Dependent territory

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The terms country, state, and nation can have various meanings. Therefore, diverse lists of these entities are possible. Wikipedia offers the following lists:
  • the list of countries, listing countries in the sense of independent states (both those that are internationally recognized and generally unrecognized), inhabited dependent territories, and areas of special sovereignty.
  • the list of sovereign states, listing sovereign states with information on the extent of their sovereignty. It includes both states widely recognized (de jure) to be sovereign and entities that claim sovereignty while exercising de facto control over (part of) their claimed territory.
Related lists are the lists of federations, unrecognized countries, autonomous areas, dependent territories, and territorial disputes. In some contexts country and state is also used for some subnational entities.[1] More lists of countries can be found at the lists of countries.


A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State.

There are varying degrees and forms of dependence, commonly distinguished from other subnational entities in that they are not considered to be part of the motherland or mainland of the governing State. In most cases they also represent a different order of separation. A subnational entity typically represents a division of the State proper, while a dependent territory might be an overseas territory that enjoys a greater degree of autonomy. For instance, many of them have more or less separate legal systems from the governing States. Varies among different legal and constitutional traditions, these territories may or may not be considered part of the States.

      AUS       CHI       DAN       FRA       NED       NZL       NOR       GBR       USA World map of dependent territories
      AUS       CHI       DAN       FRA       NED       NZL       NOR       GBR       USA
World map of dependent territories

The areas separately referred to as non-independent are territories that are disputed, are occupied, have a government in exile or have a non-negligible independence movement.

Contents

[edit] Lists of dependent territories

Currently there are 59 dependencies on this list. Out of the list below, Australian, British and New Zealand territories are part of the Commonwealth realm - their governing States are in personal union under the same British monarch. All claims south of 60 degrees south (in Antarctica) are not recognised or are disputed. They are italicised. Uninhabited territories or territories with no permanent population are marked with hash keys/number symbols (#).

The list includes several territories that are not included in the list of non-self-governing territories [1] listed by the General Assembly of the United Nations (which also includes Western Sahara, since 1990, the General Assembly reaffirmed that the question of Western Sahara was a question of decolonization which remained to be completed by the people of Western Sahara).

A number of political entities have a special position recognized by international treaty or agreement (i.e. Åland in Finland, Hong Kong & Macau in the Peoples Republic of China, and Svalbard in Norway). These are not dependent territories in the strict sense of the meaning, but have in some way a similar position. See List of special entities recognized by international treaty or agreement for more information.

[edit] Australia

See also: States and territories of Australia
External territory Administration
Flag of Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands # From Canberra by the Attorney-General's Department.[2]
Flag of Australia Australian Antarctic Territory # From Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage.
Flag of Christmas Island Christmas Island From Canberra by the Attorney-General's Department.[2]
Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Flag of Australia Coral Sea Islands #
Flag of Australia Heard Island
and McDonald Islands #		 From Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage.
Flag of Norfolk Island Norfolk Island Commonwealth responsibilities administered from Canberra through the Attorney-General's Department.[2]

[edit] Chile

Division Administration
Flag of Easter Island Easter Island Self-governing overseas special territory since 2007.
Flag of Chile Juan Fernández Islands Self-governing overseas special territory since 2007.

[edit] Denmark

Division Administration
Flag of the Faroe Islands Faroe Islands Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1948. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark but not of the European Union.
Flag of Greenland Greenland Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1979. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Left the European Union in 1986.

[edit] France

See also: Overseas departments and territories of France
The Overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion are integral parts of the French Republic, and are therefore not dependencies.
Territory Administration
Flag of France Clipperton Island# Atoll administered by the Minister for Overseas Territories. No permanent population.
Flag of French Polynesia French Polynesia Overseas collectivity since 2003; Overseas country since 2004.
Flag of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands French Southern and Antarctic Lands # Overseas territory since 1955, administered from Paris by an Administrateur Superieur (since May 2000, François Garde assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves Hermoso). Includes Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul, Îles Crozet and the Îles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, five islands in the Mozambique Channel and Indian Ocean, plus Adélie Land, the French-claimed sector of Antarctica. No permanent population.
Flag of Mayotte Mayotte Departmental collectivity since 2001; overseas collectivity since 2003.
Flag of New Caledonia New Caledonia "Sui generis" collectivity since 1999; appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Flag of Saint Barthélemy Saint Barthélemy overseas collectivity since 2007.
Flag of France Saint Martin overseas collectivity since 2007.
Flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon Territorial collectivity since 1985; overseas collectivity since 2003.
Flag of Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna Overseas territory since 1961; overseas collectivity since 2003.

[edit] Netherlands

See also: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Country Administration
Flag of Aruba Aruba Full autonomy in internal affairs obtained upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986; Government of the Netherlands responsible for defense and foreign affairs. Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands but not of the European Union.
Flag of the Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles Full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Government of the Netherlands responsible for defense and foreign affairs. Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but not of the European Union.

The Netherlands Antilles will be dissolved on 15 December 2008. Flag of Curaçao Curaçao and Flag of Sint Maarten Sint Maarten will become autonomous regions in their own right. Flag of Bonaire Bonaire, Flag of Saba Saba and Flag of Sint Eustatius Sint Eustatius will become special municipalities of the Netherlands.

[edit] New Zealand

See also: Realm of New Zealand
In free association Administration
Flag of the Cook Islands Cook Islands Self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1965. The Cook Islands are fully responsible for their internal affairs; New Zealand, in consultation, retains some responsibility for external affairs and defence. As of 2005, the Cook Islands have diplomatic relations in their own name with eighteen countries.
Flag of Niue Niue Self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974. Niue is fully responsible for its internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defence. New Zealand's responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue.
Territory Administration
Flag of Tokelau Tokelau Self-administering territory of New Zealand. As it moves toward free association with New Zealand, Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution. A UN-sponsored referendum on self-governance in February 2006 did not produce the two-thirds supermajority necessary for changing the current political status. Another one was in October 2007, which failed to reach the 2/3 margin.
Flag of New Zealand Ross Dependency # New Zealand's Antarctic claim.

[edit] Norway

See also: Possessions of Norway
Dependency Administration
Bouvet Island # Dependency administered from Oslo by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Police.
Peter I Island # Dependency (subject to the Antarctic Treaty System) administered from Oslo by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Police.
Queen Maud Land #

[edit] United Kingdom

See also: British overseas territories, Crown dependency, and Sovereign Base Areas
Overseas territories Administration
Flag of Anguilla Anguilla British overseas territory.
Flag of Bermuda Bermuda British overseas territory or self-governing territory as defined by the UK.
Flag of British Antarctic Territory British Antarctic Territory # The UK's Antarctic claim.
Flag of British Indian Ocean Territory British Indian Ocean Territory # British overseas territory administered by a commissioner resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London.
Flag of the British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands British overseas territory with internal self-government.
Flag of Cayman Islands Cayman Islands British overseas territory.
Flag of the Falkland Islands Falkland Islands British overseas territory, also claimed by Argentina.
Flag of Gibraltar Gibraltar British overseas territory, also claimed by Spain.
Flag of Montserrat Montserrat British overseas territory.
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands
Flag of Saint Helena Saint Helena British overseas territory. Saint Helena also administers Ascension Island and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.
Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and
the South Sandwich Islands #		 British overseas territory, also claimed by Argentina. Administered from the Falkland Islands by the Governor of the Falkland Islands as representative of the British monarch.
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands British overseas territory.
Sovereign Base Areas Administration
Flag of the United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia British overseas territory administered by the Commander of British Forces, Cyprus. Note SBAs are primarily required as military bases and not ordinary dependent territories
Crown dependency Administration
Flag of Guernsey Guernsey Crown dependency
Flag of Jersey Jersey
Flag of the Isle of Man Isle of Man

[edit] United States

See also: Insular area and Territories of the United States

Under terms of treaties with Cuba, the United States leases Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Thus it's not a dependent territory under the sovereignty of the United States.

Territory Administration
Flag of American Samoa American Samoa Unincorporated and unorganized territory administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Baker Island # Unincorporated territory of the U.S. administered from Washington, D.C. as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Howland Island #
Jarvis Island #
Johnston Atoll #
Kingman Reef #
Midway Atoll #
Flag of Guam Guam Unincorporated organized territory; policy relations between Guam and the U.S. conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Navassa Island # Unincorporated territory of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior from the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto Rico. Also claimed by Haiti and privately via the Guano Islands Act.
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth in political union with the U.S.; federal funding administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Palmyra Atoll # Incorporated territory of the U.S., partly privately and partly federally owned. Administered from Washington, D.C. by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the U.S. Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the lagoon and 12 nm of surrounding sea.
Flag of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Unincorporated organized territory of the U.S. with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the U.S. conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President.
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands U.S. Virgin Islands Unincorporated organized territory; policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the U.S. conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Wake Island # Unincorporated territory supervised by the U.S. Air Force and administered from Washington, D.C. by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Also claimed by the Marshall Islands.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

  1. ^ E.g. the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales).
  2. ^ a b c First Assistant Secretary, Territories Division (2008-01-30). Territories of Australia. Attorney-General's Department. Retrieved on 2008-02-07. “The Federal Government, through the Attorney-General's Department administers Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Jervis Bay, and Norfolk Island as Territories.”
  • George Drower, Britain's Dependent Territories, Dartmouth, 1992
  • George Drower, Overseas Territories Handbook, TSO, 1998

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dependent_territory"
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