Unitary state

A unitary state is a
state
governed as a single entity in which the
central government
is ultimately supreme. Unitary states stand in contrast with
federations
, also known as federal states.

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Overview[
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]

Territorial organization of some European countries. Among
European Union
states,
Austria
,
Belgium
and
Germany
are federal states.

In unitary states, the central government may create (or abolish)
administrative divisions
(sub-national 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 abrogate the acts of
devolved governments
or curtail (or expand) their powers. A large majority of the world’s states (166 of the 193
UN member states
) have a unitary system of government.

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 of existence and powers that cannot be unilaterally changed by the central government.

Devolution within a unitary state, like federalism, may be symmetrical, with all sub-national units having the same powers and status, or asymmetric, with sub-national units varying in their powers and status. Many unitary states have no areas possessing a degree of autonomy.

In such countries, sub-national regions cannot decide their own laws. Examples are
Romania
,
Ireland
and
Norway
.
Svalbard
has even less autonomy than the mainland. It is directly controlled by the government and has no local rule.

List of unitary republics and unitary kingdoms[
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]

Italics:
States with limited recognition
from other
sovereign states
or
intergovernmental organizations
.

Unitary republics[
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]

Unitary monarchies[
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]

The
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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 (
England does not have any devolved power
). Similarly in the
Kingdom of Spain
, the devolved powers are delegated through the central government.