Unitary state

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Aunitary state is a (sovereign)state governed as a single entity in which thecentral government is the supreme authority. The central government may create or abolishadministrative divisions (sub-national or sub-state units). Such units exercise only the powers that the central government chooses to delegate. Althoughpolitical power may be delegated throughdevolution to regional orlocal governments bystatute, the central government may alter the statute, to override the decisions ofdevolved governments or expand their powers.

The modern unitary state concept originated inFrance; in the aftermath of theHundred Years' War, national feelings that emerged from the war unified France. The war accelerated the process of transforming France from afeudal monarchy to a unitary state. TheFrench then later spread unitary states byconquests, throughoutEurope during and after theNapoleonic Wars, and to the world through the vastFrench colonial empire.^[1] Presently,prefects remain an illustration of the French unitary state system, as the representatives of the State in eachdepartment, tasked with upholding central government policies.

Unitary states stand in contrast tofederations, also known asfederal states. A large majority of theUN 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

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A unitary system of government can be considered to be the opposite offederalism. In federations, the provincial/regional governments share powers with the central government as equal actors through a writtenconstitution, 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

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Italics:States with limited recognition from othersovereign states orintergovernmental organizations.

Unitary republics

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Unitary monarchies

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TheUnited Kingdom is an example of a unitary state.Scotland,Wales andNorthern Ireland have a degree of autonomous devolved power, but such power is delegated by theParliament of the United Kingdom, which may enact laws unilaterally altering or abolishing devolution.Similarly inSpain, the devolved powers are delegated through the central government.