Federated states of various types exist within many of the modern federal states (represented in green color)

A federated state (also state, province, region, canton, land, governorate, oblast, emirate, or country) is a territorial and constitutional community forming part of a federation.[1] A federated state does not have sovereignty since powers are divided between the other federated states and the federal government. Federated states are different from sovereign states.

Importantly, federated states do not have standing as entities of international law. Instead, the federal union as a single entity is the sovereign state for purposes of international law.[2] Depending on the constitutional structure of a particular federation, a federated state can hold various degrees of legislative, judicial, and administrative jurisdiction over a defined geographic territory and is a form of regional government.

In some cases, a federation is created from the union of political entities that are either independent or dependent territories of another sovereign entity (most commonly a colonial power).[A] In other cases, federated states have been created out of the administrative divisions of previously unitary states.[B] Once a federal constitution is formed, the rules governing the relationship between federal and regional powers become part of the country's constitutional law and not international law.

In countries with federal constitutions, there is a division of power between the central government and the component states. These entities – states, provinces, counties, cantons, Länder, etc. – are partially self-governing and are afforded a degree of constitutionally guaranteed autonomy that varies substantially from one federation to another.[C] Depending on the form the decentralization of powers takes, a federated state's legislative powers may or may not be overruled or vetoed by the federal government. Laws governing the relationship between federal and regional powers can be amended through the national or federal constitution, and, if they exist, state constitutions as well.

In terms of internal politics, federated states can have republican or monarchical forms of government. Those of republican form (federated republics) are usually called states (like states of the US) or republics (like republics in the former USSR).

List of constituents by federation

The federated units in the table below have inherent governmental authority in the federation's constitutional system, while the "other units" are delegated authority by the federal government or are administered directly by it.[citation needed]

Further information: Federal district and Federal territory
Federation Federated units Other units
 Argentina[3] 23 provinces:
1 autonomous city:
 Australia[4] 6 states:
3 internal territories:
7 external territories:
 Austria[5] 9 states:
 Belgium[6] 3 regions:[E]
3 communities:[F]
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 entities:[G]
1 self-governing district:
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is itself a federation of 10 cantons:
 Brazil[8] 26 states:
1 federal district:
 Canada[9] 10 provinces:
3 territories:
 Comoros 3 islands:[G]
 Ethiopia[10] 12 regions:
2 chartered cities:
 Germany[11] 16 states:
 India[12] 28 states:
8 union territories:
 Iraq[13] 19 governorates:
1 autonomous region:
 Malaysia[14] 13 states:
3 federal territories:
 Mexico[15] 31 states:
1 autonomous city:
 Micronesia[16] 4 states:
   Nepal 7 provinces:
 Nigeria[17] 36 states:
1 territory:
 Pakistan[18] 4 provinces:
2 autonomous territories:[G]
1 federal territory:

 Islamabad Capital Territory[D]

 Russia[19][20] 48 oblasts:

[J]

[J]

24 republics:[G]
9 krais:
4 autonomous okrugs:[G]
3 federal cities:
1 autonomous oblast:[G]
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 autonomous island:
Saint Kitts:
 Somalia[21][22] 5 federal member states:[K]
 South Sudan 10 states:[23]
3 administrative areas:[23]
 Sudan[24] 18 states:
1 special administrative status area:[25]
  Switzerland[26] 26 cantons:
 United Arab Emirates[27] 7 emirates:
 United States[28] 50 states:
1 federal district:
1 incorporated territory:
13 unincorporated territories:
  •  American Samoa
  •  Guam
  •  Northern Mariana Islands
  •  Puerto Rico
  •  U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Minor outlying islands:
 Venezuela[29] 23 states:
1 capital district:
1 federal dependency:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Examples are Australia, Canada and the United States.
  2. ^ This occurred in Belgium in 1993. The Belgian regions had previously devolved powers.
  3. ^ For instance, Canadian provinces and Swiss cantons possess substantially more powers and enjoy more protection against interference and infringements from the central government than most non-Western federations.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Federal capital district, region or territory.
  5. ^ Flanders and Wallonia are subdivided into five provinces each, which are mandated by the Constitution of Belgium. Provincial governance is the responsibility of the regional governments.
  6. ^ The communities and regions of Belgium are separate government institutions with different areas of responsibility. The communities are organized based on linguistic boundaries, which are different from regional boundaries.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h autonomous area
  8. ^ The Brazilian federal district has a level of self-ruling equal to the other main federal units.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Sovereignty over territory actively disputed by another sovereign state or the international community.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Claimed by Ukraine and considered by most of the international community to be part of Ukraine.
  11. ^ Adopted constitution accommodates existing regional governments, with the ultimate number and boundaries of the Federal Member States to be determined by the House of the People of the Federal Parliament.

References

  1. ^ The Australian National Dictionary: Fourth Edition, pg 1395. (2004) Canberra. ISBN 978-0-19-551771-2.
  2. ^ Crawford, J. (2006). The Creation of States in International Law. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
  3. ^ Daniel, Kate; Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (2008). SBS World Guide: The Complete Fact File on Every Country, 16th ed. Prahran, Victoria, Australia: Hardie Grant Books. p. 827. ISBN 978-1-74066-648-0. p26. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  4. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p38
  5. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p46
  6. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p74
  7. ^ "Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Canton 10". Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  8. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p101
  9. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p132
  10. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p239
  11. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p275
  12. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p328
  13. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p346
  14. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p460
  15. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p481
  16. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p486
  17. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p537
  18. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p549
  19. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p600
  20. ^ "Chapter 3. The Federal Structure: Article 65". The Constitution of the Russian Federation. Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
  21. ^ "The Federal Republic of Somalia – Harmonized Draft Constitution" (PDF). Federal Republic of Somalia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  22. ^ "Guidebook to the Somali Draft Provisional Constitution". Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  23. ^ a b Mednick, Sam (2020-02-23). "After 6 years of war, will peace finally come to South Sudan? | News". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  24. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p687
  25. ^ "Sudan: Protocol on the resolution of Abyei conflict – Sudan". ReliefWeb. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  26. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p700
  27. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p760
  28. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p774
  29. ^ SBS World Guide 2008, p798
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