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{{Short description|Title for some administrative divisions}}{{More citations needed|date=July 2025}}[[File:WashMonument_WhiteHouse.jpg | thumb | right | alt=A bird’s eye view of Washington D.C. The capital of the United States of America. | A bird’s eye view of the [[Washington Monument]] and the surrounding area of [[Washington, D.C.]]]]
A '''federal district''' is a specific [[administrative division]] in one of various [[federation]]s. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of [[federal territory]] (e.g., India, Malaysia), or they may function as ordinary [[federated unit]]s (e.g., Brazil, Russia). Federal districts often include [[Capital districts and territories|capital district]]s.

== Countries ==
=== Current ===
==== Brazil ====
The [[Federal District (Brazil)|Federal District]] ({{Langx|pt|Distrito Federal|nocat=true}}) contains the Brazilian capital [[Brasília]].

==== India ====
In [[India]], the term "[[Union Territory]]" is used for the eight territories governed directly by the [[Government of India|Union government]] (also called central government), administered by a [[Lieutenant Governor (India)|Lieutenant Governor]] or an [[Administrator of the government|Administrator]]: [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], [[Chandigarh]], [[Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu]], [[Delhi]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Ladakh]], [[Lakshadweep]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]. Of these, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry possess self-government with their own elected legislatures and [[Chief Minister (India)|Chief Ministers]].

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

==== Nigeria ====
The [[Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria)|Federal Capital Territory]] is a federal territory in central Nigeria. [[Abuja]], the capital city of [[Nigeria]], is located in this territory. The Federal Capital Territory was formed in 1976 from parts of the states of [[Nasarawa State|Nasarawa]], [[Niger State|Niger]] and [[Kogi State|Kogi]]. It is within the Middle Belt region of the country. It is administered by the [[Federal Capital Territory Administration]], headed by a minister appointed by the President.

==== Pakistan ====
In [[Pakistan]], the term Federal [[territory (administrative division)|Territory]] is used for the five zones and 12 [[Union Councils of Pakistan|union councils of Islamabad]] governed directly by the state government as [[Islamabad Capital Territory]].

==== Russia ====
[[Russia]] has [[Federal cities of Russia|three cities of federal importance]], established by the Constitution — [[Moscow]] and [[Saint Petersburg]]; it also claims [[Sevastopol]] as such (which is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, occupied by Russia). Each city is treated as a separate federal subject and has its own legislative body. Russia has [[federal districts of Russia|federal districts]], but these form an additional administrative layer between the federation government and the federal subjects rather than being a distinct type of jurisdiction.

==== United States ====
The [[capital city|seat]] of the [[federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]] in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] is located in a federal district called the [[District of Columbia]]. Other federally administered areas that are within one of the 50 [[U. S. state|states]], but not under its jurisdiction, are called [[federal enclave]]s.

Additionally, the [[federal judiciary of the United States|U.S. federal court system]] divides each state, the District of Columbia, and [[Puerto Rico]] into one or more [[United States federal judicial district|federal judicial districts]]. A [[United States district court]] and a [[United States bankruptcy court|bankruptcy court]] are located in each. There are also regional [[United States federal judicial circuits|federal judicial circuits]], each consisting of a group of states (except for the [[United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit|District of Columbia Circuit]], which consists of the federal district, and the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit|Federal Circuit]], whose jurisdiction is based on specific subject matter instead of geography); Puerto Rico and the [[United States territorial court]]s are also assigned to circuits. Each circuit has a [[United States court of appeals]].

==== Venezuela ====
[[Capital District (Venezuela)]], where the Venezuelan capital [[Caracas]] is located.

=== Former ===
==== Argentina ====
The capital, [[Buenos Aires]], used to be a [[Federal District, Argentina|Federal District]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Hunter |first=Brian |title=Argentina |date=1993 |work=The Statesman’s Year-Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1993–1994 |pages=97–103 |editor-last=Hunter |editor-first=Brian |url=https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271227_11 |access-date=2025-07-07 |place=London |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |language=en |doi=10.1057/9780230271227_11 |isbn=978-0-230-27122-7}}</ref> It was converted into the ''[[Autonomous City of Buenos Aires]]'' in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-01 |title=The lady’s not for learning |url=https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/op-ed/the-ladys-not-for-learning.phtml |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Buenos Aires Times |language=en}}</ref>

==== Australia ====
The [[Jervis Bay Territory]] is an [[states and territories of Australia#Internal territories|internal territory]] of the [[Australia|Commonwealth of Australia]], surrendered by the state of [[New South Wales]] in 1915 to the [[Government of Australia|Commonwealth Government]]<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|jbtaa1915323|Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Seat of Government Surrender Act (NSW) Act 9 of 1915|url=http://foundingdocs.gov.au/item-sdid-126.html|work=This document, assented to by the Governor-General in 1915, provided for the transfer of 28 square miles of land at Jervis Bay to the Commonwealth, in addition to the areas surrendered under the Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 and the Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909.|publisher=[[Museum of Australian Democracy]]|access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref> so that the landlocked [[Australian Capital Territory]] would have maritime access.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jervis Bay area Most Suitable for Commonwealth Purposes|url=http://foundingdocs.gov.au/enlargement-eid-105-pid-95.html#|work=A portion of land at Jervis Bay was included in the Federal Capital Territory to provide a seaport for Australia's only inland capital.|publisher=Museum of Australian Democracy|access-date=17 January 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428091831/http://foundingdocs.gov.au/enlargement-eid-105-pid-95.html|archive-date=28 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>  Due to the terms of the [[Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act]], the laws of the ACT apply to the Jervis Bay Territory,<ref>{{cite web|title=Jervis Bay Territory Governance and Administration|url=http://www.regional.gov.au/territories/jervis_bay/governanceadministration.aspx|work=Although the Jervis Bay Territory is not part of the Australian Capital Territory, the laws of the ACT apply, in so far as they are applicable and, providing they are not inconsistent with an Ordinance, in the Territory by virtue of the Jervis Bay Acceptance Act 1915.|publisher=[[The Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport]]|access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref> and it was administered by the [[Department of the Interior (1939–1972)|Department of the Interior]] (and later by the [[Department of the Capital Territory]]) as if it were part of the Australian Capital Territory, although it has always been a separate Commonwealth territory.  {{Citation needed|date=July 2025}} In 1988, when the ACT achieved [[self-government]] by the [[Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988|Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Manager |first=Web |date=2003-01-01 |title=The road to self-government |url=https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/visit-and-learn/learn/resources/fs/self-gov |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=www.parliament.act.gov.au |language=en}}</ref> the [[Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories]] took over responsibility for the JBT's administration, and it has since been administered by various Commonwealth departments responsible to the Minister for Territories.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}}

==== Mexico ====
The former [[Federal District (Mexico)|Federal District]] was converted into ''[[Mexico City]]'' in January 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-01-30 |title=Federal District is now officially Mexico City |url=https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/federal-district-is-now-officially-mexico-city/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131083937/https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/federal-district-is-now-officially-mexico-city/ |archive-date=2016-01-31 |access-date=2025-07-07 |work=Mexico News Daily |language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Direct-controlled municipality]]
* [[Federal territory]]
* [[Federated state]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Terms for types of administrative territorial entities}}

[[Category:Federalism|Districts]]
[[Category:Types of administrative division]]
[[Category:Public administration by country]]