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.
federal state
A state that is organized as a federation, that is, a union of several constituent states into one overall state. This contrasts with a unitary state.
Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist ein Bundesstaat, der aus 16 Bundesländern besteht.
The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal state consisting of 16 federal states.
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.
federal state
Both words can refer to a constituent state within a federal country. Bundesland is the usual official term in Germany and Austria, while Bundesstaat sounds more general and can also be used there. For the ordinary description of a German or Austrian constituent state, Bundesland is the better choice.
In einer allgemeinen Beschreibung kann Bayern als Bundesstaat bezeichnet werden.
In a general description, Bavaria can be referred to as a federal state.
Bayern ist ein Bundesland im Süden Deutschlands.
Bavaria is a federal state in southern Germany.
