Unitary state
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A unitary state is a state or sovereign state governed as a single entity in which the central government is the supreme authority. The central government may create or abolish administrative divisions (sub-national or sub state units). Such units exercise only the powers that the central government chooses to delegate. Although political power may be delegated through devolution to regional or local governments by statute, the central government may alter the statute, to override the decisions of devolved governments or expand their powers. The modern unitary state concept originated in France; in the aftermath of the Hundred Years' War, national feelings that emerged from the war unified France. The war accelerated the process of transforming France from a feudal monarchy to a unitary state. The French then later spread unitary states by conquests, throughout Europe during and after the Napoleonic Wars, and to the world through the vast French colonial empire.[1] Unitary states stand in contrast to federations, also known as federal states. A large majority of the UN member countries, 166 out of 193, have a unitary system of government, while significant population and land mass is under some kind of federation.[2]
Devolution compared with federalism
A unitary system of government can be considered to be the opposite of federalism. In federations, the provincial/regional governments share powers with the central government as equal actors through a written constitution, to which the consent of both is required to make amendments. This means that the sub-national units have a right to existence and powers that cannot be unilaterally changed by the central government.[3]
List of current unitary sovereign states
Italics: States with limited recognition from other sovereign states or intergovernmental organizations.
Unitary republics
- File:Flag of the Republic of Abkhazia.svg Abkhazia
- File:Flag of Afghanistan (2004–2021).svg Afghanistan (internationally recognized)
- File:Flag of Albania.svg Albania
- File:Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria
- File:Flag of Angola.svg Angola
- File:Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia
- File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan
- File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh[4]
- File:Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados[5]
- File:Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus
- File:Flag of Benin.svg Benin
- File:Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia
- File:Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana
- File:Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
- File:Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso
- File:Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi
- File:Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon
- File:Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde
- File:Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic
- File:Flag of Chad.svg Chad
- File:Flag of Chile.svg Chile
- File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg People's Republic of China
- File:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia
- File:Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros
- File:Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Democratic Republic of the Congo[4]
- File:Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Republic of the Congo
- File:Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica
- File:Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia
- File:Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba
- File:Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus
- File:Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg North Cyprus
- File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
- File:Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti
- File:Flag of Dominica.svg Dominica
- File:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic
- File:Flag of East Timor.svg East Timor
- File:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador
- File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
- File:Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador
- File:Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea
- File:Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea
- File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia
- File:Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
- File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland
- File:Flag of France.svg France
- File:Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon
- File:Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia
- File:Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia
- File:Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana
- File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece
- File:Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala[4]
- File:Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea
- File:Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau
- File:Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana
- File:Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti[4]
- File:Flag of Honduras.svg Honduras
- File:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary
- File:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland[4]
- File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia[4]
- File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran
- File:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland
- File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel
- File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy[4]
- File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast
- File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan[4]
- File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya[4]
- File:Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati
- File:Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea
- File:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea
- File:Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo
- File:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan
- File:Flag of Laos.svg Laos
- File:Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia
- File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
- File:Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia
- File:Flag of Libya.svg Libya
- File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania
- File:Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar
- File:Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi
- File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives
- File:Flag of Mali.svg Mali
- File:Flag of Malta.svg Malta
- File:Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg Marshall Islands
- File:Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania
- File:Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius
- File:Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova
- File:Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia
- File:Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro
- File:Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique
- File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar
- File:Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia
- File:Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru
- File:Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua
- File:Flag of Niger.svg Niger
- File:Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia
- File:Flag of Palau.svg Palau
- File:Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine
- File:Flag of Panama.svg Panama
- File:Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay
- File:Flag of Peru.svg Peru
- File:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines[4]
- File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland
- File:Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal
- File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania
- File:Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda
- File:Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
- File:Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
- File:Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino
- File:Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe.svg São Tomé and Príncipe
- File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal
- File:Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
- File:Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles
- File:Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone
- File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore
- File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
- File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia
- File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa
- File:Flag of South Ossetia.svg South Ossetia
- File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka
- File:Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname
- File:Flag of Syria.svg Syria
- File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Republic of China (Taiwan)[6]
- File:Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan
- File:Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania
- File:Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo
- File:Flag of Transnistria (state).svg Transnistria
- File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago
- File:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia
- File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
- File:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan
- File:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda[4]
- File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine
- File:Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay
- File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan
- File:Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu
- File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam
- File:Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen
- File:Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia
- File:Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe
Unitary monarchies
The United Kingdom is an example of a unitary state. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have a degree of autonomous devolved power, but such power is delegated by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which may enact laws unilaterally altering or abolishing devolution. Similarly in Spain, the devolved powers are delegated through the central government.
- File:Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra
- File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda
- File:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas
- File:Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain
- File:Flag of Belize.svg Belize
- File:Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan
- File:Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei Darussalam
- File:Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia
- File:Flag of Denmark (state).svg Kingdom of Denmark[4]
- File:Flag of Eswatini.svg Eswatini
- File:Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada
- File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica
- File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan[4]
- File:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan
- File:Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait
- File:Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho
- File:Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein
- File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg
- File:Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco
- File:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco[4]
- File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Kingdom of the Netherlands
- File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand[7]
- File:Flag of Norway.svg Kingdom of Norway
- File:Flag of Oman.svg Oman
- File:Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea[3]
- File:Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar
- File:Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia
- File:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia
- File:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands
- File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain
- File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden
- File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand
- File:Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga
- File:Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu
- File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom[8][4]
- File:Flag of Vatican City (2023–present).svg Vatican City
Unitary states with a unique form of government
List of former unitary states
- Belgium/File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium (1830–1993)
- Brazil/File:Flag of Brazil (1870–1889).svg Brazil (1822–1889)
- File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1998).svg Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1995)
- Ethiopia/Ethiopia/Ethiopia/File:Flag of Ethiopia (1991-1996).svg Ethiopia (1270–1995)
- Iraq/Iraq/Iraq/Iraq/File:Flag of Iraq (2004–2008).svg Iraq (1932–2005)
- Nepal/Nepal/File:Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal (1768–2008)
- File:Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia (1960–2004)
See also
- Centralized government
- Constitutional economics
- Political economy
- Regional state
- Rule according to higher law
- Unicameralism
- Unitary authority
References
- ↑ Holmes, Urban T. Jr. & Schutz, Alexander Herman (1948). A History of the French Language (revised ed.). Columbus, OH: Harold L. Hedrick. p. 61.
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value (help)[permanent dead link ] - ↑ "Democracy". United Nations. 2015-11-20. Archived from the original on 2021-02-13. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ghai, Yash; Regan, Anthony J. (September 2006). "Unitary state, devolution, autonomy, secession: State building and nation building in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea". The Round Table. 95 (386): 589–608. doi:10.1080/00358530600931178. ISSN 0035-8533. S2CID 153980559.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 "What is a Unitary State?". WorldAtlas. August 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
- ↑ Faulconbridge, Guy; Ellsworth, Brian (2021-11-30). "Barbados ditches Britain's Queen Elizabeth to become a republic". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ↑ See also Political status of Taiwan, two Chinas and Cross-Strait relations.
- ↑ "Story: Nation and government – From colony to nation". The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
- ↑ Spicker, Paul (June 30, 2014). "Social policy in the UK". An introduction to Social Policy. Robert Gordon University – Aberdeen Business School. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
- ↑ Gul, Ayaz (28 September 2021). "Taliban Say They Will Use Parts of Monarchy Constitution to Run Afghanistan for Now". Voice of America. Islamabad, Pakistan. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
The Taliban said Tuesday they plan to temporarily enact articles from Afghanistan's 1964 constitution that are 'not in conflict with Islamic Sharia (law)' to govern the country.
- ↑ "Constitution of Afghanistan = Assasi Qanun (1964)". University of Nebraska-Omaha. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
Afghanistan is a Constitutional Monarchy; an independent, unitary and indivisible state.
- ↑ George, Susannah (18 February 2023). "Inside the Taliban campaign to forge a religious emirate". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
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