The Federal Republic of Germany and its sixteen Bundesländer

A federal republic is, as the term suggests, a state which is both a federation and a republic. A federation is a state composed of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as 'states') united by a central, federal government. In a federation, unlike in a unitary state, the self-governing status of autonomous regions is constitutionally entrenched and cannot be revoked by a unilateral decision of the central government. Usage of the term republic is inconsistent but, as a minimum, it means a state that does not have a monarch as head of state.

Three states explicitly describe themselves as federal republics. These are the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. A close variant is the term federative republic, which appears in the full official title of Brazil. Not every federation is also a republic. For example, Canada, Australia, and Malaysia are federal kingdoms, each under a form of constitutional monarchy.

List of federal republics

Contemporary

Defunct

• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (nominally a federation)
• United States of Central America

Fictional

• Galactic Republic (Star Wars)
• New Republic (Star Wars)
• United Federation of Planets (Star Trek)

See also

• Form of government