federal states
Autonomous governmental regions
Federal states are countries or political entities composed of semi-autonomous regions united under a central government, with power divided between national and regional authorities.
The United States, Germany, and Australia are federal states, as opposed to unitary states where power concentrates centrally.
Each constituent unit—whether called a state, province, or canton—retains certain powers while ceding others to the federation.
- provincesAdministrative regions within nations
- concurrent powersPowers held by multiple governments
- division of powersDistributing authority among branches
- decentralizationDistributing power from center
- central governmentNation's primary governing body
regions · reserved powers · cantons · subsidiarity · Germany · sovereignty · cultural diversity · constitutionalism · Switzerland · bicameralism · territories · Canada · regional identity · municipalities · districts · Australia · Nigeria · Belgium
- German FederalismBavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg
- regionsregion, regions, area, areas, zone
- AustriaVienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austrian flag
- German regionsBavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg
- German StatesBavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg
- subdivisionscounty, province, region, district, provinces
federal statesconfederations
Unions of sovereign entities
absolute monarchies · monarchies · empires · city-states · authoritarian regimes
federal, states, state, federation, federate, federated, federating, federalism, federalist