Portugal – see autonomous regions of Portugal Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom – devolved powers to governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Vietnam Federations A federal government is the common or national government of a federation. The United States is considered the first modern federation. After declaring independence from Britain, the U.S. adopted its first constitution, the Articles of Confederation in 1781. This was the first step towards federalism by establishing the confederal Congress. However, Congress was limited as to its ability to pursue economic, military, and judiciary reform. In 1787, a Constitutional Convention drafted the United States Constitution during the Philadelphia Convention. After the ratification of the Constitution by nine states in 1788, the U.S. was officially a federation, putting the U.S. in a unique position where the central government exists by the sufferance of the individual states rather than the reverse. Other states followed suit in establishing federal governments: Switzerland (1848); Canada (1867); Germany (1871 and again 1949); Brazil (1891); Australia (1901); Russia (1917); Austria (1920 and again 1945) and India (1947 and again 1950). Examples include: Austria Argentina Australia – states and territories of Australia Belgium – see communities, regions and language areas of Belgium Brazil India - States and union territories of India Canada – see provinces and territories of Canada Germany – see states of Germany Malaysia Mexico – see states of Mexico Nigeria Nepal Pakistan – see administrative units of Pakistan Russia – see federal districts of Russia, federal subjects of Russia Soviet Union – see republics of the Soviet Union Sudan – see South Sudan, which is now independent Switzerland – cantons of Switzerland United States – see U.S. states Venezuela – see states of Venezuela Confederations United States Government under the Articles of Confederation Confederate States of America See also National Government (disambiguation) List of autonomous areas by country Autonomous government Devolution of powers Federation References Unitary state Political geography Federalism