Federal city

A federal city is a special kind of city that holds important status in certain countries. This title is used in places like Germany, Switzerland, and Russia, as well as in several national capitals around the world . These cities often have unique roles and responsibilities because of their federal status, making them different from other cities in their countries. Learning about federal cities helps us understand how some places are organized and governed in a special way.

Germany

In Germany, the city of Bonn has a special title called federal city (Bundesstadt). Since April 28, 1994, Bonn has served as an important place for government leaders like the President of Germany and the Chancellor of Germany. It is also where some important government offices are located. Even though Bonn has this special title, it is not a city that runs itself like Berlin, Bremen, or Hamburg. Instead, Bonn is part of the state called North Rhine-Westphalia.

Russia

Main article: federal cities of Russia

The Russian constitution says that Russia has three special cities. These cities are Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Sevastopol. However, Sevastopol is also claimed by Ukraine because of events in 2014.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the city of Bern is called a federal city. This is because important government groups, like the Federal Assembly (parliament) and the Federal Council (government), are based there. Switzerland does not have one main capital city, and its courts are located in different cities for this reason.

Others

Some national capitals, such as Astana, Bogotá, Brasília, Buenos Aires, Canberra, Caracas, Islamabad, Jakarta, Jerusalem, Mexico City, Seoul, Washington, D.C., and Yerevan, have a special status. They do not belong to any state or province, or they might be a state or province on their own, like Berlin, Delhi, Moscow, Oslo, Prague, and Sofia.

Some countries have cities that are directly controlled by the national government, often including the capital. For example, China has four special cities, including its capital, Beijing.