Federated state
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A federated state (often referred to simply as a state) is a territorial and constitutional community forming part of a federal union. Such states differ from sovereign states, in that they have transferred a portion of their sovereign powers to a federal government. A federated state holds administrative jurisdiction over a defined geographic territory and is a form of regional government.
In some cases, a federation is created from a union of political entities, which are either independent, or dependent territories of another sovereign entity (most commonly a colonial power). In other cases, states have been created by a previously unitary government in a devolution of powers in order to allow for a federal constitution. Once a federal constitution is formed, the rules governing the relationship between federal and regional powers become part of the country's municipal law and not international law.
In countries with federal constitutions, sovereignty is shared between the federal government and its component states. These states are partially self-governing and are usually afforded a considerable degree of autonomy. In most cases, within its own territory, a federated state's administrative rights and powers cannot be over-ruled or vetoed by the federal government. However, the laws governing the relationship between federal and regional powers can be amended through the federal constitution and state constitutions.
