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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. Varying 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 |
Currently there are 60 dependencies on this list, which excludes those under Finland, Russia, and the People's Republic of China. Dependency claims without general international recognition, including all claims in Antarctica, are listed in italics. 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 People's 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.
| Territory | Administration |
|---|---|
 Ashmore and Cartier Islands
# |
From Canberra by the Attorney-General's Department.[1] |
 Christmas
Island |
|
 Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
| Coral Sea
Islands # |
|
| Australian Antarctic
Territory # |
From Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage. |
| Heard Island and McDonald Islands # |
|
 Norfolk
Island |
Commonwealth responsibilities administered from Canberra through the Attorney-General's Department.[1] |
| Division | Administration |
|---|---|
 Faroe Islands |
Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1948. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark but not of the European Union. |
 Greenland |
Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1979. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Left the European Union in 1986. |
| Territory | Administration |
|---|---|
 Clipperton
Island # |
Atoll administered by the Minister for Overseas Territories. No permanent population. |
 French
Polynesia |
Overseas collectivity since 2003; Overseas country since 2004. |
 Mayotte |
Departmental collectivity since 2001; overseas collectivity since 2003. |
| New Caledonia |
"Sui generis" collectivity since 1999; appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. |
 Saint
Barthélemy |
Overseas collectivities since 2007. |
| Saint
Martin |
|
 Saint Pierre and
Miquelon |
Territorial collectivity since 1985; overseas collectivity since 2003. |
 Wallis and
Futuna |
Overseas territory since 1961; overseas collectivity since 2003. |
| 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. |
| Country | Administration |
|---|---|
 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. |
 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 10 October 2010.
|
| In free association | Administration |
|---|---|
 Cook Islands |
Self-governing state 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. |
 Niue |
Self-governing state 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 |
 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. |
 Ross
Dependency # |
New Zealand's Antarctic claim. |
| Dependency | Administration |
|---|---|
 Bouvet Island
# |
Dependency administered from Oslo by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Police. |
| Peter I Island # | Dependencies (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 # |
| Overseas territories | Administration |
|---|---|
 Anguilla |
British overseas territories. |
 Cayman
Islands |
|
 Montserrat |
|
 Pitcairn
Islands |
|
 Turks and Caicos Islands |
|
 Saint Helena,
Ascension and Tristan da Cunha |
|
 South Georgia
and the South Sandwich Islands |
|
 Bermuda |
British overseas territory or self-governing territory as defined by the UK. |
 British Antarctic
Territory # |
The UK's Antarctic claim. |
 British Indian Ocean
Territory # |
British overseas territory administered by a commissioner resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London. |
 British Virgin Islands |
British overseas territory with internal self-government. |
 Falkland
Islands |
British overseas territory, claimed by Argentina. Falkland Islands also administers
South Georgia
and the South Sandwich Islands through the Governor of the
Falkland Islands as representative of the British monarch. |
 Gibraltar |
British overseas territory, claimed by Spain. |
| Sovereign Base Areas | Administration |
 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 |
 Guernsey |
Crown dependencies |
 Jersey |
|
 Isle of Man |
| Territory | Administration |
|---|---|
 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. |
 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. Claimed by Haiti and privately via the Guano Islands Act. |
 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. |
| Petrel Islands # |
Unincorporated territory of the U.S. administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Also claimed by Colombia, Jamaica and Nicaragua. |
 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. |
| Serranilla
Bank # |
Unincorporated territory of the U.S. administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Also claimed by Colombia and Nicaragua. Beacon Cay is occupied by Colombia. |
| United States Pacific Island Wildlife
Refuges # |
Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, and Midway Island. Unorganized and unincorporated territories administered from Washington, D.C. by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior. |
 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. Claimed by the Marshall Islands. |
This article incorporates public
domain material from websites or documents of
the CIA World Factbook.
A Dependent territory is a territory that belongs to another state or nation. As an example, Greenland is a dependent territory of Denmark, Saint Helena is a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir is a disputed and dependent territory of Pakistan.
Lets see the List of Dependent Territories
Contents |
[[File:|thumb|400px|World map of dependent territories
| AUS | CHI | DAN | FRA | NED | NZL | NOR | GBR | USA |
Dependency claims without general international recognition, including all claims in Antarctica, are listed in italics. The list includes several territories that are not included in the list of non-self-governing territories listed by the General Assembly of the United Nations[1], as well as those that are not legally classified as dependencies by their respective sovereign government.
Although all territories of Australia are considered to be fully integrated in its federative system, and the official status of an external territory does not differ largely from that of a mainland territory, debate remains as to whether the external territories are integral parts of Australia, due to their not being part of Australia in 1901, when its constituent states federated.[2] They are often listed separately for statistical purposes.
| Inhabited territories | Administration |
|---|---|
| Christmas Island | Administered from Canberra by the Attorney-General's Department.[3][4] |
| File:Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Cocos (Keeling) Islands | |
| Norfolk Island | Commonwealth responsibilities administered from Canberra through the Attorney-General's Department.[3] |
| Uninhabited territories | Administration |
| Ashmore and Cartier Islands | Administered from Canberra by the Attorney-General's Department.[3] |
| Coral Sea Islands | |
| Australian Antarctic Territory | Administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage. |
| Heard Island and McDonald Islands |
| Division | Administration |
|---|---|
| Faroe Islands | Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1948. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but not of the European Union. |
| Greenland | Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1979. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Withdrew from the European Union in 1986. |
Overseas France consists of 4 overseas departments (Départements d'outre-mer) and all overseas territories (Territoires d'outre-mer). Overseas departments, along with those of Metropolitan France, are constituent units of the French Republic. Overseas territories are listed below.
| Inhabited territories | Administration |
|---|---|
| French Polynesia | Overseas collectivity since 2003; Overseas country since 2004. |
| File:Flag of Mayotte (local).svg Mayotte | Departmental collectivity since 2001; overseas collectivity since 2003. Mayotte will become the 101st French Department (thus 5th oversea department) in 2011 following March-2009 referendum. |
| & New Caledonia | "Sui generis" collectivity since 1999; appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. |
| Template:Country data Saint Barthélemy | Overseas collectivities since 2007. |
| Saint Martin | |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Territorial collectivity since 1985; overseas collectivity since 2003. |
| Wallis and Futuna | Overseas territory since 1961; overseas collectivity since 2003. |
| Uninhabited territories | Administration |
| Clipperton Island | Island administered by the Minister for Overseas Territories. No permanent population. |
| French Southern and Antarctic Lands | The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (called TAAF for Terres australes et antartiques françaises) is an Overseas territory since 1955, administered from Paris by an Administrateur Supérieur. No permanent population. Includes the French territorial claim in Antarctica: Adelie Land. |
| Country | Administration |
|---|---|
| Aruba | Defined as a "country" ("land") within the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Full autonomy in internal affairs obtained upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986; Government of the Netherlands responsible for defense, foreign affairs and nationality law. Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands but not of the European Union although its citizens are Citizens of the European Union. |
| Template:Country data Curaçao | Defined as a "country" ("land") within the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Previously part of the Netherlands Antilles until it was dissolved in October 2010. Government of the Netherlands responsible for defense, foreign affairs and nationality law. Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but not of the European Union although its citizens are Citizens of the European Union. |
| Sint Maarten | Defined as a "country" ("land") within the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Previously part of the Netherlands Antilles until it was dissolved in October 2010. Government of the Netherlands responsible for defense, foreign affairs and nationality law. Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but not of the European Union although its citizens are Citizens of the European Union. |
| Special Municipality | Administration |
| Bonaire | Special municipalitiy ("bijzondere gemeenten") of the country the Netherlands, where Dutch law only applies if this regional application is expressly mentioned. Previously part of the Netherlands Antilles until it was dissolved in October 2010. Will retain its status as one of the overseas countries and territories (OCTs) of the European Union for a five year transitional period. |
| Saba | Special municipalitiy ("bijzondere gemeenten") of the country the Netherlands, where Dutch law only applies if this regional application is expressly mentioned. Previously part of the Netherlands Antilles until it was dissolved in October 2010. Will retain its status as one of the overseas countries and territories (OCTs) of the European Union for a five year transitional period. |
| Sint Eustatius | Special municipalitiy ("bijzondere gemeenten")of the country the Netherlands, where Dutch law only applies if this regional application is expressly mentioned. Previously part of the Netherlands Antilles until it was dissolved in October 2010. Will retain its status as one of the overseas countries and territories (OCTs) of the European Union for a five year transitional period. |
| In free association | Administration |
|---|---|
| Cook Islands | Self-governing state 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. |
| Niue | Self-governing state 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 |
| Tokelau | 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. |
| Ross Dependency | No permanent population. New Zealand's Antarctic claim. |
| Dependency | Administration |
|---|---|
| Bouvet Island | No permanent population. Dependency administered from Oslo by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Police. |
| Peter I Island | No permanent population. Dependencies (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 |
In contrast, Svalbard is fully a part of Norway. Svalbard is subject to several special laws, but its government is not independent and does not decide laws on its own.
| Overseas territories | Administration |
|---|---|
| Morocco | Before Spanish colony of the Spanish Sahara, now Western Sahara. 85% of the territory is now occupied and administered by Morocco. The rest of the territory is under the control of the Polisario Front and administerd by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The UN however still considers Spain as the country in charge of the whole territory,[5] until the end of the ongoing Manhasset negotiations and resulting election to be overseen by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. |
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic |
| Overseas territories | Administration |
|---|---|
| Anguilla | British overseas territories. |
| Cayman Islands | |
| Montserrat | |
| Pitcairn Islands | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | |
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | British oversea territory, administered by the Falkland Islands |
| Saint Helena | British overseas territory which administers Ascension and Tristan da Cunha as dependencies of itself |
| Bermuda | British overseas territory or self-governing territory as defined by the UK. |
| British Antarctic Territory | No permanent population. The UK's Antarctic claim. |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | No permanent population. British overseas territory administered by a commissioner resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London. |
| British Virgin Islands | British overseas territory with internal self-government. |
| Falkland Islands | British overseas territory. Falkland Islands also administers South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands through the Governor of the Falkland Islands as representative of the British monarch. |
| Gibraltar | British overseas territory. |
| Sovereign Base Areas | Administration |
| 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 |
| Guernsey | Responsibility for defence and international representation rests with the United Kingdom.[6][7][8]. |
| Jersey | |
| Isle of Man |
| Inhabited territories | Administration |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Uninhabited territories | Administration |
| Baker Island | Unorganized and unincorporated territory administered from Washington, D.C. by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior. |
| Bajo Nuevo Bank | Unincorporated territory of the U.S. administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Also claimed by Colombia, Jamaica and Nicaragua. |
| Howard Island | Unorganized and unincorporated territories administered from Washington, D.C. by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior. |
| Jarvis Island | |
| Johnston Atoll | |
| Kingman Reef | |
| Midway Island | |
| 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 Boquerón, Puerto Rico. Claimed by Haiti and privately via the Guano Islands Act. |
| Serranilla Bank | Unincorporated territory of the U.S. administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Also claimed by Colombia and Nicaragua. Beacon Cay is occupied by Colombia. |
| Wake Island | Supervised by the U.S. Air Force, administered from Washington, D.C. by the U.S. Department of the Interior, and is claimed by the Marshall Islands. |
   | List of non-self-governing territories - Non-Self-Governing Territories listed by GA in 2002 |
| | WorldStatesmen- includes former dependent states - Index of Possessions & Colonies |
| | Political freedoms and civil rights rankings in the depedent territories - Freedom in the Territories-Human rights and political freedoms in the oversea, disputed territories,commonwealths,dependences |
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