A map displaying today's federations.

A federation (Latin: foedus, covenant) is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal") government. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller States Unlike a Personal union, the individual states share a common government In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of the central government. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Unilateralism ("one+side -ism " is any doctrine or agenda that supports one-sided action

The form of government or constitutional structure found in a federation is known as federalism (see also federalism as a political philosophy). A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers Political federalism is a Political philosophy in which a group of members are bound together (Latin foedus, covenant) with a governing It can be considered the opposite of another system, the unitary state. A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created The government of Germany with sixteen federated Länder is an example of a federation, whereas neighboring Austria and its Bundesländer is a unitary state with administrative divisions that became federated, and neighboring France is by contrast fully unitary, though its subnational entities appear similar to states of a federation government. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Austria is a federal republic made up of nine States, known in German as Länder (singular Land) Examples of administrative divisions English terms In many of the following terms corresponding to British cultural influence areas of relatively low mean population This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Examples of administrative divisions English terms In many of the following terms corresponding to British cultural influence areas of relatively low mean population

Federations may be 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 sovereign states. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself

The international organization for federal countries, the Forum of Federations ^[1], is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page It helps share best practices amongst countries with federal systems of government, and currently includes nine countries as partner governments. Best Practice is an idea that asserts that there is a technique, method process activity incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than

Federations and other forms of state

A map of the United States of America, showing its fifty constituent states.

A map of the United Mexican States (Mexico), showing its thirty one constituent states and the Federal District.

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. International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that bind together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards

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. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D 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 because some states have more autonomy than others. Asymmetric federalism or asymmetrical federalism is found in a Federation in which different constituent states possess different powers one or more of the states 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. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the Island of Borneo. Sabah is a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. Peninsular Malaysia ( Semenanjung Malaysia) also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on

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. For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy The former was the case with the United States and Switzerland, the latter with Germany. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In other cases, like Brazil, the federation comes after a unitary state, as a new model in order to decentralize powers and functions, dividing the territory based in ethnical and cultural diversity . |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Australia 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.

Eight of ten of the World's largest countries by area are governed as Federations. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area.

Unitary states

A unitary state is sometimes one with only a single, centralised, national tier of government. A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created 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. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level 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. For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy 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 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. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. For the Spanish parliament to revoke the autonomy of regions such as Galicia, Catalonia or the Basque Country, or for the United Kingdom government unilaterally to abolish the legislatures of Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland, would be a political near-impossibility, though nothing bars it legally. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. The Basque Country ( Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco) is an autonomous community in northern Spain. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. 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).

In the People's Republic of China, a form of de facto federation has evolved without formal legislation. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES 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). Deng Xiaoping ( 22 August 1904 19 February 1997) was a prominent Chinese Revolutionary, Politician, Pragmatist and Reformer This article is about the term itself and its relationships For its implementation and effects see Economy of the People's Republic of China and Chinese economic Constitutionally, the power vested in the special administrative regions of the People's Republic is granted from the Central People's Government, through decision by the National People's Congress. A special administrative region or SAR may be;People's Republic of China Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, present-day The Central People's Government is the Central government of the People's Republic of China in Beijing. A similar term is "National Congress" which is a less common translation of People's Political Consultative Conference. To revoke the autonomy of the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau is a great political challenge if not impossible altogether. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics.

Other forms of state

The Swiss Confederation and its 26 cantons.

Confederation

While distinct from a unitary state, a federation is often said to be distinguished from a confederation. A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution By connotation, a confederation is similar in structure to a federation but with a weaker central government. 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 of Confederation and Perpetual Union, also the Articles of Confederation was the governing Constitution of the alliance of thirteen independent and 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. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page 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 Realm, but these do not bear on the current discussion). A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities under sovereign authority within the British Empire and A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch 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 (from the Latin " Imperium " denoting military Command within the ancient Roman government) is a State that Coercion (co-er-shion is the practice of compelling a person or manipulating them to behave in an involuntary way (whether through action or inaction by use of threats The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial 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 emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of An empire may, in some cases, also consist of multiple kingdoms organised together with a high king designated as an emperor. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings without the title of Emperor; compare King of Kings. One example of this was Imperial Germany. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification

Remnants of colonial empires

Colonialism has left behind still other forms of federations. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism For instance, by charter the Kingdom of the Netherlands is a federation of three countries ("landen"): the Netherlands (in Europe), the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba. The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Dutch Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; in Papiamentu Statuut pa e Reino di Hulanda) describes the The Netherlands and The Kingdom of the Netherlands are two distinct geographical and administrative entities The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Netherlands Antilles ( Dutch:) previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, is part of the Lesser Antilles Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela Each country has its own constitution. The Netherlands Antilles and Aruba each has full autonomy in its internal affairs. ^[2] 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.

European Union

The European Union (EU) possesses some of the attributes of a federal state. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in However, its central government is far weaker than that of most federations so it is usually characterised as an unprecedented form of supra-national union or confederation. A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution The EU has responsibility for important areas such as trade and monetary union, and today around sixty per cent of the legislation in member-states originates in the institutions of the Union. Nonetheless, EU member-states retain the right to act independently in matters of foreign policy and defence, and also enjoy a near monopoly over other major policy areas such as criminal justice and taxation. A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto Furthermore, member-states are separate, sovereign entities under international law and, currently at least, possess a de facto if not explicit de jure right of secession. 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 Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the 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.

Russian Federation

An interesting example is provided by the Russian Federation. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending It has inherited its structure from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic that was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union and itself was considered a federation. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 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 krays) whose status was the same as that of oblasts in other - unitary - Soviet republics. In today's Russia, republics, oblasts and krays, 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 kray, a complicated system that is now being gradually abolished through referendums on merging certain regions.

Since 2004, governors of each region, who were previously elected by popular vote, have been appointed by local parliaments upon the proposals by the President of Russia. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской Local parliaments theoretically have authority 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 Russian Federation is not a federation in the strictest sense and that it has rather a government representing a unitary system. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending ^[3]

Soviet Union (USSR)

The constitution of the 1922-1991 Soviet Union (USSR) theoretically provided for a voluntary federation or confederation of soviet socialist republics. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. The term socialist state (or socialist republic, or workers' state) can carry one of several different (but related meanings In strictly speaking any 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. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security 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 in Moscow and merely 'rubber stamped' by local institutions. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of 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"). Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. However, after General Ne Win seized power Burma in 1962 and abolished the Constitution of the Union of Burma, the country adopted a unitary system under his military dictatorship. Ne Win (နေဝင်း nè wín 24 May or 14 May 1911 or 10 July 1910 – 5 December 2002; born Shu A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy,

Constitutional structure

Division of powers

In a federation, the division of power between federal and regional governments is usually outlined in the constitution. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity 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. Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular Beyond this the precise division of power varies from one nation to another. The constitutions of Germany and the United States provide that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government are retained by the states. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland is the Constitution of Germany. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United 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. The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's Constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions 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 in the Treaty On The Functioning Of The European Union, which forms the second part of the Lisbon Treaty, the only exclusive list of powers are powers given to the European Union; the remaining powers are all to be 'shared' between the new central government and the new provinces. The exact formula for 'sharing' is left open, and may be subject to change. Unlike the Constitutions of the United States and Canada, this leaves open the possibility that with time the 'sharing' could result in more powers being shifted to the central government, possibly one day allowing the creation of a European unitary state.

In Canada, the provincial governments derive all their powers directly from the constitution. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's Constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions In contrast, the territories are subordinate to the federal government and are delegated powers by it. The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area.

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. Asymmetric federalism or asymmetrical federalism is found in a Federation in which different constituent states possess different powers one or more of the states 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, Catalonia, and the 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. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. The Basque Country ( Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco) is an autonomous community in northern Spain.

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. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld 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. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Moreover, the federal constitution determines which powers and competencies belong exlusively to the municipalities and not to the 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. A paradox is a true statement or group of statements that leads to a Contradiction or a situation which defies intuition; or inversely A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. For example, James Madison (author of the US Constitution) wrote in Federalist Paper No. 39 that the US Constitution "is in strictness neither a national nor a federal constitution; but a composition of both. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. Federalist No 39 is an essay by James Madison. It is the thirty-ninth of the Federalist Papers, entitled "The Conformity of the Plan to Republican 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. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself (Example: see the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution or Article 3 of the Constitution of the Swiss Confederation. The Tenth Amendment ( Amendment X) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, The Federal Constitution of 18 April 1999 (Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft Constitution fédérale de la Confédération suisse Constituzione federale della Confederazione ) The sharing of sovereignty between a federation and its constituent states sometimes makes it difficult to differentiate between a sovereign state and a non-sovereign state. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself Many countries are made up of a number of subnational entities called states (or related terms in languages other than English

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. In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral An upper house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Lower house. A lower house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Upper house. A federal upper house may be based on a special scheme of apportionment, as is the case in the senates of the United States and Australia, where each state is represented by an equal number of senators irrespective of the size of its population. Apportionment is the process of allocating political power among a set of principles (or defined constituencies A senate is a Deliberative body, often the Upper house or chamber of a Legislature or Parliament.

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 German Bundesrat. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Bundesrat ("federal council" or "upper house of German parliament" is the representation of the 16 Federal States ( Bundesländer) of 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. In Canada, a First Ministers' conference is a meeting of the provincial and territorial premiers and the Prime Minister.

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 would require unanimous consent of the provinces. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of The German Basic Law provides that no amendment is admissible at all that would abolish the federal system. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland is the Constitution of Germany.

Other technical terms

• Fiscal federalism - federalism involving the transfer of funds between different levels of government. Fiscal federalism is a system of Transfer payments or grants by which a federal government shares its Revenues with lower 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 articles: Federalism and Federalist

The meaning of federalism, as a political movement, and of what constitutes a 'federalist', varies with country and historical context. Political federalism is a Political philosophy in which a group of members are bound together (Latin foedus, covenant) with a governing The term " federalist " describes several political beliefs around the world 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

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. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state In case of Malaysia, Singapore was expelled from the federation because of rising racial tension. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Singapore 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. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Constitutional origins It was commonly understood that Southern Rhodesia would be the dominant territory in the federation — economically electorally and militarily The Federal Republic of Central America, also known as the United Central Provinces of America, was a short-lived American State in Central America The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived Caribbean Federation that existed from January 3 1958

List of federations

Contemporary

Long form titles

• Federal Republic of: Brazil, Germany, Nigeria. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Regions See also Geography of Argentina The country is also divided into six or seven regions (seven when The Pampas is divided into the Pampas' plains For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Commonwealth of Australia is made up of 8 states and territories controlled under a federal system of government Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Austria is a federal republic made up of nine States, known in German as Länder (singular Land) The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine Republika Srpska Brčko District |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Federative Republic of Brazil is a union of twenty-six estados ("states" singular estado) and formed by the states and one district the Distrito Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. The Comoros (ˈkɒməroʊz; جزر القمر Juzur al-Qumur) officially the Union of the Comoros (Union des Comores الإتّحاد القمريّ NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Ethiopia is divided into 9 ethnically-based administrative regions ( kililoch; singular kilil) and three chartered cities ( astedader akababiwach Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country India is a union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. |||} Iraq is divided into 18 Governorates (or Provinces ( Muhafazah) Baghdād For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Malaysia is a Federation which consists of thirteen '''states''' ( Negeri) and three '''federal territories''' ( Wilayah Persekutuan The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Federated States of Micronesia is an Island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, north of Papua New Guinea. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Nigeria is currently divided into 36 states and one federal capital territory The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Netherlands and The Kingdom of the Netherlands are two distinct geographical and administrative entities Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Currently the internationally recognized territory of Pakistan is subdivided into four provinces and two territories The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into 14 parishes Nine parishes are located on the island of Saint Kitts and five on Nevis. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Below is a list of the 25 states of Sudan organized by their original provinces under British rule Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the states of the Federal state of Switzerland. A canton is an Administrative division of a country eg a region or state |||}The United Arab Emirates is composed of 7 Emirates ( imarat; singular imarah) See also ISO 3166-2AE An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled Emir. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Venezuela is divided into 23 states (estados, 1 Capital District (Distrito Capital and the Federal Dependencies (Dependencias Federales A federal republic is a Federation of States with a republican form of government |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal
• Federation: Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Republic of: Argentina, Austria, India Also called as Indian Union , Iraq, Sudan. The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country At the time of Indian independence, "British India " was divided into two sets of territories the first being the territories under the direct control of For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa.
• Others:
  • Bolivarian Republic (Venezuela)
  • Confederation (Switzerland)
  • Commonwealth (Australia)
  • Federal Democratic Republic (Ethiopia)
  • Federated States (FS Micronesia)
  • Federative Republic (Brazil)
  • 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 (Dominion had been used originally, but that has fallen into disuse). Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The English noun commonwealth dates from the fifteenth century. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The Federated States of Micronesia is an Island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, north of Papua New Guinea. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. The Comoros (ˈkɒməroʊz; جزر القمر Juzur al-Qumur) officially the Union of the Comoros (Union des Comores الإتّحاد القمريّ The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The name of Canada has been in use since the earliest European settlement in Canada, with the Name originating from a First Nations word

Defunct

• Austria-Hungary (1848–1918)
• Inca Empire (1197–1572)
• Confederate States of America (1861–1865)
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics^[5] (1922–1991)
• United Provinces of Central America (1823–~1838)
• French West Africa (1904–1958)
• French Equatorial Africa (1910–1960)
• Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia^[6] (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)
• New Granada (1855–1886)
• Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–1963)
• West Indies Federation (1958–1962)
• Mali Federation (1959–1960)
• Federal Republic of Spain 1873–1874
• Federal Republic of Cameroon (1961–1972)
• Federation of South Arabia (1962–1967)
• Czechoslovakia (1969–1992)
• Uganda (1962–1967)
• Imperial Federation (1884 –1919)^[7]

Some of the proclaimed Arab federations were confederations de facto. Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Inca Empire (or Inka Empire) was the largest empire in Pre-Columbian America. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The Federal Republic of Central America, also known as the United Central Provinces of America, was a short-lived American State in Central America Year 1823 ( MDCCCXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common French West Africa ( Afrique occidentale française, AOF) was a Federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. French Equatorial Africa ( Afrique équatoriale française, AEF) was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian: Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Савезна Република Југославија / Savezna Republika Jugoslavija) or FRY was a federal state Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Republic of the United States of Indonesia ( Indonesian: Republik Indonesia Serikat (RIS) was a Federal state to which The Netherlands formally Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Kingdom of Libya, ( المملكة الليبية) originally called the United Kingdom of Libya came into existence on December 24, 1951 Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is not to be confused with the Unfederated Malay States. Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements excluding Singapore. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Federation of Malaya (Persekutuan Tanah Melayu was a federation of 11 states formed on January 31 1948 from the nine Malay states and the British Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Granadine Confederation ( Confederación Granadina) was a short-lived Federal Republic established in 1858 as a Constitutional change replacing the Republic Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Constitutional origins It was commonly understood that Southern Rhodesia would be the dominant territory in the federation — economically electorally and militarily Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived Caribbean Federation that existed from January 3 1958 Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The First Spanish Republic started with the Abdication as King of Spain on February 10 1873, of Amadeo I, following the Hidalgo Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Federation of South Arabia ( Arabic: اتحاد الجنوب العربي Ittihad al-Janūb al-‘arabī) was an organization of States under Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Imperial Federation was a late-19th early-20th century proposal to create a federated union in place of the existing British Empire. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution

Footnotes

• 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. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known Ali Mohamed Gedi or Mohammed Ali Ghedi ( Cali Maxamed Geedi, علي محمد جيدي (born 1951 was the Prime Minister of the Transitional Baidoa ( Baydhabo) is a city in south-central Somalia, situated 256 kilometers (159 miles by road northwest of the capital Mogadishu. The Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic ( Golaha Shacabka Federaalka Kumeelgaarka ee Jamhuuriyada Soomaaliya; often Baarlamaanka Federaalka Soomaaliya Mogadishu ( Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar, Hamar; مقديشو Maqadīshū
• 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 organisation
• Międzymorze
• Multinational state
• Neo-functionalism
• New federalism
• Regional state
• Unitary state
• World Federalist Movement
• Federal constitutional monarchy