The Green Papers Worldwide
Major Dependent Territories

Ordered Alphabetically

SORTED BY     (sort)  
NATION-STATE current legal STATUS "parent" independent nation-state Date status achieved status previous to current status
ANGUILLAoverseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]10 February 1976
[effectively, 19 December 1980]
part of the U.K. 'Associated State' of SAINT KITTS-NEVIS-ANGUILLA (declared independence of ANGUILLA, 11 July 1967, revoked by British occupation, 19 March 1969)
ARUBAINTEGRAL PART of the Dutch Realmthe NETHERLANDS1 January 1986part of the NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
BERMUDAoverseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]1684English "plantation" of the SOMERS' ISLANDS since 1609
the BOSNIAN FEDERATIONa political 'entity' within a larger Confederal StateBOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA1995 
the CAYMAN ISLANDSoverseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]4 July 1959part of the then-U.K. colony of JAMAICA since 1670 (cession by SPAIN)
CHRISTMAS ISLANDexternal TERRITORYAUSTRALIA1 October 1958governed from the then-U.K. colony of SINGAPORE since 1900
the COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDSexternal TERRITORYAUSTRALIA23 November 1955governed from the then-U.K. colony of SINGAPORE since 1903
the COOK ISLANDSautonomous TERRITORYNEW ZEALAND4 August 1965dependency of NEW ZEALAND from 11 June 1901 (had been under BRITISH protection since 1888)
the FALKLANDSautonomous TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN] (also claimed by ARGENTINA)1833settlements by FRANCE: 1764 (bought out by SPAIN, 1770) and GREAT BRITAIN: 1765 (ARGENTINA's claim to the islands as "Islas Malvinas" is based on both lineal succession to SPAIN and its own settlement: 1829)
the FAROESautonomous TERRITORYDENMARK27 March 1948INTEGRAL PART of the Danish Realm
FRENCH GUIANAoverseas DEPARTMENTFRANCE19 March 1946colony of FRANCE as early as 1674: undisputed since 1814
FRENCH POLYNESIAoverseas TERRITORYFRANCENovember 1958FRENCH OCEANIA: scattered colonies united in 1903 (name changed to FRENCH POLYNESIA: 26 July 1957)
GIBRALTARoverseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]13 July 1713
[Treaty of Utrecht]
part of SPAIN since its taking from the Moors, 1462 (BRITISH conquest, 1704)
GREENLAND
[KALAALLIT NUNAAT]
autonomous TERRITORYDENMARK1 May 1979INTEGRAL PART of the Danish Realm since 1380 (declared formally, 1921)
GUADELOUPEoverseas DEPARTMENTFRANCE19 March 1946colony of FRANCE since 28 June 1635
GUAMunincorporated TERRITORYUNITED STATES [of AMERICA]10 December 1898colony of SPAIN since 1688
GUERNSEYCrown DEPENDENCYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITIAN]25 December 1066part of the Duchy of NORMANDY (Duke Guillaume II of Normandy- as William I "the Conqueror"- became King of ENGLAND in 1066)
HONG KONG
[XIANGGANG]
Special ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONPeople's Republic of CHINA1 July 1997Colony of the BRITISH EMPIRE since 29 August 1842 (Treaty of Nankin)
JERSEYCrown DEPENDENCYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]25 December 1066part of the Duchy of NORMANDY (Duke Guillaume II of Normandy- as William I "the Conqueror"- became King of England in 1066)
MACAU [AOMEN]
[also spelled 'MACAO']
Special ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONCHINA, People's Republic of20 December 1999colony of PORTUGAL since 1557 (formally confirmed, 1 December 1887)
[ISLE OF] MANCrown DEPENDENCYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]1346a period of dispute between ENGLAND and SCOTLAND (after NORWAY had ceded suzerainty to SCOTLAND, 1266)
MARTINIQUEoverseas DEPARTMENTFRANCE19 March 1946colony of FRANCE since 1635 (formally, 1664)
MAYOTTEterritorial COLLECTIVEFRANCE (also claimed by the COMOROS)1 December 1976
[following referenda on 22 December 1974 and 8 February 1976 against joining the independent COMOROS]
part of then-French overseas Territory of the COMOROS from 19 March 1946 (previously attached to then-French MADAGASCAR)
MONTSERRAToverseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]31 May 1962
[upon dissolution of the U.K. WEST INDIES Federation [formed, 3 January 1958]]
also was part of the U.K. LEEWARD ISLANDS Federation from 1871 to 1956 (undisputed BRITISH colony since 1783)
the NETHERLANDS ANTILLESINTEGRAL PART of the Dutch Realmthe NETHERLANDS29 December 1954a united Dutch colony since 1845 (part of the larger DUTCH WEST INDIES 1828-1845) of islands taken by the Dutch between 1632 and 1648
NEW CALEDONIAoverseas TERRITORYFRANCE1946a colony of FRANCE since 1853
NIUEautonomous TERRITORYNEW ZEALAND19 October 1974dependency of NEW ZEALAND from 11 June 1901 (had been under BRITISH protection since 1900)
NORFOLK ISLANDexternal TERRITORYAUSTRALIA1 July 1914colony of the BRITISH EMPIRE from 24 June 1856
the NORTHERN MARIANASfreely-associated COMMONWEALTHUNITED STATES [of AMERICA]1 January 1978
[effectively, 22 December 1990]
part of UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" administered by the UNITED STATES [of AMERICA] from 18 July 1947
PALESTINE
["WEST BANK" and
"GAZA (STRIP)"]
interim POLITICAL ENTITY under a PALESTINIAN NATIONAL AUTHORITYISRAEL13 September 1993"Arab State" (independent ISRAEL being the "Jewish State") created through division by UNITED NATIONS of LEAGUE OF NATIONS "Mandate" of PALESTINE under administration of UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN], 14 May 1948; "WEST BANK" under practical administration of JORDAN and "GAZA (STRIP)" under practical administration of EGYPT until both occupied by ISRAEL, June 1967; ISRAEL began to withdraw from occupied territory in 1994 but has often re-intervened militarily from time to time since.
PITCAIRNoverseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]1838first settled by mutineers from H.M.S. 'Bounty' in 1790
PUERTO RICOfreely-associated COMMONWEALTHUNITED STATES [of AMERICA]25 July 1952
[known as PORTO RICO to 17 May 1932]
unincorporated TERRITORY of the UNITED STATES [of AMERICA] since 10 December 1898 (cession by SPAIN)
REUNIONoverseas DEPARTMENTFRANCE19 March 1946a colony of FRANCE since 1638
[the WESTERN] SAHARAdisputed POLITICAL ENTITY; sovereignty as yet unresolvedoccupied by MOROCCO/ an indigenous political movement has proclaimed independence28 February 1976SPANISH SAHARA from 12 January 1958 to 31 December 1975 (as RIO DE ORO, under SPANISH protection since 1885)
SAINT HELENA
[the 'Dependencies' are Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha]
overseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]1833administration by the East India Company since 1659
SAINT PIERRE and MIQUELONterritorial COLLECTIVITYFRANCEMay 1985overseas DEPARTMENT of FRANCE since 1976 (undisputed French colony since 1814)
AMERICAN [=EASTERN] SAMOAunincorporated TERRITORYUNITED STATES [of AMERICA]14 November 1899
[effectively, 13 February 1900]
protectorate as "condominium" held jointly by GERMANY, the UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN] and the UNITED STATES [of AMERICA] since 14 June 1889
the SERB REPUBLICa political 'entity' within a larger Confederal StateBOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA1995 
TOKELAUdependent TERRITORYNEW ZEALAND11 February 1926
[formally, 1 January 1949]
part of U.K. colony of GILBERT and ELLICE ISLANDS (now independent KIRIBATI and TUVALU) since 1916 (had been under BRITISH protection since 1889)
TURKS and CAICOSoverseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]4 July 1959part of the then-U.K. colony of JAMAICA since 1874 (previously, part of the then-British colony of the BAHAMAS since 1799)
the BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDSoverseas TERRITORYUNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]1 July 1956part of the U.K. LEEWARD ISLANDS Federation since 1871
the U S VIRGIN ISLANDSunincorporated TERRITORYUNITED STATES [of AMERICA]31 March 1917the DANISH WEST INDIES since 1754
WALLIS and FUTUNAoverseas TERRITORYFRANCE29 July 1961under FRENCH protection since 1888
 
 
 
 


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