Government

Flag of Utah Comprehensive overview of the Utah state flag: design, symbolism, historical development, and common uses.

Flag of Uzbekistan National flag of Uzbekistan: design, symbolism, history, and contemporary use. Adopted after independence in 1991 and featuring blue, white, and green bands with a crescent and twe…

Flag of Vanuatu National flag adopted at independence in 1980. Features red, green, black and a yellow Y with a boar’s tusk and crossed namele leaves, symbols of Vanuatu’s people, culture and isla…

Flag of Vatican City The national flag of Vatican City: two vertical bands of yellow and white bearing the crossed keys and papal tiara. Adopted in 1929 after the Lateran Treaty, it represents the Holy…

Flag of Washington (U.S. state) Flag of Washington The flag of Washington displays the state seal—with a portrait of George Washington—on a dark green field. A gold fringe is sometimes used for ceremonial display; it is the only U.…

Flag of Washington, D.C.: Design, History and Civic Use Flag of Washington, D.C. A simple red-and-white banner featuring three red stars above two red bars. Based on the Washington family coat of arms, adopted by the District in 1938 and widely used as a civic…

Flag of Wisconsin The state flag of Wisconsin features a dark blue field bearing the state coat of arms. Its symbols recall the state's economy and history; the banner is widely used at government s…

Flag of Wyoming The state flag of Wyoming features a white silhouette of an American bison bearing the state seal on a blue field with red and white borders. It symbolizes the state's natural heri…

Flag of Yugoslavia (1946–1992) Flag of Yugoslavia National flag of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1946–1992): a horizontal blue-white-red tricolour charged with a gold-edged red star, combining Pan-Slavic colours an…

Flag of Zimbabwe — design, symbolism and history Flag of Zimbabwe Overview of the national flag of Zimbabwe: its design, colors, symbols, origins on 18 April 1980, and cultural and political significance.

Folketing — the national parliament of Denmark Folketing The Folketing is Denmark’s unicameral national legislature, meeting in Christiansborg Palace. It has 179 members representing Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands and shapes na…

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): US regulatory agency for health and safety Food and Drug Administration The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the federal agency that regulates foods, drugs, vaccines, medical devices, cosmetics, tobacco and related products to protect public health…

Foreign advisors (Oyatoi Gaikokujin) in Meiji‑era Japan Foreign advisors to the government in Meiji period Japan Foreign specialists hired by the Meiji government to transfer technology, train personnel, and build modern institutions during Japan's rapid 19th‑century modernization.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office The former United Kingdom government department responsible for the country's foreign relations and protection of citizens abroad; merged into the Foreign, Commonwealth & Developme…

Foreign minister (minister of foreign affairs) Foreign minister Senior government official responsible for a country's external relations, diplomacy and international policy. Titles, powers and duties vary by constitutional system and national…

Foreign national A foreign national is a person present in a country where they do not hold citizenship; this article explains legal status, common categories, rights, and distinctions from citizen…

Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) — Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign Office of Germany The Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) is the federal ministry responsible for Germany's diplomacy, consular services, relations with the EU and international organisations, led by t…

Foreign policy of the United States An overview of how the United States manages relations with other states: actors, instruments, goals, historical development, common tools, and major debates shaping U.S. foreign p…

Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom) Foreign Secretary Senior UK cabinet minister who leads the country's foreign policy and diplomatic service, responsible for relations with foreign states, international organisations and the Commonw…

Foreign-buyers tax (British Columbia property transfer surcharge) Foreign-buyers tax A one-time 15% property transfer tax introduced in British Columbia in 2016 on residential purchases by non-Canadians to curb foreign speculative buying and cool housing markets.

Forestry Commission (United Kingdom) Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is the UK public body responsible for managing and protecting much of Great Britain’s public forests, promoting sustainable forestry, timber production, bio…

Four Freedoms: Roosevelt’s 1941 Principles and Their Legacy Four Freedoms Summary of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms—speech origin, the four rights, wartime role, influence on human rights and culture, and ongoing legacy.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier — German statesman, diplomat and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier Overview of Frank-Walter Steinmeier (born 1956), his education, political career as Foreign Minister and Vice‑Chancellor, presidency since 2017, and his role in contemporary German…

Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein Prince Franz Joseph II (1906–1989) reigned 1938–1989. First sovereign to live full‑time in Liechtenstein, he guided the country through wartime neutrality and a dramatic postwar ec…

Free City of Danzig (1920–1939) Free City of Danzig Semi-autonomous Baltic port created after World War I under League of Nations protection; a city-state with special Polish rights that ceased to exist after 1939 and later became t…

Freiburg Government Region (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg) Freiburg Government Region One of four Regierungsbezirke of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany; includes Freiburg im Breisgau, the Black Forest and Upper Rhine Plain; serves as a regional administrative…

Freiherr: the German noble rank equivalent to Baron Freiherr Freiherr was a German-language noble title roughly equivalent to baron. This article explains its meaning, forms of address, historical role and the legal status of noble titles in…

French Community (Communauté française) — 1958 constitutional association French Community A constitutional framework created in 1958 linking France and many former colonies; it granted internal autonomy while France retained key powers and served as a transitional phase…

French Parliament France’s bicameral legislature, made up of the Senate and National Assembly, with their roles, powers, meeting places, and place in the Fifth Republic.

Führer — German word for 'leader' and its historical associations Führer German noun meaning leader or guide. Historically neutral, it became the political title of Adolf Hitler (Führer und Reichskanzler) and is now strongly associated with Nazi rule an…

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut A 1639 compact adopted by Connecticut towns that established a framework for self-government; widely regarded as an early written constitution in British North America.

Galactic Empire (Star Wars) Galactic empire Fictional authoritarian regime that replaces the Republic in Star Wars; created by Palpatine, enforced by Vader and the Imperial military, opposed by the Rebel Alliance and later s…

Galactic Republic A fictional interstellar federal republic in the Star Wars universe: its institutions, history, decline into the Empire, the role of the Jedi and the Republic’s later legacies.

Galerius: Roman emperor and Tetrarch (c. 250–311) Galerius Roman emperor Galerius rose from soldier to Augustus under Diocletian's Tetrarchy, ruled the eastern provinces (305–311), known for military command, persecution of Christians, and…

Garda Síochána — the national police service of the Republic of Ireland Garda Síochána Garda Síochána (commonly Gardaí) is the national, unarmed-by-default police service of the Republic of Ireland, responsible for public order, crime investigation, road policing and…

Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands A symbolic micronation proclaimed in 2004 by Australian LGBTQ+ activists on uninhabited Coral Sea islets to protest lack of marriage recognition; formally dissolved after same-sex…

General Government (occupied Poland, 1939–1945) General Government Administrative unit created by Nazi Germany in central and southeastern Poland after the 1939 invasion; directly governed by German authorities and the site of severe repression an…

General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party The General Secretary is the top official of the Chinese Communist Party, a Politburo Standing Committee member who leads the party apparatus and — typically — China's paramount le…

Genocide: definition, history, legal framework, and notable examples Genocide An overview of genocide: its definition, key elements, historical origins, major instances, legal responses and differences from related crimes. Covers origins of the term and mech…

George Bush Center for Intelligence The George Bush Center for Intelligence is the Central Intelligence Agency's headquarters complex in Langley, Virginia, serving as the agency's administrative, operational, and ana…

George Grenville: British Prime Minister and Fiscal Reformer (1712–1770) George Grenville George Grenville was an 18th-century British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister (1763–1765), implemented fiscal measures after the Seven Years' War, and sponsored the Stam…

Gerald Götting — East German politician and People's Chamber president Gerald Götting Gerald Götting (1923–2015), prominent East German politician, longtime leader in the GDR's Christian Democratic Union and President of the People's Chamber from 1969 to 1976.

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library Research library preserving the papers, records, and public programs of President Gerald R. Ford. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and administered as part of the U.S. presidential l…

German Bundesrat: the federal council representing the Länder German Bundesrat The Bundesrat is the federal body through which Germany's state governments participate in national legislation and administration. It is composed of state delegations whose votes…

German Bundestag (Federal Parliament of Germany) German Bundestag The Bundestag is Germany's federal parliament. This article explains its role, composition, mixed-member electoral system, key functions, history, and working structures.

German Confederation (1815–1866): a loose union of German states German Confederation A concise overview of the German Confederation (1815–1866): its origins at the Congress of Vienna, structure, political role in 19th‑century Europe, dissolution, and legacy leading…

Order of precedence in Germany German order of precedence Informal, conventional ranking of German public offices used for ceremonial protocol; not legally binding but observed in state events, seating, speaking order and diplomatic pract…

German-speaking Community of Belgium Smallest of Belgium's three constitutional communities, the German-speaking Community occupies the East Cantons and has competence in culture, education and language policy within…