Federated state
A territorial community forming part of a federation.
A federated state is a territorial and constitutional community that forms part of a federation. It does not possess international sovereignty, as powers are divided between the other federated states and the federal government, and it operates under domestic or federal law in relation to the rest of the world.
- Also known as
- state, province, region, canton, land, governorate, oblast, emirate, or country
- International sovereignty
- None
- Legal standing
- Not automatic as entities of international law
- Government forms
- Republican or monarchical
- Jurisdiction
- Legislative, judicial, and administrative over a defined geographic territory
Lore & Background
Federated states are created either from the union of political entities that were independent or dependent territories of another sovereign entity, or from the administrative divisions of previously unitary states. Once a federal constitution is formed, the rules governing the relationship between federal and regional powers become part of the country's constitutional law, not international law. The degree of constitutionally guaranteed autonomy varies substantially from one federation to another.
Reader's Guide
Federated states are significant because they form the building blocks of federal systems, allowing for regional governance within a single sovereign state. They can hold various degrees of legislative, judicial, and administrative jurisdiction over a defined territory, and may establish offices internationally to promote trade or tourism, while still operating under the trade policy or other applicable law of their federation. Their legislative powers may or may not be overruled by the federal government, depending on the power in issue. The concept illustrates how sovereignty is divided internally while the federation remains the sole entity in international law.
Did You Know?
- A federated state does not have international sovereignty.
- Federated states can have republican or monarchical forms of government.
- They may enter into international regional agreements under the laws of their federation and state.
- Federated states are also known as state, province, region, canton, land, governorate, oblast, emirate, or country.
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