A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area.[1]
A dependency is commonly distinguished from other subnational entities in that they are not considered to be part of the integral territory of the governing State. A subnational entity typically represents a division of the Stateproper, while a dependent territory often maintains a great degree of autonomy from the controlling State. Historically, most colonies were considered to be dependencies of their controlling State. Most of these have either become independent, by joining neighbouring independent countries, or assimilated into the conquering state. The dependencies that remain generally maintain a very high degree of political autonomy. Although dependencies retain a degree of autonomy, not all autonomous entities are considered to be dependencies.[2]
The United Nations Trusteeship Agreements or were listed by the General Assembly as Non-Self-Governing. (official document 2002)
Many political entities have a special position recognized by international treaty or agreement resulting in a certain level of autonomy or differences in immigration rules. These are sometimes[3] considered dependencies[4], but are officially considered by their controlling states to be integral parts of the state.[3] Examples are Åland of Finland, Svalbard of Norway, the Azores and Madeira of Portugal, and Hong Kong and Macau of the People's Republic of China.
[edit] Lists of dependent territories
World map of dependent territories
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.[5] This list includes territories that have not been legally incorporated into their governing state.
[edit] New Zealand
In free association |
Administration |
ISO 3166 country code |
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. |
CK COK 184 |
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. |
NU NIU 570 |
Territory |
Administration |
ISO 3166 country code |
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. |
TK TKL 772 |
Ross Dependency |
No permanent population. New Zealand's Antarctic claim. |
no separate code |
[edit] Norway
[edit] United Kingdom
[edit] United States
Inhabited territories |
Administration |
ISO 3166 country code |
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. |
AS ASM 016 |
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. |
GU GUM 316 |
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. |
MP MNP 580 |
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. |
PR PRI 630 |
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. |
VI VIR 850 |
Uninhabited territories |
Administration |
ISO 3166 country code |
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. |
UM UMI 581 |
Bajo Nuevo Bank |
Unincorporated territory of the U.S. administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Currently controlled by Colombia, and also claimed by Jamaica and Nicaragua. |
Howland Island |
Unorganized and unincorporated territory 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. Currently controlled by Colombia, and also claimed by Honduras and Nicaragua. |
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. |
[edit] Lists of other entities
The following entities have been legally included as a full part of their governing country, but are often described as dependencies. All have their own country codes.
[edit] Australia
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 (except in regards to immigration law), 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.[10] They are often listed separately for statistical purposes.
Division |
Administration |
ISO 3166 country code |
Hong Kong |
Special administrative region of China, integral part of the country. It has its Basic Law, and in both basic laws there is an article stating that the territory is a "local administrative region of the People's Republic of China, which shall enjoy a high degree of autonomy and come directly under the Central People's Government." |
HK HKG 344 |
Macau |
MO MAC 446 |
[edit] Denmark
[edit] Finland
Division |
Administration |
ISO 3166 country code |
Åland Islands |
The Åland Islands are governed according to the Act on the Autonomy of Åland and international treaties. These laws guarantee the islands' autonomy from Finland, which has ultimate sovereignty over them, as well as a demilitarized status |
AX ALA 248 |
[edit] France
[edit] Netherlands
[edit] Norway
Division |
Administration |
ISO 3166 country code |
Svalbard |
Svalbard is subject to an international treaty with some limits to Norwegian sovereignty. |
SJ SJM 744 |
[edit] United States
[edit] Description
Three Crown dependencies are in a form of association with the UK. They are independently administrated jurisdictions, although the British Government is solely responsible for defence and international representation, and has ultimate responsibility for ensuring good government. They do not have diplomatic recognition as independent states, but they are not an integrated part of the UK, nor do they form part of the European Union. The UK Parliament retains the ability to legislate for the Crown dependencies even without the agreement of the insular legislatures. None of the Crown dependencies has representatives in the UK Parliament. Bermuda and Gibraltar have similar relationships to the UK as the Crown dependencies. While Britain is officially responsible for defence and international representation, these jurisdictions maintain their own militaries and have been granted limited diplomatic powers, in addition to having internal self-government. Nevertheless, they are British overseas territories.
New Zealand and dependencies share the same Governor-General and constitute one realm. The Cook Islands and Niue are officially termed associate states.
Puerto Rico (since 1952) and the Northern Mariana Islands (since 1986) are non-independent states freely associated with the USA. The mutually negotiated Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in Political Union with the United States was approved in 1976. The Covenant was fully implemented November 3, 1986, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation no. 5564, which conferred United States citizenship on legally qualified CNMI residents.[14]
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 madeU.S. citizens" in 1917 as a result of the Jones-Shafroth Act.[15][16]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 own 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.”.[17] Puerto Rico does not have the right to unilaterally declare independence, and at the last referendum (1998) 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.[17]
This kind of relationship also can be found in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is a federacy. The continental part is organized like a unitary state but the status of its territories (Aruba, since 1986, and the Netherlands Antilles, since 1954 until 2010) can be considered dependencies or "associated non-independent states". After the split-up of the Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao and Saint Maarten are separate associated states like Aruba.
Additionally, Denmark operates in a similar manner to a federacy. The Faroes and Greenland are two self-governing territories, or regions within the Kingdom. The relationship between Denmark proper and the two territories is semi-officially termed the "Rigsfællesskabet".
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514
- ^ United Nations Trusteeship Council
- ^ a b United Nations General Assembly 15th Session - The Trusteeship System and Non-Self-Governing Territories (pages:509-510)
- ^ Listaba.com
- ^ For the list, see Special Committee on Decolonization (2002). "Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories". United Nations, Special Committee on Decolonization. http://www.un.org/en/decolonization/nonselfgov.shtml. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
- ^ "The U.S. Government Must Redress Wrongs Against the Chagossians". Whitehouse.gov. https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/us-government-must-redress-wrongs-against-chagossians/gPRF7hmz. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- ^ CIA (2010-07-15). "Guernsey at the CIA's page". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gk.html. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
- ^ CIA (2010-07-15). "Jersey at the CIA's page". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/je.html. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
- ^ CIA (2010-07-15). "The Isle of Man at the CIA's page". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/im.html. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
- ^ Carney, Gerard (2006). The constitutional systems of the Australian states and territories. Canberra: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521863056. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6Pd8F1mFp1oC.
- ^ a b c 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."
- ^ Territories and Information Law Division; First Assistant Secretary, Territories and Information Law Division (7 September 2009). "Cocos Islands Governance and Administration". Territories of Australia. Australian Government, Attorney-General's Department. http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/TerritoriesofAustralia_Cocos(Keeling)Islands_CocosIslandsGovernanceandAdministration. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
- ^ Willis Island is permanently manned by a small team of meterologists.
- ^ CIA (2010-07-15). "Northern Mariana Islands at the CIA's page". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cq.html. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
- ^ The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion: 1803-1898. By Sanford Levinson and Bartholomew H. Sparrow. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. 2005. Page 166, 178. "U.S. citizenship was extended to residents of Puerto Rico by virtue of the Jones Act, chap. 190, 39 Stat. 951 (1971) (codified at 48 U.S.C. § 731 (1987)")
- ^ CIA (2010-07-15). "Puerto Rico at the CIA's page". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rq.html. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
- ^ a b December 2005 report of the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
- 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.
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