The central government is the top level of government in a country and holds power over its entire area. It has broad control and looks after the whole nation, unlike smaller, local governments. Its main duties include providing services for everyone in the country, such as national defense, managing foreign affairs, ensuring public order, and safety. Additionally, it has the authority to collect taxes from people and businesses within the country and from those outside it. The central government can create laws that apply across the whole country, different from local governments. This type of government is common in unitary states, where its authority covers the full territory of the nation.