state / federal state
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state
A constituent state within a federal state. In Germany and Austria, the official term is 'Bundesland' (federal state), but 'Bundesstaat' is used as a more general or synonymous term.
Texas ist einer der größten Bundesstaaten der USA.
Texas is one of the largest states in the USA.
The word is made up of 'Bundes-' and 'Staat' (state). The part 'Bundes-' comes from 'der Bund' (the federation), which refers to a federation or a union of states. A 'Bundesstaat' is therefore literally a 'state of the federation.'
Die USA sind ein Bund aus 50 einzelnen Staaten.
The USA is a federation of 50 individual states.
The prefix 'Bundes-' is very common in German politics. It marks institutions or terms that apply to the entire federation, e.g. 'Bundeskanzler' (Federal Chancellor), 'Bundestag' (German federal parliament), or 'Bundesliga' (Federal League).
Die Bundesregierung hat ihren Sitz in Berlin.
The federal government has its seat in Berlin.
When talking about the constituent states of Germany or Austria, the official and usual term is 'das Bundesland' (federal state). In this context, the word 'Bundesstaat' is mostly used for the constituent states of other countries such as the USA or Brazil.
Bayern ist das größte Bundesland in Deutschland.
Bavaria is the largest federal state in Germany.
In this meaning, 'Bundesstaat' describes a political system (federalism). It is often used as a technical term in political science to characterize a state that consists of constituent states.
Die Schweiz ist ein Bundesstaat mit einer langen demokratischen Tradition.
Switzerland is a federal state with a long democratic tradition.
state
'der Staat' and 'der Bundesstaat' are easy to confuse because both can refer to political units. 'Der Staat' is the general term for a politically organized country, or sometimes also for a constituent state. 'Der Bundesstaat' can point in two possible directions: it can mean an entire federal state made up of several constituent states, or a single constituent state within such a system. That is why you need to pay attention to the context. If the meaning is simply a country or its government in general, 'Staat' fits. If the federal structure is important, 'Bundesstaat' fits.
Deutschland ist ein Bundesstaat, weil es aus mehreren Bundesländern besteht.
Germany is a federal state because it consists of several federal states.
Im Geschichtsunterricht sprechen wir über die Aufgaben des Staates.
In history class, we talk about the responsibilities of the state.