Federal republic
This article is about the concept of a federal republic as it relates to NationStates. For more general information, please see the Wikipedia article on the subject.
A federal republic is, quite simply, a state which is both a federation and a republic. A federation is a state composed of a number of self-governing regions united by a central government. In a federation, the self-governing status of autonomous regions is constitutionally entrenched and cannot be revoked by the central government. The term republic is used inconsistently but means, at a minimum, a state that does not have a monarch as head of state.
The self-governing regions in federal republics may be called states, provinces, cantons, or even nations.
Federal republics include Mikitivity, Oglethorpia, Edward City, and the Confederation of Sovereign States.