A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. At its core, the literal meaning of the word republic when used to reference a form of government means a country that is governed by elected representatives and by an elected leader, such as a president, rather than by a monarch or any hereditary aristocracy.
In a federal republic, a division of powers exists between the federal government and the government of the individual subdivisions. While each federal republic manages this division of powers differently, common matters relating to international affairs and treaties, security and defense, inter-state relations, and monetary policy are usually handled at the federal level, while matters such as infrastructure maintenance and education policy are usually handled at the regional or local level; however, views differ on what issues should be a federal competence, and subdivisions usually have sovereignty in some matters where the federal government does not have jurisdiction. A federal republic is thus best defined in contrast to a unitary republic, whereby the central government has complete sovereignty over all aspects of political life. This more decentralized structure helps to explain the tendency for more populous countries to operate as federal republics.
Most federal republics codify the division of powers between orders of government in a written constitutional document. The political differences between a federal republic and other federal states, especially federal monarchies under a parliamentary system of government, are largely a matter of legal form rather than political substance, as most federal states are democratic in structure if not practice with checks and balances; however, some federal monarchies, such as the United Arab Emirates, are based upon principles other than democracy.
Federal states primarily contrast with unitary states, where the central government retains many of the powers that are delegated to the subdivisions in federal republics. While there are exceptions, the overall tendency is for federal republics to be larger, more populous, and more internally heterogeneous than unitary states, with such larger size and internal heterogeneity being more manageable in a federal system than in a unitary one.
Contemporary
| Country | Official name and style | Administrative divisions | Form of government | Head of state | Head of government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina | Argentine Republic | Provinces (23) and autonomous city (1) | Presidential system | Javier Milei | |
 Austria | Republic of Austria | States (9) | Parliamentary republic | Alexander Van der Bellen | Karl Nehammer |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Entities (2) and self-governing district (1) | Parliamentary republic | Željka Cvijanović Denis Bećirović Željko Komšić | Borjana Krišto |
 Brazil | Federative Republic of Brazil | States (26) and federal district (1) | Presidential system | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | |
 Comoros | Union of the Comoros | Autonomous islands (3) | Presidential system | Azali Assoumani | |
 Ethiopia | Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | Regions (10) and chartered cities (2) | Parliamentary republic | Sahle-Work Zewde | Abiy Ahmed |
 Germany | Federal Republic of Germany | States (16) | Parliamentary republic | Frank-Walter Steinmeier | Olaf Scholz |
 India | Republic of India | States (28) and union territories (8) | Parliamentary republic | Droupadi Murmu | Narendra Modi |
 Iraq | Republic of Iraq | Governorates (19) | Parliamentary republic | Abdul Latif Rashid | Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani |
 Mexico | United Mexican States | States (31) and autonomous entity (1) | Presidential system | Andrés Manuel López Obrador | |
 Micronesia | Federated States of Micronesia | States (4) | Presidential system | David W. Panuelo | |
 Nepal | Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | Provinces (7) | Parliamentary republic | Ram Chandra Poudel | Pushpa Kamal Dahal |
 Nigeria | Federal Republic of Nigeria | States (36) and federal territory (1) | Presidential system | Bola Tinubu | |
 Pakistan | Islamic Republic of Pakistan | Provinces (4), autonomous territories (2) and federal territory (1) | Parliamentary republic | Asif Ali Zardari | Shehbaz Sharif |
 Russia | Russian Federation | Federal subjects (85) | Semi-presidential system | Vladimir Putin | Mikhail Mishustin |
 Somalia | Federal Republic of Somalia | Federal member states (6) | Parliamentary republic | Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (acting) | Hamza Abdi Barre |
 South Sudan | Republic of South Sudan | States (10), administrative areas (2) and area with special administrative status (1) | Presidential system | Salva Kiir Mayardit | |
 Sudan | Republic of the Sudan | States (18) | Provisional government | Abdel Fattah al-Burhan | Osman Hussein |
 Switzerland | Swiss Confederation | Cantons (26) | Directorial Parliamentary republic | Federal Council (2023):
| |
 United States | United States of America | States (50), federal district (1) and territories (14), nine of which are uninhabited. | Presidential system | ||
 Venezuela | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela | States (23) and capital district (1) | Presidential system | Nicolás Maduro | |
Historical
| Country | Official name and style | Period of federal form of government | Administrative divisions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Regency of Algiers | Regency of Algiers Kingdom of Algiers | 1563–1830 | Beyliks |
 Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth | Serenissima Res Publica Poloniae | 1569–1795 | Provinces and Voivodeships |
 Dutch Republic | Republic of the Seven United Netherlands | 1581–1795 | Provinces |
 Valais | Republic of the Seven Tithings | 1613–1798 | |
 Gran Colombia | Republic of Colombia | 1819–1831 | |
 Federal Republic of Central America | Federal Republic of Central American | 1823–1838 | |
 Granadine Confederation | Granadine Confederation | 1858–1863 | |
 United States of Colombia | United States of Colombia | 1863–1886 | States |
 First Spanish Republic | Spanish Republic | 1873-1874 | |
 Republic of China | Republic of China | 1912–1928 | Provinces |
 Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus | Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus | 1917–1922 | Republics |
 Weimar Republic | German Reich | 1919–1933 | States |
 East Germany | German Democratic Republic | 1949–1990 | States |
 Soviet Union | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 1922–1991 | Republics |
 Yugoslavia | Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1963) Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1963–1992) | 1945–1992 | Republics |
 Serbia and Montenegro | Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992–2003) State Union of Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006) | 1992–2006 | Constituent republics |
 Burma | Union of Burma | 1948–1962 | States |
 Indonesia | Republic of the United States of Indonesia | 1949–1950 | States |
 Cameroon | Federal Republic of Cameroon | 1961–1972 | |
 Czechoslovak Socialist Republic | Czechoslovak Republic (1948–1960) Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1960–1990) | 1969–1990 | Republics |
| Czech and Slovak Federative Republic | Czech and Slovak Federative Republic | 1990–1992 | Republics |
See also
- Form of government
- List of republics
- Federal monarchy
Notes
- Nominally a federal union of multiple national republics; in practice its government and economy were highly centralized until its final years.
- The states lived on until a final treaty in 1956 in which Republic of South Maluku and the State of Eastern Sumatra agreed to devolve into the Republic of Indonesia.
References
- Forum of Federations: [1], Schram, Sanford. Handbook of Federal Countries: United States, pp. 373–391, 2005.
- CIA World Factbook: Austria, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: Bosnia and Herzegovina, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: Brazil, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: Ethiopia, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: Germany, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: India, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: Mexico, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: Nepal, 14 May 2009
- "UNTERM". unterm.un.org. Retrieved 2022-07-03.
- CIA World Factbook: Nigeria, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: Pakistan, 14 May 2009
- "Text of the Russian constitution in English". Constituteproject.org.
- CIA World Factbook: Switzerland, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: United States, 14 May 2009
- CIA World Factbook: Venezuela, 14 May 2009
- Julien, Charles André (1970). History of North Africa: Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco. From the Arab Conquest to 1830. Internet Archive. New York, Praeger. p. 324. ISBN 978-0-7100-6614-5.
- Kaddache, Mahfoud (2003). L'Algérie des Algériens: de la préhistoire à 1954 [Algeria of the Algerians: from prehistory to 1954] (in French). Paris-Méditerranée. p. 377. ISBN 978-2-84272-166-4.
- "The CIA World Factbook officially dated October 15, 1991". Archived from the original on 2011-05-11. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
External links
- Republic at Merriam-Webster
A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government At its core the literal meaning of the word republic when used to reference a form of government means a country that is governed by elected representatives and by an elected leader such as a president rather than by a monarch or any hereditary aristocracy In a federal republic a division of powers exists between the federal government and the government of the individual subdivisions While each federal republic manages this division of powers differently common matters relating to international affairs and treaties security and defense inter state relations and monetary policy are usually handled at the federal level while matters such as infrastructure maintenance and education policy are usually handled at the regional or local level however views differ on what issues should be a federal competence and subdivisions usually have sovereignty in some matters where the federal government does not have jurisdiction A federal republic is thus best defined in contrast to a unitary republic whereby the central government has complete sovereignty over all aspects of political life This more decentralized structure helps to explain the tendency for more populous countries to operate as federal republics Most federal republics codify the division of powers between orders of government in a written constitutional document The political differences between a federal republic and other federal states especially federal monarchies under a parliamentary system of government are largely a matter of legal form rather than political substance as most federal states are democratic in structure if not practice with checks and balances however some federal monarchies such as the United Arab Emirates are based upon principles other than democracy Federal states primarily contrast with unitary states where the central government retains many of the powers that are delegated to the subdivisions in federal republics While there are exceptions the overall tendency is for federal republics to be larger more populous and more internally heterogeneous than unitary states with such larger size and internal heterogeneity being more manageable in a federal system than in a unitary one ContemporaryCountry Official name and style Administrative divisions Form of government Head of state Head of government Argentina Argentine Republic Provinces 23 and autonomous city 1 Presidential system Javier Milei Austria Republic of Austria States 9 Parliamentary republic Alexander Van der Bellen Karl Nehammer Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Entities 2 and self governing district 1 Parliamentary republic Zeljka Cvijanovic Denis Becirovic Zeljko Komsic Borjana Kristo Brazil Federative Republic of Brazil States 26 and federal district 1 Presidential system Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Comoros Union of the Comoros Autonomous islands 3 Presidential system Azali Assoumani Ethiopia Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Regions 10 and chartered cities 2 Parliamentary republic Sahle Work Zewde Abiy Ahmed Germany Federal Republic of Germany States 16 Parliamentary republic Frank Walter Steinmeier Olaf Scholz India Republic of India States 28 and union territories 8 Parliamentary republic Droupadi Murmu Narendra Modi Iraq Republic of Iraq Governorates 19 Parliamentary republic Abdul Latif Rashid Mohammed Shia Al Sudani Mexico United Mexican States States 31 and autonomous entity 1 Presidential system Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia States 4 Presidential system David W Panuelo Nepal Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Provinces 7 Parliamentary republic Ram Chandra Poudel Pushpa Kamal Dahal Nigeria Federal Republic of Nigeria States 36 and federal territory 1 Presidential system Bola Tinubu Pakistan Islamic Republic of Pakistan Provinces 4 autonomous territories 2 and federal territory 1 Parliamentary republic Asif Ali Zardari Shehbaz Sharif Russia Russian Federation Federal subjects 85 Semi presidential system Vladimir Putin Mikhail Mishustin Somalia Federal Republic of Somalia Federal member states 6 Parliamentary republic Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed acting Hamza Abdi Barre South Sudan Republic of South Sudan States 10 administrative areas 2 and area with special administrative status 1 Presidential system Salva Kiir Mayardit Sudan Republic of the Sudan States 18 Provisional government Abdel Fattah al Burhan Osman Hussein Switzerland Swiss Confederation Cantons 26 Directorial Parliamentary republic Federal Council 2023 Alain Berset Ignazio Cassis Albert Rosti Elisabeth Baume Schneider Guy Parmelin Karin Keller Sutter Viola Amherd United States United States of America States 50 federal district 1 and territories 14 nine of which are uninhabited Presidential system Donald Trump Venezuela Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela States 23 and capital district 1 Presidential system Nicolas MaduroHistoricalCountry Official name and style Period of federal form of government Administrative divisionsRegency of Algiers Regency of Algiers Kingdom of Algiers 1563 1830 BeyliksPolish Lithuanian Commonwealth Serenissima Res Publica Poloniae 1569 1795 Provinces and Voivodeships Dutch Republic Republic of the Seven United Netherlands 1581 1795 ProvincesValais Republic of the Seven Tithings 1613 1798 Gran Colombia Republic of Colombia 1819 1831Federal Republic of Central America Federal Republic of Central American 1823 1838Granadine Confederation Granadine Confederation 1858 1863United States of Colombia United States of Colombia 1863 1886 StatesFirst Spanish Republic Spanish Republic 1873 1874Republic of China Republic of China 1912 1928 ProvincesMountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus 1917 1922 Republics Weimar Republic German Reich 1919 1933 States East Germany German Democratic Republic 1949 1990 States Soviet Union Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1922 1991 Republics Yugoslavia Federal People s Republic of Yugoslavia 1945 1963 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1963 1992 1945 1992 Republics Serbia and Montenegro Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1992 2003 State Union of Serbia and Montenegro 2003 2006 1992 2006 Constituent republics Burma Union of Burma 1948 1962 States Indonesia Republic of the United States of Indonesia 1949 1950 States Cameroon Federal Republic of Cameroon 1961 1972 Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Czechoslovak Republic 1948 1960 Czechoslovak Socialist Republic 1960 1990 1969 1990 RepublicsCzech and Slovak Federative Republic Czech and Slovak Federative Republic 1990 1992 RepublicsSee alsoForm of government List of republics Federal monarchyNotesNominally a federal union of multiple national republics in practice its government and economy were highly centralized until its final years The states lived on until a final treaty in 1956 in which Republic of South Maluku and the State of Eastern Sumatra agreed to devolve into the Republic of Indonesia ReferencesForum of Federations 1 Schram Sanford Handbook of Federal Countries United States pp 373 391 2005 CIA World Factbook Austria 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook Bosnia and Herzegovina 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook Brazil 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook Ethiopia 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook Germany 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook India 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook Mexico 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook Nepal 14 May 2009 UNTERM unterm un org Retrieved 2022 07 03 CIA World Factbook Nigeria 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook Pakistan 14 May 2009 Text of the Russian constitution in English Constituteproject org CIA World Factbook Switzerland 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook United States 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook Venezuela 14 May 2009 Julien Charles Andre 1970 History of North Africa Tunisia Algeria Morocco From the Arab Conquest to 1830 Internet Archive New York Praeger p 324 ISBN 978 0 7100 6614 5 Kaddache Mahfoud 2003 L Algerie des Algeriens de la prehistoire a 1954 Algeria of the Algerians from prehistory to 1954 in French Paris Mediterranee p 377 ISBN 978 2 84272 166 4 The CIA World Factbook officially dated October 15 1991 Archived from the original on 2011 05 11 Retrieved 2011 02 05 External linksRepublic at Merriam Webster
