Dependent territory

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.

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

Lists of dependent territories

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

Currently there are 60 dependencies on this list, not including those listed as under China, Finland, and Russia. 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.

Australia

See also: States and territories of Australia
Territory Administration
Flag of Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands # From Canberra by the Attorney-General's Department.[1]
Flag of Christmas Island.svg Christmas Island
Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.svg Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Flag of Australia Coral Sea Islands #
Flag of Australia Australian Antarctic Territory # From Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage.
Flag of Australia Heard Island
and McDonald Islands #
Flag of Norfolk Island.svg Norfolk Island Commonwealth responsibilities administered from Canberra through the Attorney-General's Department.[1]

Denmark

See also: Rigsfællesskabet ( The Kingdom of Denmark )
Division Administration
Flag of the Faroe Islands.svg Faroe Islands Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1948. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark but not of the European Union.
Flag of Greenland.svg Greenland Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1979. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Left the European Union in 1986.

France

See also: Overseas departments and territories of France
Territory Administration
Flag of France Clipperton Island # Atoll administered by the Minister for Overseas Territories. No permanent population.
Flag of French Polynesia.svg French Polynesia Overseas collectivity since 2003; Overseas country since 2004.
Flag of Mayotte (local).svg Mayotte Departmental collectivity since 2001; overseas collectivity since 2003.
Flag of France.svg New Caledonia "Sui generis" collectivity since 1999; appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Flag of Saint Barthelemy (local).svg Saint Barthélemy Overseas collectivities since 2007.
Flag of France Saint Martin
Flag of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.svg Saint Pierre and Miquelon Territorial collectivity since 1985; overseas collectivity since 2003.
Flag of Wallis and Futuna.svg Wallis and Futuna Overseas territory since 1961; overseas collectivity since 2003.
Flag of France French Southern and Antarctic Lands # The French Southern and Antarctic Lands is an Overseas territory since 1955, administered from Paris by an Administrateur Superieur (since May 2000, François Garde assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves Hermoso). No permanent population.

Netherlands

See also: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Country Administration
Flag of Aruba.svg 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.svg 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 were to be dissolved on 15 December 2008, but this has been put off to an later, undefined, date. Under that plan Flag of Curaçao.svg Curaçao and Flag of Sint Maarten.svg Sint Maarten will become autonomous regions in their own right. Flag of Bonaire.svg Bonaire, Flag of Saba.svg Saba and Flag of Sint Eustatius.svg Sint Eustatius will become special municipalities of the Netherlands.

New Zealand

See also: Realm of New Zealand
Territory Administration
Flag of Tokelau.svg 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.

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 #

United Kingdom

See also: British overseas territories, Crown dependency, and Sovereign Base Areas
Overseas territories Administration
Flag of Anguilla.svg Anguilla British overseas territories.
Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg Cayman Islands
Flag of Montserrat.svg Montserrat
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands.svg Pitcairn Islands
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg Turks and Caicos Islands
Flag of Bermuda.svg Bermuda British overseas territory or self-governing territory as defined by the UK.
Flag of the British Antarctic Territory.svg British Antarctic Territory # The UK's Antarctic claim.
Flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory.svg 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.svg British Virgin Islands British overseas territory with internal self-government.
Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg Falkland Islands British overseas territory, claimed by Argentina. Falkland Islands also administers Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.svg South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands through the Governor of the Falkland Islands as representative of the British monarch.
Flag of Gibraltar.svg Gibraltar British overseas territory, claimed by Spain.
Flag of Saint Helena.svg Saint Helena British overseas territory. Saint Helena also administers Ascension Island and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.
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 dependencies Administration
Flag of Guernsey.svg Guernsey Crown dependencies
Flag of Jersey.svg Jersey
Flag of the Isle of Man.svg Isle of Man

United States

See also: Insular area and Territories of the United States
Territory Administration
Flag of American Samoa.svg 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.
Flag of the United States Bajo Nuevo Bank # Disputed territories in the Caribbean Sea between the U.S., Colombia, Jamaica, and possibly Honduras. Often excluded in the list of United States Minor Outlying Islands.
Flag of the United States Serranilla Bank #
Flag of Guam.svg 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.
Flag of the United States 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. Claimed by Haiti and privately via the Guano Islands Act.
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg 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.
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg 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 United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges # Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Island, and Palmyra Atoll. Unorganized and unincorporated territories administered from Washington, D.C. by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior. An exception includes Palmyra Atoll, which is incorporated, owned partly private and partly federal, and has nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the lagoon and 12 nm of surrounding sea that are continued to be administered by the Office of Insular Affairs of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg 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.
Flag of the United States 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. Claimed by the Marshall Islands.

See also

References

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

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 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."

External links