Editing Federation (section)

===Comparison with other systems of autonomy===

====Federacy====
A [[federacy]]<ref>Some dictionaries, such as the Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language (1989 ed.), state that federacy is synonymous with confederacy ("by aphesis"). In French, the English words federacy, confederacy, and confederation are all translated by "confédération".</ref> is a unitary state that incorporates one or more self-governing [[autonomous area]]s. It is distinguished from a federation in that the constitutional structure of the state is still unitary, but incorporates federalist principles. Some federacies, notably [[Åland]], were established through [[international treaty]].

====Devolution====
A federation differs from a [[devolution|devolved state]], such as [[Indonesia]] and the United Kingdom, because, in a devolved state, the central government can revoke the independence of the subunits (the [[Scottish Parliament]], the [[Welsh Parliament]] and the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] in the case of the United Kingdom) without changing the constitution. In some cases, such as the [[autonomous communities of Spain]], devolution has led to federation in all but name, or "federation without federalism".<ref name="Spain Xavier Arbós Marín page 375">The Federal Option and Constitutional Management of Diversity in Spain Xavier Arbós Marín, page 375; included in 'The Ways of Federalism in Western Countries and the Horizons of Territorial Autonomy in Spain' (volume 2), edited by Alberto López-Eguren and Leire Escajedo San Epifanio; edited by [[Axel Springer SE|Springer]] {{ISBN|978-3-642-27716-0}}, {{ISBN|978-3-642-27717-7}}(eBook)</ref>

====Crown dependencies====
The relation between the [[Crown Dependencies]] of the [[Isle of Man]] and the bailiwicks of [[Guernsey]] and [[Jersey]] in the [[Channel Islands]] and the United Kingdom is very similar to a federate relation: the Islands enjoy independence from the United Kingdom, which, via The Crown, takes care of their foreign relations and defense&nbsp;– although the UK Parliament does have overall power to legislate for the dependencies. However, the islands are neither an incorporated part of the United Kingdom nor are they considered to be independent or associated states. The islands do not have a monarch, ''per se''; rather in the Isle of Man the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British Monarch]] is, ''[[ex officio]]'', [[Lord of Mann]], and in the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey, the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British Monarch]] rules as the [[Duke of Normandy]].

====Dependent territories====
[[Dependent territory|Dependent territories]], such as the [[British overseas territories]], are vested with varying degrees of power; some enjoy considerable independence from the sovereign state, which only takes care of their foreign relations and defense. However, they are neither considered to be part of it nor recognized as sovereign or associated states.