Bundesland
Bundesland is a German term meaning “federal state” and refers to subnational political units in federal states. The concept denotes a political entity that shares sovereignty with a central government, while maintaining its own institutions and policy powers.
In Germany, the Bundesländer are the 16 federal states that form the Federal Republic of Germany. Each
In Austria, the analogous units are called Bundesländer, of which there are nine. They possess their own
In Switzerland, the federation is organized into cantons rather than Bundesländer. Cantons enjoy a high degree
Overall, Bundesland signifies a constitutionally recognized subunit of a federal state, balancing regional autonomy with national