty, powers are either exclusively of European competence, either shared between EU and states, either of supportive competence ,the rest of powers not mentioned are exclusively states powers.
[[Image:Map Canada political.png|thumb|right|In [[Canada]], the provincial governments derive all their powers directly from the [[Constitution of Canada|constitution]]. In contrast, the [[provinces and territories of Canada#Territories of Canada|territories]] are subordinate to the federal government and are delegated powers by it.]]
Where every component state of a federation possesses the same powers, we are said to find 'symmetric federalism'. [[Asymmetric federalism]] exists where states are granted different powers, or some possess greater autonomy than others do. This is often done in recognition of the existence of a distinct culture in a particular region or regions. In Spain, "historical communities" such as [[Navarre]], [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], [[Catalonia]], and the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]] have more powers than other autonomous communities, partly to deal with their distinctness and to appease nationalist leanings, partly out of respect of privileges granted earlier in history.
It is common that during the historical evolution of a federation there is a gradual movement of power from the component states to the centre, as the federal government acquires additional powers, sometimes to deal with unforeseen circumstances. The acquisition of new powers by a federal government may occur through formal constitutional amendment or simply through a broadening of the interpretation of a government's existing constitutional powers given by the courts.
Usually, a federation is formed at two levels: the central government and the regions (states, provinces, territories), and little to nothing is said about second or third level administrative political entities. [[Brazil]] is an exception, because the 1988 Constitution included the municipalities as autonomous political entities making the federation tripartite, encompassing the Union, the States, and the municipalities. Each state is divided into municipalities (''municípios'') with their own legislative council (''câmara de vereadores'') and a mayor (''prefeito''), which are partly autonomous from both Federal and State Government. Each municipality has a “little constitution”, called “organic law” (''lei orgânica''). [[Mexico]] is an intermediate case, in that municipalities are granted full-autonomy by the federal constitution and their existence as autonomous entities (''municipio libre'', "free municipality") is established by the federal government and cannot be revoked by the states' constitutions. Moreover, the federal constitution determines which powers and competencies belong exlusively to the municipalities and not to the [[political divisions of Mexico|constituent states]]. However, municipalities do not have an elected legislative assembly.
Federations often employ the [[paradox]] of being a union of states, while still being states (or having aspects of [[statehood]]) in themselves. For example, James Madison (author of the [[United States constitution|US Constitution]]) wrote in [[Federalist No. 39|Federalist Paper No. 39]] that the US Constitution "is in strictness neither a national nor a federal constitution; but a composition of both. In its foundation, it is federal, not national; in the sources from which the ordinary powers of the Government are drawn, it is partly federal, and partly national...." This paradox stems from the fact that states in a federation maintain all [[sovereignty]] that they do not yield to the federation by their own consent. (Example: see the [[Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] or Article 3 of the [[Constitution of Switzerland|Constitution of the Swiss Confederation]].) The sharing of sovereignty between a federation and its constituent states sometimes makes it difficult to differentiate between a [[sovereign state]] and a [[State (non-sovereign)|non-sovereign state]].
===Organs of government===
The structures of most federal governments incorporate mechanisms to protect the rights of component states. One method, known as '[[intrastate federalism]]', is to directly represent the governments of component states in federal political institutions. Where a federation has a [[bicameral]] legislature the [[upper house]] is often used to represent the component states while the [[lower house]] represents the people of the nation as a whole. A federal upper house may be based on a special scheme of [[apportionment (politics)|apportionment]], as is the case in the [[senate]]s of the United States and Australia, where each state is represented by an equal number of senators irrespective of the size of its population.
Alternatively, or in addition to this practice, the members of an upper house may be indirectly elected by the government or legislature of the component states, as occurred in the United States prior to [[1913]], or be actual members or delegates of the state governments, as, for example, is the case in the [[Bundesrat (Germany)|German Bundesrat]]. The lower house of a federal legislature is usually directly elected, with apportionment in proportion to population, although states may sometimes still be guaranteed a certain minimum number of seats.
In Canada, the provincial governments represent regional interests and negotiate directly with the central government. A [[First Ministers conference]] of the prime minister and the provincial premiers is the [[de facto]] highest political forum in the land, although it is not mentioned in the constitution.
Federations often have special procedures for amendment of the federal constitution. As well as reflecting the federal structure of the state this may guarantee that the self-governing status of the component states cannot be abolished without their consent. An amendment to the constitution of the United States must be ratified by three-quarters of either the state legislatures, or of constitutional conventions specially elected in each of the states, before it can come into effect. In referendums to amend the constitutions of Australia and Switzerland it is required that a proposal be endorsed not just by an overall majority of the electorate in the nation as a whole, but also by separate majorities in each of a majority of the states or cantons. In Australia, this latter requirement is known as a ''double majority''.
Some federal constitutions also provide that certain constitutional amendments cannot occur without the unanimous consent of all states or of a particular state. The US constitution provides that no state may be deprived of equal representation in the senate without its consent. In Australia, if a proposed amendment will specifically impact one or more states, then it must be endorsed in the referendum held in each of those states. Any amendment to the Canadian constitution that would modify the role of the [[Monarchy in Canada|monarchy]] would require unanimous consent of the provinces. The [[Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany|German Basic Law]] provides that no amendment is admissible at all that would abolish the federal system.
===Other technical terms===
* [[Fiscal federalism]] - federalism involving the transfer of funds between different levels of government.
* [[Formal federalism]] (or 'constitutional federalism') - the delineation of powers is specified in a written constitution.
* [[Executive federalism]] (also known as 'administrative federalism').
==Federalism as a political philosophy==
{{Main|Federalism|Federalist}}
The meaning of ''federalism'', as a political movement, and of what constitutes a 'federalist', varies with country and historical context. Movements associated with the establishment or development of federations can be either centralising or decentralising. For example, at the time those nations were being established, 'federalists' in the United States and Australia were those who advocated the creation of strong central government. Similarly, in European Union politics, federalists are mostly those who seek greater EU integration. In contrast, in Spain and post-war Germany, federal movements have sought decentralisation: the transfer of power from central authorities to local units. In Canada, where Quebec separatism has been a political force for several decades, the 'federalist' force is dedicated to keeping the federation intact and adapting the federal structure to better suit Quebec interests.
==Internal controversy and conflict==
[[Image:CentralAmerica1860MapSmall.jpg|thumb|right|The United Provinces of Central America was short-lived.]]
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, 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 United States and Switzerland. In case of [[Malaysia]], [[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 in [[Nigeria]], the [[Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland]], the [[United Provinces of Central America]] and the [[West Indies Federation]].
==List of federations==
{{list of countries}}
===Contemporary===
{| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
!Federation!!Subdivisions article!!!!
|-
|[[Argentina]]
|[[Provinces of Argentina]]
|23 provinces
|1 federal district
|-
|[[Australia]]
|[[States and territories of Australia]]
|6 states
|1 federal district/territory, 1 major territory, several minor territories
|-
|[[Austria]]
|[[States of Austria]]
|9 ''Bundesländer''
|
|-
|[[Belgium]]
|[[Communities, regions and provinces of Belgium|Divisions of Belgium]]
|3 linguistic communities
|3 regions
|-
|[[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
|[[Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
|2 entities
|1 district
|-
|[[Brazil]]
|[[States of Brazil]]
|26 states
|1 federal district and 5,561 municipalities
|-
|[[Canada]]
|[[Provinces and territories of Canada]]
|10 provinces
|3 territories
|-
|[[Comoros]]
|
|3 islands
|
|-
|[[Ethiopia]]
|[[Regions of Ethiopia]]
|9 regions
|2 chartered cities
|-
|-
|[[Germany]]
|[[States of Germany]]
|16 ''Länder'' or ''Bundesländer''
|
|-
|[[India]]
|[[States and territories of India]]
|28 states
|7 union territories
|-
|[[Iraq]]
|[[Governorates of Iraq]]
| 18 governorates, including 1 autonomous region
|
|-
|[[Malaysia]]
|[[States of Malaysia]]
|13 states
|3 federal territories
|-
|[[Mexico]]
|[[States of Mexico]]
|31 states
|1 federal district
|-
|[[Federated States of Micronesia|FS Micronesia]]
|
|4 states
|
|-
|[[Nigeria]]
|[[States of Nigeria]]
|36 states
|1 territory
|-
|[[Pakistan]]
|[[Provinces and territories of Pakistan]]
|4 provinces
|4 federal territories
|-
|[[Russian Federation]]
|[[Subdivisions of Russia]]
|83 Federal Subjects
|46 oblasts, 21 republics, 9 krais, 4 autonomous okrugs, one autonomous oblast and 2 federal cities
|-
|[[Saint Kitts and Nevis]]
|islands/[[parishes of Saint Kitts and Nevis]]
|two islands/14 parishes
|
|-
|[[Sudan]]
|[[States of Sudan]]
|26 states
|
|-
|[[Switzerland]]
|[[Cantons of Switzerland]]
|26 [[canton (subnational entity)|cantons]]
|
|-
|[[United Arab Emirates]]
|[[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Emirates of the UAE]]
|7 [[emirate]]s
|
|-
|[[United States]]
|[[Political divisions of the United States|Divisions of the United States]]
|50 states
|1 federal district; 1 incorporated territory, 13 unincorporated territories
|-
|[[Venezuela]]
|[[States of Venezuela]]
|23 states, 1 federal dependency
|1 federal district
|}
====Long form titles====
*'''''[[Federal republic|Federal Republic]]''''' of: [[Brazil]], [[Germany]], [[Nigeria]].
*'''''Federation''''': [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]]
*'''''[[Republic]]''''' of: [[Argentina]], [[Austria]], [[India]] Also called as [[Indian Union]] , [[Iraq]], [[Sudan]].
*'''Others:'''
**''Bolivarian Republic'' ([[Venezuela]])
**''[[Confederation]]'' ([[Switzerland]])
**''[[Commonwealth]]'' ([[Australia]])
**''Federal Democratic Republic'' ([[Ethiopia]])
**''Federated States'' ([[Federated States of Micronesia|FS Micronesia]])
**''Federative Republic'' ([[Brazil]])
**''[[monarchy|Kingdom]]'' ([[Belgium]], [[Netherlands]])
**''State'' ([[Nepal]])
**''Union'' ([[Comoros]])
**''United Mexican States'' ([[Mexico]])
**''United Arab Emirates'' ([[United Arab Emirates]])
**''United States of America'' ([[United States]])
*'''None:''' [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Malaysia]], [[Canada]] (''[[Canada's Name|Dominion]]'' had been used originally, but that has fallen into disuse).
===Defunct===
*[[Austria-Hungary]] ([[1848]]–[[1918]])
*[[Inca Empire]] ([[1197]]–[[1572]])
*[[Confederate States of America]] ([[1861]]–[[1865]])
*[[Soviet Union|Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]]<ref>The USSR was a federation according to the letter of its constitution, but, at least until its final years in the late eighties and early nineties, its governance was highly centralised in practice. See: [[#Soviet Union|Soviet Union section]].</ref> ([[1922]]–[[1991]])
*[[United Provinces of Central America]] ([[1823]]–~[[1838]])
*[[French West Africa]] ([[1904]]–[[1958]])
*[[French Equatorial Africa]] ([[1910]]–[[1960]])
*[[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]]<ref>The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was officially proclaimed in 1963. Prior to this, the communist Yugoslav state was named Democratic Federal Yugoslavia in 1943 and then Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946. See: [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]].</ref> ([[1945]]–[[1992]])
*[[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] ([[1992]]–[[2003]])
*[[United States of Indonesia]] ([[1949]]–[[1950]])
*[[United Kingdom of Libya]] ([[1951]]–[[1963]])
*[[Federated Malay States]] ([[1896]]–[[1946]])
*[[Malayan Union]] ([[1946]]–[[1948]])
*[[Federation of Malaya]] ([[1948]]–[[1963]])
*[[Neogranadine Confederation|New Granada]] ([[1855]]–[[1886]])
*[[Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland]] ([[1953]]–[[1963]])
*[[West Indies Federation]] ([[1958]]–[[1962]])
*[[Mali Federation]] ([[1959]]–[[1960]])
*[[First Spanish Republic|Federal Republic of Spain]] [[1873]]–[[1874]]
*[[Cameroon|Federal Republic of Cameroon]] ([[1961]]–[[1972]])
*[[Federation of South Arabia]] ([[1962]]–[[1967]])
*[[Czechoslovakia]] ([[1969]]–[[1992]])
*[[Uganda]] ([[1962]]–[[1967]])
*[[Imperial Federation]] ([[1884]] –[[1919]])<ref>The Imperial Federation was a proposal that never came into being. It was intended to supersede the [[British Empire]], in which all colonies and dominions would be represented by a single Imperial Parliament under the Imperial Crown. The idea, however, was ahead of its time and the Imperial Federation gave way to the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].</ref>
Some of the [[Confederation#List of entities considered to be confederations#Confederal states|proclaimed Arab federations]] were confederations [[de facto]].
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
* The government of [[Somalia]] led by [[Ali Muhammad Ghedi]] in [[Baidoa]] (along with the [[Transitional Federal Parliament]]) is a federation in name only; it does not control the city of [[Mogadishu]] or the breakaway republic of [[Somaliland]].
* The Federation is often used in works of science fiction to describe an interstellar government of planets.
==See also==
*[[Anti-Federalist]]
*[[Corporative federalism]]
*[[Federacy]]
*[[Federalism in Australia]]
*[[Federalist]]
*[[The Federalist Papers]]
*[[Federation of Australia]]
*[[Foederati]]
*[[Indian Union]]
*[[International organization|International organisation]]
*[[Międzymorze]]
*[[Multinational state]]
*[[Neofunctionalism|Neo-functionalism]]
*[[New federalism]]
*[[Regional state]]
*[[Unitary state]]
*[[World Federalist Movement]]
*[[Federal constitutional monarchy]]
[[Category:Federalism|*]]
[[Category:Federal countries|*]]
[[Category:Supraorganizations|*]]
[[Category:Lists of country subdivisions]]
[[ar:فيدرالية]]
[[an:Federazión]]
[[be:Федэрацыя]]
[[bs:Federacija]]
[[bg:Федерация]]
[[ca:Federació]]
[[cs:Federace]]
[[da:Føderation]]
[[de:Bundesstaat]]
[[et:Föderatsioon]]
[[es:Federación]]
[[eo:Federacio]]
[[eu:Federazio]]
[[fa:فدراسیون]]
[[gl:Federación]]
[[hr:Federacija]]
[[id:Federasi]]
[[it:Stato federale]]
[[lt:Federacija]]
[[hu:Föderáció]]
[[ms:Persekutuan]]
[[nl:Bondsstaat]]
[[ja:連邦]]
[[no:Føderasjon]]
[[nrm:Fédéthâtion]]
[[pl:Federacja]]
[[pt:Federação]]
[[ro:Federaţie]]
[[ru:Федерация]]
[[sk:Federácia]]
[[sl:Federacija]]
[[fi:Liittovaltio]]
[[sv:Federation]]
[[ta:கூட்டாட்சி]]
[[tr:Federasyon]]
[[uk:Федеративна держава]]
[[zh:联邦制]]