A
federated state (which may be referred to as a
state, a
province, a
canton, a
Land, etc.) is a territorial and
constitutional community forming part of a
federal union (federation). Such states differ from fully
sovereign states, in that they have transferred a portion of their
sovereign powers to a
federal government. Importantly, when states choose to federate, they lose their standing as persons of international law. Instead, the federal union as a single entity becomes the
sovereign state for purposes of international law. A federated state holds administrative jurisdiction over a defined geographic territory and is a form of
regional government.