federation

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Political entity made up from a number of smaller units or states where the central government has powers over national issues such as foreign policy and defence, while the individual states retain a high degree of regional and local autonomy. A federation should be distinguished from a confederation, a looser union of states for mutual assistance. Contemporary examples of federated states established since 1750 include the USA, Canada, Australia, India, the Federal Republic of Germany, Malaysia, and Micronesia.

The pan-African colours express African unity. Effective date: 1 August 1990. >>