Federation

A federation is a way of organizing a country where power is shared between a central government and smaller regions, like states or provinces. Each of these smaller areas has some control over its own affairs, but they also work together under rules set by the central government. These rules are written in a constitution, which makes sure that neither the central government nor the smaller regions can change how power is shared without following special steps.

In a federation, the central government and the regions each have their own responsibilities. For example, the central government might handle things that affect the whole country, like national defense or foreign relations, while the regions take care of local issues, such as education or transportation.

Many large countries are federations. This includes places like Germany, Nigeria, Russia, the United States, Canada, India, Brazil, Pakistan, and Australia. Even smaller countries, like Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Federated States of Micronesia, use this system. About 40% of the world's people, or around 3.2 billion, live in a federation.

History

Many ancient groups, like the League of Corinth and the Iroquois Confederacy, worked together in ways that are similar to federations. The Old Swiss Confederacy was one of the first places to have a formal system where regions had their own control.

Countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada became federations after gaining independence. Others, like Germany and India, also chose to organize themselves as federations. Some places, like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq, created federations to help manage differences among groups of people. The United States is the oldest federation still existing today, while Nepal is the newest, with its constitution taking effect in 2015.

Federations and other forms of state

Federations

In a federation, the states or regions have some power that the central government cannot take away. However, they usually do not control foreign policy and are not independent under international law. Some federations are called asymmetric because some states have more control than others. For example, in Malaysia, two states joined under different rules than the others.

Federations often start with an agreement between separate states to solve problems together or defend themselves. The United States and Switzerland began this way. Australia became a nation when its citizens voted to join together. Brazil has changed between having a central government and being a federation.

Seven of the largest countries in the world are run as federations.

Unitary states

A unitary state has one central government, but it may allow some regions to govern themselves. These regions' power exists because the central government allows it and can take it away. Unlike federations, which usually start from independent states agreeing to join, unitary states often grant self-government to regions that were once fully controlled by the center.

Confederation

A confederation is a group of sovereign states working together for common goals. The European Union is the closest example today. Canada uses the term "Confederation" to describe its formation, but its provinces are not fully sovereign.

Empire

An empire is a group of nations or areas controlled by a central government, often through force. It may include self-governing regions, but their power depends on the central government.

Comparison with other systems of autonomy

Federacy

A federacy is a unitary state with some self-governing areas. The constitutional structure remains unitary, but it includes federal principles.

Devolution

In a devolved state, the central government can take away the independence of smaller regions without changing the constitution.

Crown dependencies

The relationship between the Crown Dependencies and the United Kingdom is similar to a federation. The islands handle their own affairs but rely on the UK for defense and foreign relations.

Dependent territories

Dependent territories have varying degrees of independence but are not part of the sovereign state and are not recognized as independent.

De facto federations

Sometimes, a unitary state acts so much like a federation that it is called a de facto federation.

Spain

Spain is seen as a possible de facto federation because it gives its regions a lot of self-government. Reversing this would be very difficult politically.

South Africa

South Africa has some features of a federal system, with powers given to provinces, but it is often seen as a unitary state.

European Union

The European Union has features of a federal system but is not a true federation. Its central government is weaker than most federations, and member states keep control over important areas like foreign policy and defense.

People's Republic of China

China's special administrative regions get their power from the central government, but provinces have some informal power to handle economic matters.

Myanmar

Myanmar is constitutionally a unitary state but functions more like a federation, with each region having its own cabinets and leaders.

Wallis and Futuna

Wallis and Futuna, a French overseas collectivity, is divided into three chiefdoms that have their own legal systems alongside French law.

Internal controversy and conflict

Sometimes, countries that are made up of different regions or states have disagreements about how to share power. This can cause problems because the regions may want different things than the national government.

In some places, these disagreements are settled by courts that decide what powers belong to the national government and what powers belong to the local governments. These court systems can also be complicated and cause more disagreements.

When regions have very different groups of people, such as different languages or cultures, it can be hard for the national government to keep everyone happy. If the government cannot solve these problems, sometimes regions might try to leave the country, or even worse, fighting can break out. This has happened in several countries throughout history.

Federal governments

The federal government is the main governing body for a country or group of countries that work together as a federation. In a federation, there are usually two or more levels of government, such as a national government and state or regional governments. These levels share powers as described in a constitution.

The national level government often handles important tasks like keeping the country safe and dealing with other nations. It has the power to make laws for the entire country, unlike smaller local governments. The federal government includes different departments and agencies led by ministers.

Main articles: Federal republic, Federal monarchy, and Federated state § List of constituents by federation

There are 27 federations in the world today, with 6 in Africa, Asia and Europe, 4 in North America, 3 in South America and 2 in Oceania.

Defunct

• Holy Roman Empire (800–1806)
• Inca Empire (1197–1572)
• Confederation of Madja-as (1200–1569)
• Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederation) (15th/16th century-1799)
• Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795)
• Federated Dutch Republic (1581–1795)
• Confederate Ireland (1642–1652)
• Hawaiian Kingdom (1795–1827)
• United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (1815–1825)
• Hispaniola (1822–1844)
• United Provinces of Central America (1823 – c. 1838)
• Peru–Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839)
• Confederation of New Granada (1858–1863)
• Confederate States of America (1861–1865)
• United States of Colombia (1863–1886)
• North German Confederation (1867–1871)
• Austria-Hungary (1867–1918)
• German Empire (1871–1918)
• Federal Republic of Spain (1873–1874)
• French Indochina (1887–1949)
• Federated Malay States (1896–1946)
• French West Africa (1904–1958)
• French Equatorial Africa (1910–1934)
• Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (1918)
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1918–1992)
• Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
• Syrian Federation (1922–1925)
• Federal State of Austria (1934–1938)
• Mengjiang Autonomous United Government (1937–1945, since 1941 autonomous region of the Reorganized National Government of China)
• Malayan Union (1946–1948)
• Federation of Malaya (1948–1963)
• United States of Indonesia (1949–1950)
• United Kingdom of Libya (1951–1963)
• Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea (1952–1962)
• Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–1963)
• West Indies Federation (1958–1962)
• Mali Federation (1959–1960)
• First Congolese Republic (Léopoldville) (1960–1964)
• Federal Republic of Cameroon (1961–1972)
• Republic of South Africa (1961–1994)
• Republic of Uganda (1962–1967)
• Republic of Kenya (1963–1964)
• United Republic of Tanzania (1964–1965)
• Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1969–1992)
• Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992–2003)

Some of the proclaimed Arab federations were confederations de facto.