Confederation
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A confederation is an association of sovereign states, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. Confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues, such as defense, 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 statesTemplate:Ref.
In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, konfederacja (Latin confederatio) was a privilege of szlachta to form a military organisation in order to achieve a common political aim. Most famous konfederacja's were Targowica Confederation (Konfederacja Targowicka) and Bar Confederation (Konfederacja Barska).
The term confederation is frequently a disputed one; loose confederations might be similar to international organizations, while tight confederations might be siimilar to federations; because laws in every confederation, same as every state in general, and therefore relationships between different subjects of confederation, are different, classification might be hard; different powers are vested to central government and different powers are kept by member states in different confederations.
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List of entities considered to be confederations
Note that in case of historical confederations - especialy those pre-20th century - they may not fit the current definition of confederation, and show some qualities today recongised as those of a federation.
- Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (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)
- New England Confederation (1643-1684)
- United States of America under the Articles of Confederation (1781–1789)
- Germany (1806–1871)
- Confederate States of America, (1861–1865)
- Union of African States (1961-1963)
- Senegambia (1982–1989)
- Commonwealth of Independent States
- Serbia and Montenegro
- European Union (foreign affairs and many other things left to states, some things centrally controlled)
Confederation vs. federation
Sometimes confederation is erroneously used in the place of federation. Some nations which started out as confederations retained the word in their titles after officially becoming federations, such as Switzerland. The United States of America was at first a confederation before becoming a federation with the ratification of the current US constitution in 1789.
Confederation as an event
As a verbal noun, confederation refers to the process of (or the event of) confederating, i.e. establishing a federation or confederation. For example, in Canada the phrase "after the Confederation" generally means "after the British North America Act of 1867", which had established the Dominion of Canada.
Confederation day
Confederation Day or Federation Day is frequently a holiday in federations or confederations, equivalent to Independence Day for any entity that achieved statehood as such. This is often renamed or colloquially celebrated under a different name (e.g. in Canada Confederation Day (July 1st) was renamed Dominion Day, and later was renamed Canada Day).
See also
References
- Template:Note Oxford English Dictionary
External links
- The Fathers of Confederation (http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/federal/fathers.htm)
- Confederation: The Creation of Canada (http://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/keys/webtours/GE_P1_2_EN.html) — Illustrated Historical Essay
bg:Конфедерация de:Staatenbund fr:Confdration he:קונפדרציה nl:Confederatie no:Konfderasjon pl:konfederacja