The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 7] is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land, which do not form part of the United Kingdom itself.^[1] They are the remnants of the British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories.

The name "British Overseas Territory" was introduced by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which superseded parts of the British Nationality Act 1981. It makes provision for the renaming of the British Dependent Territories as British Overseas Territories, and the renaming of associated citizenship. It further grants, from 21 May 2002, British, and replaced the name British Dependent Territory, which was introduced by the British Nationality Act 1981 The British Nationality Act 1981 was an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament concerning British nationality. It has been the basis of British nationality law since 1 January 1983. Before 1981, the territories were known as colonies or Crown colonies A Crown colony was a type of colonial administration of the British Empire.

The fourteen territories are Anguilla Anguilla is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It consists of the main island of Anguilla itself, approximately 26 km (16 mi) long by 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The, Bermuda Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about 1,030 kilometres (640 mi) to the west-northwest. It is about 1,373 kilometres (853 mi) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and 1,770 kilometres (1,100 mi) northeast of, the British Antarctic Territory The British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories. It comprises the region south of 60°S latitude and between longitudes 20°W and 80°W, forming a wedge shape that extends to the South Pole. The Territory was formed on 3 March 1962, although the UK's claim to, the British Indian Ocean Territory The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia. The territory comprises the six atolls of the Chagos Archipelago (Phehandweep फेहंद्वीप in Hindi and other North Indian languages, Paeikaana Theevukal பேகா�, the British Virgin Islands The British Virgin Islands , also called the Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S. Virgin Islands. Technically the official name of the Territory is simply the "Virgin Islands&, the Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. It is considered a part of the geographic Western Caribbean Zone. The territory is a major offshore financial centre in the, the Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located approximately 250 nautical miles (460 km; 290 mi) from the coast of mainland South America, The archipelago, consisting of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands, is a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. The capital, Stanley, is on East, Gibraltar Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory itself is a peninsula of 6.843 square kilometres (2.642 sq mi) whose isthmus connects to the north with Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the, Montserrat Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It measures approximately 16 km (10 miles) long and 11 km (7 miles) wide, giving 40 kilometres (25 mi) of coastline. Christopher Columbus gave Montserrat its name on his second voyage to the New, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British overseas territory consisting of the islands of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and the Tristan da Cunha group. It was previously known as Saint Helena and Dependencies until 1 September 2009, when a new constitution came into force giving the three islands equal status within the territory, the Turks and Caicos Islands Coordinates: 21°30′18″N 71°45′14″W / 21.505°N 71.754°W The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre, the Pitcairn Islands The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British overseas territory (formerly a British colony), the last remaining in the Pacific. The four islands – named Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno – are spread, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 167.4 kilometres (104.0 mi) long and 1.4 to 37 km (0.87 to 23 miles) wide and is, and the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two UK-administered areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas military bases of the United Kingdom. The bases were retained by the UK following the granting of independence and the eventual transition of Cyprus from a crown colony to an independent sovereign state.^[2] Claims in Antarctica, including that of Britain, are not recognised by all nations.^[3] Collectively they encompass an approximate land area of 667,018 square miles (1,728,000 km²) and a population of approximately 260,000 people.^[4]

The territories of Jersey The Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands which are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and other rocks and reefs. Together with the Bailiwick of Guernsey, it and Guernsey The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy (collectively known as the Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey, neither of which is part of the United Kingdom; rather they are considered the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy. They have a), and the Isle of Man The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann (Manx: Mannin, [ˈmanɪn]), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is represented by a Lieutenant Governor. The island is, though also under the sovereignty of the British Crown, have a different constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom, and are classed as Crown Dependencies The Crown Dependencies are possessions of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to overseas territories of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.^[5][6][7] The British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are distinct from the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states. All but two of these countries were formerly part of the British Empire, a voluntary association of countries which mostly have historic links to the British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a.

Contents 1 History 2 Current overseas territories 3 Government 3.1 Head of State 3.2 Government 3.3 Legal system 4 Relations with the UK 5 Foreign affairs 6 Currencies 7 Citizenship 8 Military 9 Symbols and insignia 10 Gallery of images 11 Further reading 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

History

Main article: British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a

The original English colonies in the New World The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans[note], who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa . The term "New World" should not be confused with "modern were plantations of English subjects in lands hitherto outside the dominions of the Crown. The first such plantation was in Newfoundland Newfoundland (pronounced /ˈnjuːfənlænd/ ( listen); French: Terre-Neuve, Irish: Talamh an Éisc) is a large Canadian island 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, where English fishermen routinely set up seasonal camps in the 16th century.^[8]

What later became known as the "Old Empire" began in 1607 with the settlement of Jamestown The Jamestown Settlement Colony was the first successful English settlement on the mainland of North America. Named for King James I of England, Jamestown was founded in the Virginia Colony on May 14, 1607. In modern times, "Jamestown Settlement" is also a promotional name used by the Commonwealth of Virginia's portion of the historical, the first successful permanent colony in "Virginia The Colony of Virginia was the English colony in British America that existed briefly during the 16th century, and then continuously from 1607 until the American Revolution (as a British colony after 1707). The name Virginia was first applied by Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I in 1584. After the English Civil War in the mid 17th century," (a term that was then applied generally to North America North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocean; South America lies to the southeast). In 1609, a second colony was unintentionally established in Bermuda Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about 1,030 kilometres (640 mi) to the west-northwest. It is about 1,373 kilometres (853 mi) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and 1,770 kilometres (1,100 mi) northeast of (as an extension of Virginia), which, with the loss of the American colonies in 1776, is the oldest British colony in existence (English colonies became British with the 1707 unification of the Kingdoms of England The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England and Wales. It had a land border with the Kingdom of and Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was a state in North-West Europe which existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England, with which it was united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, under the terms of the Acts of Union, in 1707. Since 1482, to form the Kingdom of Great Britain The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801. It was created by the merger of the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England, under the Acts of Union 1707, to create a single kingdom encompassing the whole of the island of Great) .

The growth of the British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a in the 19th century, to its peak in the 1920s, saw the UK acquire over one quarter of the world's land mass, including territories with large indigenous populations in Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled and Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people (as of 2009, see table) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.72% of the world's human population, which were held for commercial and strategic reasons rather than for settlement^{[citation needed]}. The late 19th century saw the larger settler colonies — in Canada The land occupied by Canada was inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three, Australia For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of the roughly 250 language groups. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the immediate north and discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by the British, New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also and South Africa Coordinates: 29°02′46″S 25°03′47″E / 29.046°S 25.063°E The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a 2,798 kilometres coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an independent — becoming self-governing colonies A self-governing colony is a colony with an elected legislature, in which politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the colonial power with formal or nominal control of the colony. In almost all cases self-governing colonies have responsible government and achieving independence in all matters except foreign policy, defence and trade. Separate self-governing colonies federated A federation , also known as a federal state,EKAS.gee is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central (federal) government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral to become Canada (in 1867) and Australia (in 1901). These and other large self-governing colonies had become known as Dominions A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of semi-autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, from the late 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State. After 1948, the term was used by the 1920s. The Dominions achieved almost full independence with the Statute of Westminster (1931) The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which established legislative equality for the self-governing dominions of the British Empire and the United Kingdom, with a few residual exceptions, notably excluding India. The Statute remains domestic law within each of the other Commonwealth realms, to the extent. The Empire was renamed the British Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states. All but two of these countries were formerly part of the British Empire to reflect such changes and in 1949 became known as the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states. All but two of these countries were formerly part of the British Empire. Most of the British colonies in Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people (as of 2009, see table) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.72% of the world's human population, Asia and the Caribbean achieved independence. Some colonies became Commonwealth Realms, retaining the British monarch as head of state, others became republics but acknowledged Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth.^{[citation needed]}

St. George's town, in the Islands of Bermuda, or The Somers Isles. The colony was founded by the wrecking of the flagship of the Virginia Company in 1609. The Company's charter was extended to include Bermuda in 1612, and it has remained an English (since 1707, British) colony ever since. Since the independence of Virginia, it has been the oldest-remaining British colony, and the town of St. George's is the oldest continuously-inhabited English settlement in the New World.^[9]

After the independence of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in Africa in 1980 and British Honduras (now Belize) in Central America in 1981, the last major colony that remained was Hong Kong, with a population of over 5 million. Unlike other territories, the territory of Hong Kong had two different arrangements:

• Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula were ceded to Britain in perpetuity by the Treaty of Nanking and the Convention of Peking.
• An area of the Chinese mainland that became known as the New Territories was leased to Britain for 99 years from 1898 to accommodate Hong Kong's growing population.

With 1997 approaching, the United Kingdom and China negotiated the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which led to the whole of Hong Kong becoming a "special administrative region" of China in 1997, subject to various conditions intended to guarantee the preservation of Hong Kong's capitalist economy and its way of life under British rule for at least 50 years after the handover. This was because Hong Kong's infrastructure was significantly interconnected with that of Guangdong Province, which would make it virtually impossible for those areas ceded in perpetuity to continue functioning without importing virtually all of their necessities.

Following the return of Hong Kong, the remaining British overseas possessions are mostly small island territories with small populations – the only territory of significant area being the uninhabited British Antarctic Territory. The reasons for these territories not achieving independence vary, and include:^{[citation needed]}

• lack of support for independence among the local population;
• a small population size making the possibility of success as a sovereign nation more difficult;
• dependence on economic aid from the UK;
• being uninhabited territories used for scientific or military purposes;
• a lack of any economic or political justification for independence.

In 2002, the UK Parliament passed the British Overseas Territories Act 2002. This reclassified the UK's dependent territories as overseas territories and, with the exception of those people solely connected with the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus, restored full British citizenship to their inhabitants.^[10]

Current overseas territories

The 14 British overseas territories are:

Flag	Arms	Territory	Location	Motto	Area	Population	Capital
		Anguilla	Caribbean and North Atlantic Territories	Strength and Endurance	146 km2 (56.4 sq mi) [11]	13,500[12]	The Valley
		Bermuda	North Atlantic Ocean	Quo fata ferunt (Latin: "Whither the Fates carry [us]")	54 km2 (20.8 sq mi) [13]	64,000 (2007 estimate) [14]	Hamilton
		British Antarctic Territory	Antarctica	Research and discovery	1,709,400 km2 (660,000 sq mi) [11]	50 in winter; over 400 in summer [15]	Rothera (main base)
		British Indian Ocean Territory	Indian Ocean	In tutela nostra Limuria (Latin: "Limuria is in our charge")	46 km2 (18 sq mi) [16]	about 3,000 UK & US military and staff.[17]	Diego Garcia (base)
		British Virgin Islands	Caribbean and North Atlantic Territories	Vigilate (Latin: "Be watchful")	153 km2 (59 sq mi) [18]	27,000 (2005 estimate) [19]	Road Town
		Cayman Islands	Caribbean and North Atlantic Territories	He hath founded it upon the seas	259 km2 (100.0 sq mi) [20]	53,252 (2006 estimate) [21]	George Town
		Falkland Islands	South Atlantic Ocean	Desire the right	12,173 km2 (4,700 sq mi) [13]	2,955 (2006 census) [22]	Stanley
		Gibraltar	Iberian Peninsula	Nulli expugnabilis hosti (Latin: "No enemy shall expel us")	6.5 km2 (2.5 sq mi) [23]	28,800 (2005) [24]	Gibraltar
		Montserrat	Caribbean and North Atlantic Territories	Each Endeavouring, All Achieving	101 km2 (39 sq mi) [25]	4,655 (2006 estimate) [26]	Plymouth (abandoned due to volcano—de facto capital is Brades)
		Pitcairn Islands	Pacific Ocean	None	45 km2 (17 sq mi) (all islands) [27]	51 (2008) [28]	Adamstown
		Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	South Atlantic Ocean	Loyal and Unshakeable (St Helena) Our faith is our strength (Tristan da Cunha)	122 km2 (47 sq mi) [29]	4,000 (2007) [30]	Jamestown
		South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	South Atlantic Ocean	Leo terram propriam protegat (Latin: "Let the lion protect his own land")	4,066 km2 (1,570 sq mi) [31]	99 [32]	King Edward Point/Grytviken
		Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia	Mediterranean (Cyprus)	Dieu et mon droit (French: "God and my right")	255 km2 (98 sq mi) [33]	14,000 (about half British military and staff);	Episkopi Cantonment
		Turks and Caicos Islands	Caribbean and North Atlantic Territories		430 km2 (166 sq mi) [34]	32,000 (2006 census estimate) [35]	Cockburn Town

Government

Head of State

The head of state in the overseas territories is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's role in the territories is in her role as Queen of the United Kingdom, and not in right of each territory. The Queen appoints a representative in each territory to exercise her executive power. In territories with a permanent population, a Governor is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the British Government, usually a retired senior military officer, or a senior civil servant. In territories without a permanent population, a Commissioner is usually appointed to represent the Queen. For overseas territories with dependencies, the Governor may appoint an Administrator to represent him or her in that dependency.^{[citation needed]}

The role of the Governor is to act as the de facto head of state, and they are usually responsible for appointing the head of government, and senior political positions in the territory. The Governor is also responsible for liaising with the UK Government, and carrying out any ceremonial duties. A Commissioner has the same powers as a Governor, but also acts as the head of government.

Governors, Civil Commissioners and Administrators of British dependencies Overseas territories Governor of Anguilla · Administrator of Ascension Island · Governor of Bermuda · Commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory · Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory · Governor of the British Virgin Islands · Governor of the Cayman Islands · Governor of the Falkland Islands · Governor of Gibraltar · Governor of Montserrat · Governor of the Pitcairn Islands · Governor of Saint Helena · Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Administrator of Tristan da Cunha · Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands Crown dependencies Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey · Lieutenant Governor of Jersey · Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man

Government

All the overseas territories have their own system of government, and localised laws. The structure of the government appears to be closely correlated to the size and political development of the territory.^{[citation needed]}

Territories	Government
British Antarctic Territory South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	No native or permanent population, therefore there is no elected government. The Commissioner, supported by an Administrator run the affairs of the territory.
British Indian Ocean Territory	There is no elected government, and currently has no native settled population. However, the Chagos Islanders - who were forcibly evicted from the territory in 1971 and might reasonably be considered as that territory's people - are currently defending an appeal against an English High Court judgment which quashed an Order preventing them from returning.
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia	There is no elected government, however the British military authorities try to ensure convergence of laws with those of the Republic of Cyprus where possible.
Pitcairn Islands	There is an elected Mayor and Island Council, who have the power to propose and administer local legislation. However, their decisions are subject to approval by the Governor, who retains near-unlimited powers of plenary legislation on behalf of the United Kingdom Government.
Falkland Islands	The Government consists of an elected Legislative Assembly, with the Chief Executive and the Director of Corporate Resources as ex officio members.[36]
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	The Government consists of an elected Legislative Council. The Governor is the head of government and leads the Executive Council, consisting of appointed members made up from the Legislative Council and two ex-officio members. Governance on Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha is led by Administrators which are advised by elected Island Councils.[37]
Anguilla British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands	These larger territories have a larger House of Assembly, (except in the Cayman Islands, which have a Legislative Assembly) with political parties. The Executive Council is usually called a cabinet and is led by either a Premier (in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands), a Chief Minister (in Anguilla), who is the leader of the majority party in parliament. The Governor exercises less power over local affairs and deals mostly with foreign affairs and economic issues, while the elected government controls most "domestic" concerns.[citation needed]
Montserrat	This territory has a Legislative Council, with political parties. The Executive Council is usually called a cabinet and is led by a Chief Minister, who is the leader of the majority party.
Gibraltar	Under the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 which was approved in Gibraltar by a referendum, Gibraltar now has a Parliament. The Government of Gibraltar, headed by the Chief Minister is elected. Defence, external affairs and internal security vest in the Governor as a matter of distribution of powers. The UK therefore has no need to administer in Gibraltar.[38]
Bermuda Turks and Caicos Islands†	Bermuda, settled in 1609, is the oldest and most populous of the Overseas Territories, and most executive powers have been devolved to the head of government, known as the Premier.[citation needed] The Turks and Caicos Islands adopted a new constitution effective 9 August 2006; their head of government now also has the title Premier, and their autonomy has been greatly increased.[citation needed]

^† On 16 March 2009 the British parliament voted to suspend self-government in the territory for a period of up to 2 years. A subsequent legal judgement was upheld by three member British Court of Appeal on 12 August 2009, thus allowing the process to be implemented.^[39][40]

Legal system

Each overseas territory has its own legal system independent of the United Kingdom. The legal system is generally based on English common law, with some distinctions for local circumstances. Each territory has its own attorney general, and court system. For the smaller territories, the UK may appoint a UK-based lawyer or judge to work on legal cases. This is particularly important for cases involving serious crimes and where it is impossible to find a jury who will not know the defendant in a small population island^{[citation needed]}.

The Pitcairn rape trial of 2004 is an example of how the UK may choose to provide the legal framework for particular cases where the territory cannot do so alone.

Relations with the UK

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has the responsibility of looking after the interests of all overseas territories except one. The Overseas Territory Department is headed by the Foreign Office Minister for the Overseas Territories, currently the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State is Jeremy Browne^[41]. The exception is the Sovereign Base Areas territory, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence.

In 1999, the FCO published the Partnership for Progress and Prosperity: Britain and the Overseas Territories report which set out the UK's policy for the Overseas Territories, covering four main areas:

• Self-determination
• Responsibilities of the UK and the territories
• Democratic autonomy
• Provision for help and assistance

The UK and the overseas territories do not have diplomatic representations, although the governments of the overseas territories with indigenous populations all retain a representative office in London. The United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) also represents the interests of the territories in London. The governments in both the United Kingdom and territories occasionally meet to mitigate or resolve disagreements over the process of governance in the territories and levels of autonomy.^[42]

The UK provides financial assistance to the overseas territories via the Department of International Development. Currently only Montserrat and Saint Helena receive budgetary aid (i.e. financial contribution to recurrent funding). Several specialist funds are made available by the UK, including:

• The Good Government Fund which provides assistance on government administration;
• The Economic Diversification Programme Budget which aim to diversify and enhance the economic bases of the territories.

Foreign affairs

See also: Special member state territories and their relations with the EU Map showing the portion of Antarctica claimed by the UK as British Antarctic Territory.

Foreign affairs of the overseas territories are handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Some territories maintain diplomatic officers in nearby countries for trade and immigration purposes. Several of the territories in the Americas maintain membership within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the Caribbean Community, the Caribbean Development Bank, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, and the Association of Caribbean States. The territories are members of the Commonwealth of Nations through the United Kingdom. The inhabited territories compete in their own right at the Commonwealth Games, and three of the territories (Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands) sent teams to the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Gibraltar is the only overseas territory that is part of the European Union (EU), although it is not part of the customs union and is not a member in its own right. None of the other Overseas Territories are members of the EU, and the main body of EU law does not apply and, although certain slices of EU law are applied to those territories as part of the EU's Association of Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT Association), they are not commonly enforceable in local courts. The OCT Association also provides overseas territories with structural funding for regeneration projects.

Since the return of full British citizenship to most 'belongers' of overseas territories (mainly since the British Overseas Territories Act 2002), the citizens of those territories hold concurrent European Union citizenship, giving them rights of free movement across all EU member states.

Several nations dispute the UK's sovereignty in the following overseas territories:

• British Antarctic Territory — Territory overlaps Antarctic claims made by Chile and Argentina
• British Indian Ocean Territory — claimed by Mauritius and Seychelles
• Falkland Islands — claimed by Argentina
• Gibraltar — claimed by Spain
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — claimed by Argentina

Currencies

The many British overseas territories use a varied assortment of currencies, with few using the British pound as their native currency.

Location	Native currency
British Antarctic Territory Tristan da Cunha South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	Pound Sterling
The Falkland Islands	Falkland Islands pound
Gibraltar	Gibraltar pound
Saint Helena Ascension Island	Saint Helenian pound
British Indian Ocean Territory The British Virgin Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands	United States dollar
Anguilla Montserrat	Eastern Caribbean dollar
Bermuda	Bermudian dollar
The Cayman Islands	Cayman Islands dollar
The Pitcairn Islands	New Zealand dollar
Akrotiri and Dhekelia	Euro

Citizenship

Main article: British Overseas Territories citizen

None of the overseas territories have their own nationality status, and all citizens are classed as British Overseas Territories citizens (BOTC). They do however, have legislative independence over immigration, and holding the status of a BOTC does not automatically give a person a right to abode in any of the territories, as it depends on the territory's immigration laws. A territory may issue Belonger status to allow a person classed as a BOTC to reside in the territory that they have close links with. Non-BOTC citizens may acquire Belonger status in order to reside in a particular territory (and may subsequently become naturalised BOTC if they wish).

Historically, most inhabitants of the former British Empire held the status of British subject, which was usually lost upon independence. From 1949, British subjects in the United Kingdom and the remaining crown colonies became citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. However changes in British immigration and nationality law between 1962 and 1983 saw the creation of a separate British Dependent Territories citizenship with effect from January, 1983. Citizens in most territories were stripped of full British citizenship. This was mainly to prevent a mass exodus of the citizens of Hong Kong to the UK before the agreed handover to China in 1997. Exception was made for the Falkland Islands, which had been invaded the previous year by Argentina. Full British citizenship was soon returned to the people of Gibraltar due to their friction with Spain.

However, the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 replaced dependent territory citizenship with British Overseas Territories citizenship, and restored full British citizenship to all BOTCs except those from the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus. This restored to BOTCs the right to reside in the UK.

British citizens do not, however, have an automatic right to reside in any of the Overseas Territories. Some territories prohibit immigration, and any visitors are required to seek the permission of the territory's government to live in the territory. As they are used primarily as military bases, Ascension Island and the British Indian Ocean Territory do not allow visitors to the territory unless on official business.

Military

Defence of the Overseas Territories is the responsibility of the UK. Many of the overseas territories are used as military bases by the UK and its allies.

• Ascension Island (a dependency of Saint Helena) - the Base known as RAF Ascension Island is used by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force.
• Bermuda - became the primary Royal Navy base in the Western Hemisphere, following US independence. The Naval establishment included an admiralty, a dockyard, and a naval squadron. A considerable military garrison was built up to protect it, and Bermuda, which the British Government came to see as a base, rather than as a colony, was known as the Gibraltar of the West.^[43] Canada and the USA also established bases in Bermuda during the Second World War, which were maintained through the Cold War. Since 1995, the military force in Bermuda has been reduced to the local territorial battalion, the Bermuda Regiment.
• British Indian Ocean Territory - the island of Diego Garcia is home to a large naval base and airbase leased to the United States by the United Kingdom until 2036 (unless renewed), but that either government can opt out of the agreement in 2016.
• Falkland Islands - the British Forces Falkland Islands includes commitments from the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
• Gibraltar - British Forces Gibraltar includes a Royal Navy dockyard (also used by NATO), RAF Gibraltar - used by the RAF and NATO and a local garrison - the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
• The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus - maintained as strategic British military bases in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Symbols and insignia

Each overseas territory has been granted its own flag and coat of arms by the British monarch. Traditionally, the flags follow the Blue Ensign design, with the Union Flag in the canton, and the territory's coat of arms in the fly. Exceptions to this are Bermuda which uses a Red Ensign; British Antarctic Territory which uses a White Ensign; British Indian Ocean Territory which uses a Blue Ensign with wavy lines to symbolise the sea; and Gibraltar which uses a banner of its coat of arms (the flag of the city of Gibraltar). Gibraltar's coat of arms is unique in that it is the only armorial insignia that dates from before the period of British colonial administration^{[citation needed]}.

The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are the only British overseas territories without an official flag of their own. The Union Flag is used in this territory and is also used for Ascension Island.

Flags of British overseas territories and crown dependencies Overseas territories Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (Ascension Island · Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands Crown dependencies Guernsey (Alderney · Herm · Sark) Jersey · Isle of Man

Gallery of images

Sandy Ground, Anguilla.	St. George's, Bermuda.	View of the military base at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.	Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.	Upland, Falkland Islands.	Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar.	Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat.
Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands.	Jamestown, Saint Helena.	Cumberland Bay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.	Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Further reading

• Harry Ritchie, The Last Pink Bits: Travels Through the Remnants of the British Empire (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1997)
• Simon Winchester, Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire (London & New York, 1985)
• George Drower, Britain's Dependent Territories (Dartmouth, 1992)
• George Drower, Overseas Territories Handbook (London: TSO, 1998)
• Ben Fogle, The Teatime Islands: Adventures in Britain's Faraway Outposts (London: Michael Joseph, 2003)
• Joseph Boromé, 'How Crown Colony Government Came to Dominica by 1898', in Aspects of Dominican History (Roseau, Dominica, 1972), 120-50
• Bonham C. Richardson, The Caribbean in the Wider World, 1492-1992^[44]

See also

• British Overseas Territories Act 2002
• British Overseas Territories citizen
• British overseas territory citizens in the mainland United Kingdom
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Colonial Department
• Secretary of State for the Colonies
• Colonial Office
• British Empire
• Crown dependency
• Self-governing colony
• Dominion
• Commonwealth Realm

References

1. ^ The 14 Territories
2. ^ http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080205132101/www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front%3fpagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1013618138295
3. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ay.html
4. ^ http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/country-profile/
5. ^ http://www.gov.je/ChiefMinister/International+Relations/Profile+of+Jersey.htm
6. ^ http://www.gov.gg/ccm/navigation/about-guernsey/
7. ^ http://www.gov.im/government/
8. ^ [1]
9. ^ "Bermuda - History and Heritage". Smithsonian.com. November 6, 2007. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/destination-hunter/bermuda-history-heritage.html. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
10. ^ British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (text online): S. 3: "Any person who, immediately before the commencement of this section, is a British overseas territories citizen shall, on the commencement of this section, become a British citizen."
11. ^ ^{a b} http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4387
12. ^ http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140416/140417/anguilla/
13. ^ ^{a b} http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3A19
14. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4393
15. ^ http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140416/140419/british_antarctic_territory/
16. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4399
17. ^ http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140416/140420/british_indian_ocean_territory/
18. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4395
19. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4395
20. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4396
21. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4396
22. ^ http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140416/140425/falkland_islands/
23. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4400
24. ^ http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140416/140426/gibraltar/
25. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4397
26. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4397
27. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4405
28. ^ http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140416/140428/pitcairn_islands__pitcairn__henderson__ducie_and_o/
29. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4403
30. ^ http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140416/140429/st_helena_and_st_helena_dependencies__islands_of_s/
31. ^ http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact92/wf930224.txt
32. ^ http://population.mongabay.com/population/south-georgia-and-the-south-sandwich-islands/3426466/grytviken
33. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4413
34. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4398
35. ^ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4398
36. ^ Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly
37. ^ http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/plain/uksi_20091751_en#sch1-pt3-ch5-l1g165 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 (at OPSI)
38. ^ Chief Minister’s address at the United Nations Committee of 24 on 5 June 2006
39. ^ Staff writer (14-08-2009). "SUSPENDED: Turks and Caicos constitution shelved". Caribbean News Agency. Caribbean Media Corporation. http://www.cananews.net/news/131/ARTICLE/40957/2009-08-14.html. Retrieved 15 August 2009. "PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, CMC – Governor Gordon Wetherell Friday signed a proclamation suspending sections of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) constitution in a move that Premier Galmo Williams has condemned as a "coup" by the British government. "....Today our country is being invaded and re-colonized by the United Kingdom, dismantling a duly elected government and legislature and replacing it with a one man dictatorship, akin to that of the old Red China, all in the name of good governance," Williams said. Former Premier Michael Misick Wednesday lost his appeal against moves by the United Kingdom government to suspend the constitution and impose direct rule. [ . . .] "Following the decision in the Court of Appeal in London on 12th August and on the instruction of UK Ministers, I have today signed a proclamation, published in the Gazette, which brings into force the Order in Council suspending parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands constitution," the Governor said in a statement Friday, promising fresh elections in 2011. He said that with "immediate effect, Ministerial government and the House of Assembly are suspended meaning that Cabinet will no longer exist and the House of Assembly is dissolved and Members’ seats are vacated". "The constitutional right to trial by jury is also suspended with immediate effect. In accordance with the Order in Council, this will be for a period of two years, subject to extension or abbreviation as necessary.""
40. ^ Staff writer (14-08-2009). "TCI back under British rule". BBC Caribbean. BBC Caribbean. http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2009/08/090814_tci_direct_rule.shtml. Retrieved 15 August 2009. "The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) were declared back under direct British rule. A statement from the British Governor in the TCI stated on 14 August: "We have today signed a proclamation, published in the Gazette, which brings into force the Order in Council suspending parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands constitution." The reason: a British-ordered inquiry into the British dependency which shone a light on widespread corruption. The final report recommended a two-year suspension of island government while the British Governor cleans up administrative and constitutional activity in the TCI."
41. ^ http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/who-we-are/our-ministers/c-bryant
42. ^ British financial officials in the region for talks with dependent territories - By Oscar Ramjeet, CaribbeanNetNews, (Published on Saturday, March 21, 2009)
43. ^ Bermuda at avalanchepress.com
44. ^ see books.google.com

External links

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office- "UK Overseas Territories"
• The Commonwealth - UK government site
• Decolonisation - History links for the end of the European formal Empires, casahistoria.net
• UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum
• British Overseas Territories Act 2002- Text of the Act
• United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association
• Britlink - The British Overseas Territories

Articles Related to British overseas territories United Kingdom Administrative geography Terminology · Countries of the United Kingdom · Crown dependencies · Overseas territories Coat of arms Geography Great Britain · Geology · Mountains · Lakes and Lochs · Rivers History Timeline · Military history · Economic history · British Empire UK Government Courts · Parliament · House of Commons · House of Lords · Monarchy · Prime Minister · Cabinet · Departments · Constitution · Law · Nationality · Legislation · Foreign relations · Law enforcement UK Politics Elections · Parties Economy London Stock Exchange · Pound sterling · Banks (Bank of England) · Taxation · Transport · Communications · Economic geography · Tourism · Mining · United Kingdom budget · Energy Military Royal Navy · Army · Royal Air Force · Weapons of mass destruction Demography Ethnic groups · Immigration · Languages · Cities · Towns Culture Art · Cinema · Cuisine · Identity · Literature · Media · Music · Sport · Television · Public holidays England History · English Society · Politics · Education · Health care · Religion Northern Ireland History · Northern Ireland Executive · Northern Ireland Assembly · First Minister and deputy First Minister · Politics · Education · Health care · Religion Scotland History · Scottish Government · Scottish Parliament · First Minister · Politics · Education · Health care · Religion Wales History · Welsh Assembly Government · Welsh Assembly · First Minister · Politics · Education · Health care · Religion Portal · Topics British overseas territories and Crown dependencies Overseas territories Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha1 · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands Crown dependencies Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man Sovereign base areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia 1 includes Saint Helena · Ascension Island · Tristan da Cunha Dependencies of European Union states Denmark Faroe Islands · Greenland France Clipperton Island · French Polynesia · French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Adélie Land, Île Amsterdam, Crozet Islands, Îles Éparses, Kerguelen Islands, Île Saint-Paul) · Mayotte · New Caledonia · Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten) United Kingdom Crown dependencies Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Forvik Sovereign Base Areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia Overseas territories Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands English-speaking world Anglosphere Dark blue: Countries and territories where English is spoken natively by a significant population. Light blue: Countries where English is an official language but not widely spoken. Click on the coloured regions to view the related article. Regions where English is an official language and spoken by a significant population: Africa Nigeria · Mauritius · Saint Helena · South Africa Americas Anguilla · Antigua and Barbuda · The Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Canada · Cayman Islands · Dominica · Falkland Islands · Grenada · Guyana · Jamaica · Montserrat · Netherlands Antilles (Saba, Saint Eustatius, Saint Maarten) · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Turks and Caicos Islands · United States · United States Virgin Islands Asia Philippines · Singapore Europe Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Malta · Republic of Ireland · United Kingdom Oceania Australia · Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · New Zealand · Palau Regions where English is an official language but not widely spoken: Africa Botswana · Cameroon · Ghana · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Namibia · Rwanda · Sierra Leone · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe Americas Puerto Rico Asia India · Pakistan · Hong Kong Oceania Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands English Wiktionary

Categories: British Overseas Territories | Foreign relations of the United Kingdom | Colonialism | Dependent territories | British colonization of the Americas

 

 

See Also:

• British Raj: Encyclopedia
• British Empire: Encyclopedia
• Society: Issues: Territorial Disputes: Directory
• Society: Issues: Territorial Disputes: Japan: Directory
• Society: Issues: Territorial Disputes: India: Directory

 

What Links Here:

 

Recently Viewed Pages:

• Blogs
• Domain Details
• Percy Shelley: Encyclopedia
• Henry David Thoreau: Quotes
• Indian Independence Movement: Encyclopedia
• Mexican-American War: Encyclopedia
• Elephants: Blogs
• Mohandas Gandhi: Encyclopedia
• Home
• Chlorination: Blogs

 

Most Popular Pages:

• Manifesto
• Chlorination: Blogs
• Elephants: Blogs
• Willy Chirino: Blogs
• Tokyo Sarin Attack, 1995: Images
• Domain Details
• Émile Durkheim: Blogs
• Circumcision
• Mohandas Gandhi: Encyclopedia
• Racial Profiling: Blogs

Related 'British Overseas Territories' Searches:

related terms:	British Overseas Territories	British Empire	United Kingdom	Hong Kong
	Cayman Islands	Falkland Islands	British Antarctic Territory	Overseas Territories
	Sq Mi	British Virgin Islands	Pitcairn Islands	Bermuda

---

top user searches:	►

---

or search for "British overseas territories" in:		Web:		The Entire Web	Related Sites	Web Directories
		This Site:		Page Titles	Karr Network Sites*
		News:		Headlines	Weather	Events	Blogs
		Reference:		Encyclopedia	Dictionary	eTexts	Quotes
				Local Map	Answers
		Multimedia:		Images	Videos
		People:		Discussion Groups	Social Networking
		Shopping:		General Merch.	Consumer Opinion	Auctions	Classifieds

 

---

The Entire Web Web Directories Related* Sites Karr Network Sites* Page Titles Headlines Weather Events Blogs Encyclopedia Dictionary eTexts Quotes Answers Local Map Videos Images Social Networking Discussion Groups General Items Auctions Classifieds Consumer Opinion

Sitemap News Dictionary Encyclopedia Blogs Answers Videos Images Shopping Directory More…