page_title: Federation
section_title: Federations and other forms of state
hierarchical_section_title: Federation / Federations and other forms of state
context_page_description: A federation is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of either party, the states or the federal political body. Alternatively, a federation is a form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided between a central authority and a number of constituent regions so that each region retains some degree of control over its internal affairs.
  It is often argued that federal states where the central government has overriding powers, are not truly federal states.
caption: A map of Brazil, showing its twenty-six constituent states and the Federal District