To understand which states are federal, you need to refer to their constitutions. At the same time, there is a certain set of formal features that determine how fair the naming of a country is by federation.
Signs of the Federation
A mandatory feature of this form of government is the presence of entities with a certain degree of independence in relation to the central government. The degree of autonomy is regulated in each individual case by a federal agreement. But in any case, public education does not have sovereignty.
Examples of federal states are the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Germany, India, Australia, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium and Austria. However, it is worth considering that the list is not limited to these countries. Each of them has its own traditions in the distribution of powers between the center and the subject.
Types of Federal States
The list of countries with a federal structure includes 28 states. Each of them can be attributed either to a symmetric or to an asymmetric form of government.
A distinctive feature of symmetrical federations is the equal rights of all subjects. They have the same name, the same government bodies and the same level of autonomy. The most striking examples are Austria, Germany and the USA.
It is worth noting that not every state can successfully exist in the status of a symmetrical federation. Most of them are quite heterogeneous on their territory, and each subject can have traditions different from its neighbors in politics and economics.
Asymmetric Federation
Asymmetric federations are India, Brazil, Tanzania and Canada, since the subjects of these federations have different names and different status in the public administration system.
Some researchers believe that Russia is also on the list of federal countries and states with an asymmetric device. However, some clarifications are needed here. Despite the different status of the territories, republics, regions and autonomous regions, each subject has the same powers as a similar one in status. That is, all the regions are equal and occupy the same positions in government. This applies to all republics, cities of federal significance and autonomous okrugs.
Federated states of the world
Having dealt with the features of the federations, it is worthwhile to give an exhaustive list of countries and states whose federal foundations are not in doubt.
In Europe, these include:
- Russia
- Austria
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Belgium
The list of federal and Asian countries is as follows:
- Pakistan,
- Malaysia,
- United Arab Emirates,
- India,
- Iraq,
- Nepal,
- Myanmar
In Africa, there are also states with a federal structure. These include:
- Sudan,
- Comoros ,
- Ethiopia
- South Sudan
- Nigeria
- Somalia.
The Republic of Somalia deserves special mention, as it has some problems with statehood. As a result of the civil war, the country actually ceased to exist as a whole, and various quasi-state entities appeared in its place. Some of them claim full independence, while others only claim a significant degree of autonomy within one state.
In America, the federal states include:
- USA,
- Argentina
- Venezuela
- To Canada
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Saint Kitts and Nevis.
In addition, Australia and the Federated States of Micronesia are also federations.
Thus, the state can be federal or unitary. In the first case, symmetric and asymmetric forms of the device are distinguished. The basis of this division is the degree of equality of subjects.