Federal district

Federal districts are a type of administrative division of a federation, under the direct control of a federal government. They exist in various countries.

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United States

District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)

The seat of the U.S. federal government in Washington is a federal district known as the District of Columbia. In addition, the U.S. government has several other kinds of "federal districts" which are not specifically related to a capital city:

Latin America

Argentine Capital District (Buenos Aires City)

The term Distrito Federal, meaning "Federal District" in both the Spanish and Portuguese languages, is used to refer to:

Malaysia

In Malaysia, the term Federal Territory (Malay: Wilayah Persekutuan) is used for the three territories governed directly by the federal government, namely Kuala Lumpur (national capital), Putrajaya (federal government administrative centre) and Labuan Island (international offshore financial centre).

India

In India, the term Union Territory is used for the seven territories governed indirectly by the federal national government with its own Chief minister and governor of Delhi, others namely include - Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. Of these Delhi and Pondicherry possess partial statehoods with their own elected chief ministers.

Pakistan

In Pakistan, the term Federal Territory is used for the five zones and 12 union councils of Islamabad governed directly by the state government as Islamabad Capital Territory.

Russia

There are eight Federal districts of Russia, which function as an additional administrative layer between other subdivisions and the Russian Federation as a whole. But these have nothing to do with the territory surrounding a capital city. However, there are also two cities of federal significance, established by the Constitution - Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Each city is treated as separate subject of federation, and has its own legislative body. Such status is based on certain special functions which these two cities have, including location of federal government and federal judicial institutions.

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