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.
[edit] Lists of dependent territories
World map of dependent territories
Currently there are 60 dependencies on this list, not including those listed as under China, Finland, and Russia. All claims south of 60 degrees south (in Antarctica) are not recognised or are disputed as are Serranilla Bank and the Petrel Islands. 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.
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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, 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. |
 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. |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b First Assistant Secretary, Territories Division (2008-01-30). "Territories of Australia". Attorney-General's Department. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories/index.aspx. Retrieved 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
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.
[edit] External links
