Federation

A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a <a href="/facts/Political_union/MCtasozk">union</a> of partially <a href="/facts/Federated_state/2R6y2Npy">self-governing provinces, states, or other regions</a> under a federal government (<a href="/facts/Federalism/dNaFu2rM">federalism</a>). In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, is <a href="/facts/Constitution/GppU7erf">constitutionally</a> entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision, neither by the component states nor the federal political body without constitutional amendment.
Sovereign power is formally divided between a central authority and a number of constituent regions so that each region retains some degree of control over its internal affairs.
Overriding powers of a central authority theoretically can include the constitutional authority to suspend a constituent state's government by invoking gross mismanagement or civil unrest, or to adopt national legislation that overrides or infringes on the constituent states' powers by invoking the central government's constitutional authority to ensure "peace and good government" or to implement obligations contracted under an international treaty.
The governmental or constitutional structure found in a federation is considered to be <a href="/facts/Federalist/hDfagxUp">federalist</a>, or to be an example of <a href="/facts/Federalism/dNaFu2rM">federalism</a>. It can be considered in comparison with the <a href="/facts/Unitary_state/HAxK1eMM">unitary state</a>. <a href="/facts/France/CxIeIKM3">France</a> and <a href="/facts/Japan/U5mz0SRT">Japan</a>, for example, have been unitary for many centuries.
The <a href="/facts/Austrian_Empire/AnAU9bdG">Austrian Empire</a> was a unitary state with <a href="/facts/Crown_lands/9TtxIbsy">crown lands</a>; after the transformation into the <a href="/facts/Austria-Hungary/9WPUPj0W">Austria-Hungary</a> monarchy, the remaining crown lands of so-called <a href="/facts/Cisleithania/935f8f2v">Cisleithania</a> became federated as <a href="/facts/States_of_Austria/H0Nl6XpV">Länder</a> of the <a href="/facts/Republic_of_Austria/4qWIMIyc">Republic of Austria</a> through the implementation of <a href="/facts/Constitution_of_Austria/S8maDmrK">its constitution</a>. <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a>, with its 16 <a href="/facts/States_of_Germany/hIpruCeX">states, or Länder</a>, and <a href="/facts/Nigeria/gbW17BX8">Nigeria</a>, with its 36 <a href="/facts/States_of_Nigeria/tjVjlCl2">states</a> and <a href="/facts/Federal_Capital_Territory_(Nigeria)/EqgU4e1q">federal capital territory</a>, are examples of federations. Federations are often <a href="/facts/Ethnic_group/XSp5l24t">multi-ethnic</a> and cover a large area of territory (such as <a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a>, the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>, <a href="/facts/Canada/cWWFM8oc">Canada</a>, <a href="/facts/India/1kKHcnxM">India</a>, <a href="/facts/Brazil/QHkG46GL">Brazil</a>, <a href="/facts/Pakistan/cbIsvJy1">Pakistan</a> or <a href="/facts/Australia/qLHpbppq">Australia</a>), but neither is necessarily the case (such as <a href="/facts/Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis/SMPo2Ybr">Saint Kitts and Nevis</a> or the <a href="/facts/Federated_States_of_Micronesia/U9VGo9fh">Federated States of Micronesia</a>). About 40% of world population live in a federation.

Federation open-in-new

Federation