A Federal Republic is a republic which is made up of constitutionally recognised self-governing sub-units (often called states). In strict constitutional terms, the states within a federal republic are not independent but inferior to the federal state, which is regarded as the national unit. In contrast, confederations contain states that are to varying degrees independent but which are part of a shared limited larger political entity or which have effective parity of powers and authority with the shared larger political entity. Similarly, states with devolved governmental sub-units are not described as federations because their sub-units have no constitutional right to exist but are created by, and potentially abolishable by, the national parliament.

Examples of Federal Republics