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A federal republic is, as the term suggests, a state which is both a federation and a republic. A federation
is a state composed of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as 'states') united by a central, federal
government. In a federation, unlike in a unitary state, the
self-governing status of autonomous regions is constitutionally entrenched and cannot be revoked by a unilateral decision of the
central government. Usage of the term republic is inconsistent but, as a minimum, it means a state that does not have a
monarch as head of state.
Three states explicitly describe themselves as federal republics. These are the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the
Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia. A close variant is the term federative republic, which appears in the full official title of
Brazil. Not every federation is also a republic. For example, Canada, Australia, and Malaysia are federal kingdoms, each under a form of constitutional monarchy.
List of federal republics
Contemporary
Defunct
Fictional
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