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A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. A federation is the central government. The states in a federation also maintain the federation. Usage of the term republic is inconsistent but as a minimum it means a state or federation of states that does not have a monarch.

In a federal republic there is a division of powers between the national "federal" government and the government of the individual subdivisions. While every nation manages this division of powers differently national security and defense monetary policy and other issues of a "national" scope are handled at the "federal" level while more local issues such as road and infrastructure maintenance and education policy are handled at the local level. In other words while the federal government has ultimate sovereignty there is a limited sovereignty granted to the subdivisions where the federal government does not have jurisdiction. This is in contrast to a unitary republic whereby the national government has complete sovereignty over all aspects of political life with purely administrative subdivisions and a confederation whereby the constituent states retain ultimate sovereignty. The form of government is used by many countries around the world. Contents 1 List of federal republics 1.1 Contemporary 1.2 Historic 2 See also 3 References List of federal republics Contemporary Federation Official Name and Style Subdivisions Head of state  Argentina Argentine Republic Provinces President  Austria1 Republic of Austria States Federal President  Bosnia and Herzegovina2 Bosnia and Herzegovina Entities Collective Presidency  Brazil3 Federative Republic of Brazil States President  Comoros Union of the Comoros Autonomous islands President  Ethiopia4 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Regions President  Germany5 Federal Republic of Germany States President  India6 Republic of India States President  Iraq Republic of Iraq Regions President  Madagascarcitation needed Republic of Madagascar Autonomous Provinces President  Mexico7 United Mexican States States President  Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia States President  Nepal8 Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Yet to decide by the constituent assembly President  Nigeria9 Federal Republic of Nigeria States President  Pakistan10 Islamic Republic of Pakistan Provinces and Tribal areas President  Russia11 Russian Federation Federal subjects President  South Africa Republic of South Africa Provinces President  Switzerland12 Swiss Confederation Cantons Federal Council  United States13 United States of America States President  Venezuela14 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela States President Historic Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (15811795)  Paraguay (1813-1876) Great Colombia (1819-1831) United States of Colombia (federal republic until 1886; unitary republic after 1886) Federal Republic of Central America (18231838)  Weimar Republic (Germany 1919-1933)  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922-1991)  West Germany (1922-1991)  Yugoslavia (1945-1992)15  Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006) Union of Burma (1948-1962)  United States of Indonesia (officially 1949-1950 yet 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.)  Federal Republic of Cameroon (1961-1972)  Uganda (1962-1966)  Czechoslovakia (1969-1992)15 See also Form of government List of republics References 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: Ethiopia 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: India 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: Mexico 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: Nepal 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: Nigeria 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: Pakistan 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: Russia 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: Switzerland 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: United States 14 May 2009 CIA World Factbook: Venezuela 14 May 2009 a b The CIA World Factbook officially dated October 15 1991