This entry describes the formal relationship between a particular nonindependent entity and an independent state.

Topic: Akrotiria special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Topic: American Samoaunincorporated, unorganized Territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Topic: Anguillaoverseas territory of the UK

Topic: Arubaconstituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Topic: Ashmore and Cartier Islandsterritory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport

Topic: Bermudaoverseas territory of the UK

Topic: Bouvet Islandterritory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Oslo Police

Topic: British Indian Ocean Territoryoverseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London

Topic: British Virgin IslandsOverseas Territory of the UK; internal self-governing

Topic: Cayman Islandsoverseas territory of the UK

Topic: Christmas Islandnon-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities & Regional Development

Topic: Clipperton Islandpossession of France; administered directly by the Minister of Overseas France

Topic: Cocos (Keeling) Islandsnon-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities & Regional Development

Topic: Cook Islandsself-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense in consultation with the Cook Islands

Topic: Coral Sea Islandsterritory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport

Topic: Curacaoconstituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairsconstituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Topic: Dhekeliaa special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Topic: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Topic: Faroe Islandspart of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948

Topic: French Polynesiaoverseas country of France; note - overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, though it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy

Topic: French Southern and Antarctic Landsoverseas territory of France since 1955

Topic: Gibraltaroverseas territory of the UK

Topic: Greenlandpart of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979

Topic: Guamunincorporated organized territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the federal government under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Topic: GuernseyBritish crown dependency

Topic: Heard Island and McDonald Islandsterritory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Australian Antarctic Division)

Topic: Hong Kongspecial administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Topic: Isle of ManBritish crown dependency

Topic: Jan Mayenterritory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service; in 2010, Norway designated the majority of Jan Mayen as a nature reserve

Topic: JerseyBritish crown dependency

Topic: Macauspecial administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Topic: Montserratoverseas territory of the UK

Topic: Navassa Islandunorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior from the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto Rico; in September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and maintenance of the Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse on the southern side of the island; Haiti has claimed the island since the 19th century

Topic: New Caledoniaspecial collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998; note - independence referenda took place on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021 with a majority voting in each case to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place 

Topic: Niueself-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue

Topic: Norfolk Islandself-governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities & Regional Development

Topic: Northern Mariana Islandscommonwealth in political union with and under the sovereignty of the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs

Topic: Pitcairn Islandsoverseas territory of the UK

Topic: Puerto Ricounincorporated organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President

Topic: Saint Barthelemyoverseas collectivity of France

Topic: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da CunhaOverseas Territory of the UK

Topic: Saint Martinoverseas collectivity of France

note: the only French overseas collectivity that is part of the EU

Topic: Saint Pierre and Miquelonoverseas collectivity of France

Topic: Sint Maartenconstituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairsconstituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Topic: South Georgia and South Sandwich Islandsoverseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II

Topic: Svalbardterritory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920), sovereignty was awarded to Norway

Topic: Tokelauself-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN-sponsored referendum on self governance in October 2007 did not meet the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status

Topic: Turks and Caicos Islandsoverseas territory of the UK

Topic: United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refugeswith the exception of Palmyra Atoll, the constituent islands are unincorporated, unorganized territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System

note: Palmyra Atoll is partly privately owned and partly federally owned; the federally owned portion is administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as an incorporated, unorganized territory of the US; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon

Topic: Virgin Islandsunincorporated organized territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the federal government under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Topic: Wake Islandunincorporated unorganized territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities in the atoll are currently conducted by the 11th US Air Force and managed from Pacific Air Force Support Center

Topic: Wallis and Futunaoverseas collectivity of France