Confederation
A
confederation is an association of
sovereign states or communities, usually created by
treaty but often later adopting a common
constitution. Confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues, such as
defence,
foreign affairs,
foreign trade, and a common
currency, with the central government being required to provide support for all members. A confederation, in modern political terms, is usually limited to a permanent union of sovereign states for common action in relation to other states
[Oxford English Dictionary].
The nature of the relationship between the entities constituting a confederation varies considerably. Likewise, the relationship between the member states and the central government, and the distribution of powers among them, is highly variable. Some looser confederations are similar to
international organizations, while tighter confederations may resemble
federations.
In a non-political context, confederation is used to describe a type of organization which consolidates authority from other semi-autonomous bodies. Examples include sports confederations or confederations of Pan-European
trade unions.
Sometimes
confederation is erroneously used in the place of
federation. A confederation is a state or entity similar in pyramidal structure to a federation but with a weaker central government. A confederation may also consist of member states which, while temporarily pooling sovereignty in certain areas, are considered entirely sovereign and retain the right of secession. A confederation is sometimes a loose alliance but in other cases the distinction between a federation and a confederation may be ambiguous. In contrast to a federation, a member state may participate in more than one confederation.
Some nations which started out as confederations retained the word in their titles after becoming federations. The
United States of America was first organized as a confederation under the
Articles of Confederation and later became a federation with the ratification of the current
Constitution of the United States in
1789. The
American Civil War was a by-product of the formation of the break-away
Confederate States of America by
U.S. states allied in their desire to form a looser political union and retain more
rights for themselves.
The noun
confederation refers to the process of (or the event of) confederating; i.e., establishing a confederation (or by extension a federation). In
Canada — until recently a relatively decentralised federation — "
Confederation" generally refers to the
British North America Act, 1867 which initially united three colonies of British North America (
Province of Canada,
Province of New Brunswick and
Province of Nova Scotia), and to the subsequent incorporation of other colonies and territories. Despite this use of the word "confederation," Canada is a federal state.
Confederation Day (like Federation Day in federations) is frequently a holiday in confederations, equivalent to the United States'
Independence Day for any entity that achieved statehood as such. This is often renamed or colloquially celebrated under a different name.
In Canada, the French-language term for the national anniversary used to be
Le Jour de la Confédération but is now
Fête du Canada, literally 'Celebration of Canada'.
In English it was called first
Dominion Day, then
Canada Day, but never "Confederation Day".
Note that historical confederations, especially those predating the
20th century, may not fit the current definition of a confederation, may proclaimed as federation but be confederal, and may show some qualities that are today recognized as those of a federation.
Confederal states
Some have more characteristics of a
personal union, but they are still listed here because of their own self-styling
*
Crown of Aragon (
1137–
1716)
*
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (confederated personal union;
1447–
1492,
1501–
1569,
1569–
1795) (different
governments,
armies,
treasuries,
laws,
territories with
borders,
citizenships; common
monarch (
Grand Duke of Lithuania and
King of Poland),
parliament (
Seimas,
Sejm) and
currency)
*
Switzerland (
1291–
1848), officially the Swiss Confederation
*
New England Confederation (
1643–
1684)
*
United States of America under the
Articles of Confederation (
1781–
1789)
*
Confederate States of America, (
1861–
1865)
*
Union of African States (
1961–
1963,
Mali+
Ghana+
Guinea)
*
Senegambia (
1982–
1989,
Senegal+
Gambia)
*
Confederate Ireland*
Hanseatic League*
Powhatan Confederacy*
Canada (initially,
1867–
1870)
*
Carlist States in Spain (
1872–
1876)
*
Serbia-Montenegro (
2003–
2006)
*
United Arab Republic (confederation de-facto;
1958–
1961,
Egypt+
Syria;
1963,
Egypt+
Syria+
Iraq)
*
Arab Federation (confederation de-facto;
1958, (
Iraq+
Jordan)
*
Federation of Arab Republics (confederation de-facto;
1972,
Egypt+
Syria+
Libya)
*
Arab Islamic Republic (confederation de-facto;
1974,
Libya+
Tunis)
*
Peru-Bolivian Confederation (
1836–
1839)
*
Kalmar Union (confederated personal union;
1397–
1523,
Danmark+
Sweden+
Norway)
*
Denmark-Norway (confederated personal union;
1536–
1814)
*
Sweden-Norway (confederated personal union;
1814–
1905)
*
Confederation of Central America (
1842–
1844,
El Salvador+
Guatemala+
Honduras+
Nicaragua)
*
Union of Russia and Belarus (initially confederation, consider to be in future the soft federation like USSR)
*
Confederation of the Equator - located in Northeast
Brazil.
International organisations
*pre-reunited Germany after the
Holy Roman Empire (
1806–
1871)
**
Confederation of the Rhine (
1806–
1813) had no head of state nor a government
**
German Confederation (
1815–
1866)
**
North German Confederation (
1867–
1871)
*
European Union (soft confederation; foreign affairs and many other things left to states, some things centrally controlled)
* "Statebond" - in
Afrikaans (the Boers language, closest relative of Dutch), the word
statebond (like the Dutch
statenbond, literally 'league of states', a purism for confederation) has been used for the
Commonwealth of Nations, as part of the official style of the British Monarch in
South Africa from 29 May, 1953 to 31 May, 1961:
Koningin van Suid-Afrika en Haar ander Koninkryke en Gebiede, Hoof van die Statebond "Queen of South Africa and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth"
*
United Nations (soft confederation; very few central powers alloted by member-states)
Looser Confederations
Confederation was form of military alliance of
szlachta in
Poland and
Lithuania XIII-XIX centuries against the King.
*
Bar Confederation 1768-
1773*
Targowica Confederation 1792-
1793Certain traditional tribal organisations are called confederations, without actually forming a permanent state, even if some have a formal leader whos may even carry a title fit for a head of state.
Fictional confederations
*
Confederacy of Independent Systems (
Star Wars)
*
Terran Confederation (
Wing Commander)
*
Capellan Confederation (
Battletech)
*
Confederacy*
List of forms of government*
Multi-speed Europe*
Commonwealth*
The Fathers of Confederation*
Confederation: The Creation of Canada — Illustrated Historical Essay
*
WorldStatesmen- here South Africa 
