Dependent territory


A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a sovereign state yet remains politically outside the controlling state's integral area.
A dependency is commonly distinguished from country subdivisions by not being considered to be an integral territory of the governing state. Administrative subdivisions instead are understood as typically representing a division of the state proper. A dependent territory conversely often maintains a great degree of autonomy from the controlling central state. Historically, most colonies were considered dependencies. Those dependent territories currently remaining generally maintain a very high degree of political autonomy. Not all autonomous entities, though, are considered to be dependencies, and not all dependencies are autonomous. Most inhabited dependent territories have their own ISO 3166 country codes.
Some political entities inhabit a special position guaranteed by international treaty or other agreement: creating a certain level of autonomy. These are sometimes considered or at least grouped with dependencies, but are officially considered by their controlling states to be integral parts of the state. Examples are Åland Islands and Hong Kong.
is shown as a condominium instead of individual claims.

Summary

The lists below indicate the following:

Dependent territories

This list includes all territories that have not been legally incorporated into their governing state, including several territories that are not on the list of non-self-governing territories of the General Assembly of the United Nations. All claims in Antarctica are listed in italics.

New Zealand

Summary: New Zealand has one dependent territory and a territorial claim in Antarctica, as well as two self-governing associated states.
In free associationAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Self-governing state in free association with New Zealand since 1965. Cook Islands' status is considered to be equivalent to independence for international law purposes, and the country exercises full sovereignty over its internal and external affairs. Under the terms of the free association agreement, however, New Zealand retains some responsibility for the foreign relations and defence of the Cook Islands. These responsibilities confer no rights of control and are exercised only at the request of the Cook Islands Government. The government of New Zealand does not consider it appropriate for the Cook Islands to have a separate seat at the United Nations, due to its continued use of the right of Cook Islanders to have New Zealand citizenship.
Self-governing state in free association with New Zealand since 1974. Niue's status is considered to be equivalent to independence for international law purposes, and the country exercises full sovereignty over its internal and external affairs. Under the terms of the free association agreement, however, New Zealand retains some responsibility for the foreign relations and defence of Niue. These responsibilities confer no rights of control and are exercised only at the request of the Government of Niue. The government of New Zealand does not consider Niue to be sovereign due to its continued use of New Zealand citizenship.
TerritoryAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
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 margin.
No permanent population. This is New Zealand's Antarctic claim. Unlike Tokelau and the associated states, the Ross Dependency is, according to the New Zealand government, constitutionally part of New Zealand.

Norway

Summary: Norway has one dependent territory and two Antarctic claims.
DependencyAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
No permanent population. Dependency administered from Oslo by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Police.
'No permanent population. Dependencies administered from Oslo by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Police.
'No permanent population. Dependencies administered from Oslo by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Police.

United Kingdom

Summary: the United Kingdom has 13 "Overseas Territories", three autonomous "Crown dependencies", and one Antarctic claim.
Overseas territories
AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
House of Assembly of Anguilla handles domestic affairs. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Parliament of Bermuda handles domestic affairs and the territory is defined by the UK as self-governing. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands handles domestic affairs. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands handles domestic affairs. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands handles domestic affairs. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. Also claimed by Argentina.
Gibraltar Parliament handles domestic affairs. Almost complete internal self-government. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Legislative Council of Montserrat handles domestic affairs. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Island Council of the Pitcairn Islands handles some domestic affairs, however decisions are subject to approval by the Governor of the Pitcairn Islands, reporting to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Legislative Council of Saint Helena, Ascension Island Council and Tristan da Cunha Island Council handle domestic affairs. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
House of Assembly of the Turks and Caicos Islands handles some domestic affairs. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Sovereign Base AreasAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Administered by the Commander of British Forces Cyprus, reporting to the Ministry of Defence. Permanent Cypriot population, as well as British military personnel and their families.
Overseas territories
AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Administered by the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory, reporting to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Original population removed between 1967 and 1973, and presently restricted to military personnel. Also claimed by Mauritius.
Administered by the Commissioner of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, reporting to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. No permanent population. Also claimed by Argentina.
Crown dependenciesAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Responsibility for defence, international representation, and good government rests with the United Kingdom. The Parliament of the United Kingdom can legislate on their behalf, if it deems it necessary to do so.
Responsibility for defence, international representation, and good government rests with the United Kingdom. The Parliament of the United Kingdom can legislate on their behalf, if it deems it necessary to do so.
Responsibility for defence, international representation, and good government rests with the United Kingdom. The Parliament of the United Kingdom can legislate on their behalf, if it deems it necessary to do so.
Overseas territories
AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Administered by the Commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory, reporting to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. No permanent population. The UK's Antarctic claim.

United States

Summary: the United States has 13 "unincorporated" dependent territories under its control and two claimed territories outside its control. The uninhabited Palmyra Atoll is administered similarly to some of these territories and usually included on lists of U.S. overseas territories, but is excluded from this list because it is classified in U.S. law as an incorporated territory.
Unincorporated organized territories
AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Unincorporated organized territory of the U.S.; policy relations conducted through Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. or
Commonwealth in political union with the U.S.; federal funding administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior. or
Unincorporated organized territory of the U.S. with commonwealth status; policy relations conducted through the Executive Office of the President. or
Unincorporated organized territory of the U.S.; policy relations conducted by the Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. or
Unincorporated unorganized territories
AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Unincorporated 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. or
Unincorporated unorganized territories
AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Unincorporated unorganized territories of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior.
Unincorporated unorganized territories of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior.
Unincorporated unorganized territories of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior.
Unincorporated unorganized territories of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior.
Unincorporated unorganized territories of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior.
Unincorporated unorganized territory of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior. No permanent population.
Unincorporated unorganized territory of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior from the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Claimed by Haiti and privately via the Guano Islands Act.
Unincorporated unorganized territory of the U.S. administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior. Claimed by the Marshall Islands. No permanent population.
'Administered by Colombia. Claimed by the U.S. and Jamaica. A claim by Nicaragua was resolved in 2012 in favor of Colombia by the International Court of Justice.
'Administered by Colombia; site of a naval garrison. Claimed by the U.S., Honduras, and Jamaica. A claim by Nicaragua was resolved in 2012 in favor of Colombia by the International Court of Justice.

Lists of similar entities

The following entities are, according to the law of their state, integral parts of the state but exhibit many characteristics of dependent territories. This list is generally limited to entities that are either subject to an international treaty on their status, uninhabited, or have a unique level of autonomy and are largely self-governing in matters other than international affairs. As a result, it does not include entities with no unique autonomy, such as the overseas regions of France, the Home Nations of the United Kingdom, and Alaska and Hawaii of the United States. Entities with only limited unique autonomy, such as the autonomous regions of Portugal, the autonomous communities of Spain, and Zanzibar are also not included. All claims in Antarctica are listed in italics.

Australia

Summary: Australia has six external territories in its administration and one Antarctic claim.
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. They are often listed separately for statistical purposes.
External territories AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communications.
Administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communications.
Administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communications.
External territories AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
Administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
Administered from Canberra by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
Administered from Canberra by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

China

Summary: China has two special administrative regions that are governed according to the constitution and respective basic laws. The SARs greatly differ from mainland China in administrative, economic, legislative and judicial terms, including by currency, left- versus right-hand traffic, official languages and immigration control.
Special Administrative RegionsAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Former British colony. Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since 1997 according to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, an international treaty registered with the United Nations. The Hong Kong Basic Law provides for the territory to enjoy a high degree of autonomy per the “one country, two systems” model under the central government of China. Although the territory is not part of Mainland China, it is officially considered an integral part of the People's Republic of China. or
Former Portuguese colony. Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since 1999 according to the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration, an international treaty registered with the United Nations. The Macau Basic Law provides for the territory to enjoy a high degree of autonomy per the “one country, two systems” model under the central government of China. Although the territory is not part of Mainland China, it is officially considered an integral part of the People's Republic of China. or

Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark contains two self-governing countries.
Constituent countryAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1948. A part of Denmark, but not of the European Union.
Self-governing overseas administrative division since 1979. A part of Denmark. Withdrew from the European Economic Community in 1985.

Finland

Summary: Finland has one autonomous region, which is also subject to international treaties.
DivisionAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
The Åland Islands are governed according to the Act on the Autonomy of Åland and international treaties. These laws guarantee the islands' autonomy in Finland, which has ultimate sovereignty over them, as well as a demilitarized status. or

France

Summary: France has overseas six autonomous collectivities and two uninhabited territories. This does not include its “standard” overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion – although also located overseas, they have the same status as metropolitan France's regions. Nonetheless, all of France's overseas territory is considered an integral part of the French Republic.
Overseas collectivitiesAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Overseas collectivity since 2003; overseas country since 2004. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. or
Seceded from Guadeloupe to become an overseas collectivity in 2007. or
Seceded from Guadeloupe to become an overseas collectivity in 2007. It is the only overseas collectivity that is fully part of the European Union. or
Territorial collectivity since 1985; overseas collectivity since 2003. or
Overseas territory since 1961; overseas collectivity since 2003. or
Special collectivityAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
“Sui generis” collectivity since 1999. Appears on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. or
Overseas minor territory AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Island administered by the Minister for Overseas Territories. No permanent population.
Overseas territory AdministrationISO 3166 country codes
TAAF is an Overseas territory since 1955, administered from Paris by an Administrateur Supérieur. No permanent population.
The territory includes the Antarctic claim of Adélie Land.		 or

Netherlands

Summary: The Kingdom of the Netherlands comprises of three Caribbean countries, with autonomy in internal affairs, and one country, the Netherlands, with most of its area in Europe but for three overseas Caribbean municipalities. The three Caribbean municipalities are not listed here because they are directly administered by the Government of the Netherlands. All Kingdom citizens share the same nationality and are thus citizens of the European Union, but only the European portion of the Netherlands is part of the territory of the Union, the Customs Union and the Eurozone.
Constituent countryAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
Defined as a “country” within the Kingdom by the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba obtained full autonomy in internal affairs upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986. Part of the Kingdom but not in Europe, its citizenship nonetheless includes status as Citizens of the European Union. or
Defined as a “country” within the Kingdom by the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curaçao and Sint Maarten were part of the Netherlands Antilles until it was dissolved in October 2010. Part of the Kingdom but not in Europe, their citizenship nonetheless includes status as Citizens of the European Union. or
Defined as a “country” within the Kingdom by the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curaçao and Sint Maarten were part of the Netherlands Antilles until it was dissolved in October 2010. Part of the Kingdom but not in Europe, their citizenship nonetheless includes status as Citizens of the European Union. or

Norway

Summary: Norway has, in the Arctic, one inhabited archipelago whose Norwegian sovereignty is limited — Svalbard. Unlike the country's dependent territory and Antarctic claims, Svalbard is part of the Kingdom of Norway.
DivisionAdministrationISO 3166 country codes
This Arctic archipelago is the northernmost permanent civilian settlement in the world. Not incorporated into any county, it is administered by a governor appointed by the Norwegian government. Since 2002, main settlement Longyearbyen has elected a local government; other settlements include the Russian mining community of Barentsburg, the research station of Ny-Ålesund, and the mining outpost of Sveagruva. The Svalbard Treaty of 1920 recognizes Norwegian sovereignty but established Svalbard as a free economic zone and a demilitarized zone. or

Description

Three Crown dependencies are in a form of association with the United Kingdom. They are independently administrated jurisdictions, although the British Government is solely responsible for defense and international representation and has ultimate responsibility for ensuring good government. They do not have diplomatic recognition as independent states, but neither are they integrated into the UK. The U.K. Parliament retains the ability to legislate for the Crown dependencies even without agreement of their legislatures. No Crown dependency has representation in the UK Parliament.
Although British Overseas Territories, Bermuda and Gibraltar have similar relationships to the UK as the Crown dependencies. While Britain is officially responsible for defense and international representation, these jurisdictions maintain their militaries and have been granted limited diplomatic powers, in addition to having internal self-government.
New Zealand and its dependencies share the same Governor-General and constitute one monarchic realm. The Cook Islands and Niue are officially termed associated states.
Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands are non-independent states freely associated with the United States. The mutually negotiated Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States was approved in 1976. The Covenant was fully implemented on November 3, 1986, under Presidential Proclamation no. 5564, which conferred United States citizenship on legally qualified CNMI residents. Under the Constitution of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico is described as a Commonwealth and Puerto Ricans have a degree of administrative autonomy similar to citizens of a U.S. state. Puerto Ricans "were collectively made U.S. citizens" in 1917 as a result of the Jones-Shafroth Act. The commonly used name in Spanish of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, literally "Associated Free State of Puerto Rico", which sounds similar to "free association" particularly when loosely used in Spanish, is sometimes erroneously interpreted to mean that Puerto Rico's relationship with United States is based on a Compact of Free Association and at other times erroneously held to mean that Puerto Rico's relationship with United States is based on an Interstate compact. This is a constant source of ambiguity and confusion when trying to define, understand and explain Puerto Rico's political relationship with the United States. For various reasons Puerto Rico's political status differs from that of the Pacific Islands that entered into Compacts of Free Association with the United States. As sovereign states, these islands have full right to conduct their foreign relations, while the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has territorial status subject to United States congressional authority under the Constitution's Territory Clause, "to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory… belonging to the United States.". Puerto Rico does not have the right to unilaterally declare independence, and at the last referendum the narrow majority voted for "none of the above", which was a formally undefined alternative used by commonwealth supporters to express their desire for an "enhanced commonwealth" option.
This kind of relationship also can be found in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is termed a federacy. The European continental part is organized like a unitary state; however, the status of its Caribbean countries can be considered dependencies or “associated non-independent states.”
The Kingdom of Denmark also operates similarly: another federacy. The Faroe Islands and Greenland are two self-governing territories or regions within the Kingdom. The relationship between Denmark proper and these two territories is semi-officially termed the Rigsfællesskabet.

Overview of inhabited dependent territories

Citations