British overseas territories

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British overseas territories

The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the sovereignty

Sovereignty

File:Leviathan gr.jpgSovereignty is the exclusive right to control a government, a State, a people, or oneself. A sovereign is a supreme lawmaking authority....
of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom itself.

The name British Overseas Territory was introduced by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002

British Overseas Territories Act 2002

The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which superseded parts of the British Nationality Act 1981....
, and replaced the name British-Dependent Territory, which was introduced by the British Nationality Act 1981

British Nationality Act 1981

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Encyclopedia

The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the sovereignty

Sovereignty

File:Leviathan gr.jpgSovereignty is the exclusive right to control a government, a State, a people, or oneself. A sovereign is a supreme lawmaking authority....
of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

British Overseas Territories Act 2002

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 that, the territories were known as colonies or Crown colonies. The British Overseas Territories are also referred to as overseas territories of the United Kingdom, UK overseas territories, or, when the context is clear, simply the Overseas Territories.

The territories of Jersey

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 the nearly uninhabited islands of the Minquiers, ?cr?hous, the Pierres de Lecq and other rocks and reefs....
, Guernsey

Guernsey

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Isles Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.As well as the island of Guernsey itself, it also includes Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou, Lihou and other islets....
, and the Isle of Man

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , or Mann , is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical centre of the British Isles....
, though also under the sovereignty of the British Crown, have a slightly different constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom, and are consequently classed as Crown dependencies rather than Overseas Territories. British overseas territories and dependencies are distinct from the Commonwealth of Nations

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
, a voluntary association of countries with historic links to the British Empire

British Empire

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest....
.

History

The original English colonies in the New World

New World

The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth, specifically the Americas and Australasia. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans, who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa ....
were plantations of English subjects in lands hitherto outside the dominions of the Crown. The first such plantation was in Newfoundland, where English fishermen routinely set up seasonal camps in the 16th century.

What later became known as the "Old Empire" began in 1607 with the settlement of Jamestown

Jamestown Settlement

The Jamestown Settlement was the first permanent England settlement in North America. Named for King James I of England, Jamestown was founded in the Virginia Colony on May 14, 1610....
, the first successful permanent colony in "Virginia

Colony and Dominion of Virginia

The Colony of Virginia was the English colony in North America that existed briefly during the 16th century, and then continuously from 1607 until the American Revolution ....
" (a term that was then applied generally to North America

North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
). In 1609, a second colony was unintentionally established in Bermuda

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1350 kilometres south of Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada....
(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

Kingdom of England

The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a state in North-West Europe. The Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and a number of smaller outlying islands?what is today the legal unit of England and Wales....
and Scotland

Kingdom of 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 Anglo-Scottish 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 1707, in 170...
to form the Kingdom of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
) .

The growth of the British Empire

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, and other Dependent territory 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....
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

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
and Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
, which were held for commercial and strategic reasons rather than for settlement. The late 19th century saw the larger settler colonies — in Canada

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, Australia

Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
and South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
— becoming self-governing colonies

Self-governing colony

A self-governing colony is a colony with an elected legislature, in which politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the Colonialism with formal or nominal control of the colony....
and achieving independence in all matters except foreign policy, defence and trade. Separate self-governing colonies federated

Federation

A federation is a Political union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the state is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a Unilateralism decision of the central government....
to become Canada

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
(in 1867) and the Commonwealth of Australia (in 1901). These and other large self-governing colonies had become known as Dominion

Dominion

A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomy polity that were nominally under United Kingdom sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations, from the late 19th century....
s by the 1920s. The Dominions achieved full independence with the Statute of Westminster (1931)

Statute of Westminster 1931

The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which established a status of legislative equality between the self-governing dominions of the British Empire and the United Kingdom, with a few residual exceptions....
. The Empire was renamed the British Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
to reflect such changes and in 1949 became known as the Commonwealth of Nations. Most of the British colonies in Africa

Africa

Asia

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America....
achieved independence. Some colonies became Commonwealth Realms, retaining the British monarch as head of state

Head of State

Head of the Commonwealth

The Head of the Commonwealth is the highest position within the Commonwealth of Nations, an international organisation which currently has List of members of the Commonwealth of Nations....
.

After the independence of Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa, and known today as Zimbabwe....
(now Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
) in Africa in 1980 and British Honduras

British Honduras

British Honduras was the former name of what is now the independent nation of Belize and was a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland colony on the east coast of Central America, southeast of Mexico....
(now Belize

Belize

Belize , formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Once part of the Maya civilization, and very briefly the Spanish Empire, it was most recently affiliated with the British Empire, prior to gaining its independence in 1981....
) in Central America in 1981, the last major colony that remained was Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
, with a population of over 5 million. Unlike other territories, the territory of Hong Kong had two different arrangements:

Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong in the southern part of Hong Kong. It has a population of 1,268,112 and its population density is 15,915/km?, as of 2006....
and the Kowloon Peninsula
Kowloon Peninsula

The Kowloon Peninsula, commonly referred to as Kowloon, is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong, China....
were ceded to Britain in perpetuity by the Treaty of Nanking
Treaty of Nanking

The Treaty of Nanking or Treaty of Nanjing, signed 29 August 1842, was the Unequal Treaties which marked the end of the First Opium War between the British Empire and Qing Dynasty Empires of 1839-42....
and the Convention of Peking
Convention of Peking

The Convention of Peking or the First Convention of Peking is the name used for three different treaties, which were concluded between Qing Dynasty China and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Second French Empire, and Russian Empire....
.
An area of the Chinese mainland that became known as the New Territories
New Territories

New Territories, abbreviated to NT or N.T., is a region in Hong Kong excluding Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Stonecutters Island. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory....
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

Sino-British Joint Declaration

The Sino-British Joint Declaration, formally known as the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong, was signed by the Prime Ministers of the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom governme...
, which led to the whole of Hong Kong becoming a "special administrative region

Special administrative region (People's Republic of China)

A Special Administrative Region is a highly autonomous and largely self-governing subnational entity of the People's Republic of China. Each SAR has a gubernatorial chief executive as head of the region and head of government....
" 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

Hong Kong Basic Law

The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, or simply Hong Kong Basic Law, serves as the constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ....
. This was because Hong Kong's infrastructure was significantly interconnected with that of Guangdong Province

Guangdong

Guangdong is a political divisions of China on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province is also known by an alternative English language name, the Canton 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:

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 need for British military presence to guard against hostile neighbours;
a lack of any economic or political justification for independence.

In 2002, the UK Parliament passed the British Overseas Territories Act 2002

British Overseas Territories Act 2002

The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which superseded parts of the British Nationality Act 1981....
. This reclassified the UK's dependent territories as Overseas Territories and, with the exception of those people solely connected with the Sovereign Base Areas

Sovereign Base Areas

The Sovereign Base Areas are British Armed Forces bases located on territory in which the United Kingdom is sovereign, but which are separated from the ordinary British territory....
of Cyprus, restored full British citizenship to their inhabitants.

It was once said that "the sun never sets on the British Empire", and the British Overseas Territories still extend to every geographic region of the World, with the Caribbean Overseas Territories in North America

North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
, The Falklands in South America

South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
, Saint Helena and Dependencies in Africa

Africa

Oceania

Oceania is a geography, often geopolitics, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. The term "Oceania" was coined in 1831 by French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville....
, Gibraltar in Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
, British Indian Ocean Territory in Asia

Asia

Antarctica

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctica of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean....
.

Current Overseas Territories

N	Territory	Location	Motto	Area		Population
1	Anguilla Anguilla Anguilla is a British overseas territories 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 long by 5 km wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population....	Caribbean Caribbean The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America.... and North Atlantic Territories	Strength and Endurance		12,800	The Valley The Valley, Anguilla The Valley is the Capital of Anguilla and the main "town" on the island. , it has a population of 1,169.The Valley has few examples of colonial architecture due to the relocation of Anguilla's administration to Saint Kitts in 1825, though Wallblake House, built in 1787, still stands and is used as a rectory by the adjacent Church ....
2	Bermuda Bermuda Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1350 kilometres south of Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada....	North Atlantic Ocean	Quo fata ferunt (Latin Latin Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe.... : "Whither the Fates carry [us]")		64,482	Hamilton Hamilton, Bermuda Hamilton is the Capital of Bermuda. It is located on the north side of Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda, and is Bermuda's main port. Although there is a parish of the Hamilton Parish, Bermuda, the city of Hamilton is in the parish of Pembroke Parish, Bermuda....
3	British Antarctic Territory British Antarctic Territory The British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. It is situated in Antarctica from the South Pole to 60th parallel south between longitudes 20th meridian west and 80th meridian west....	Antarctica Antarctica Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctica of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean....	Research and discovery		200 staff	Rothera (main base)
4	British Indian Ocean Territory British Indian Ocean Territory The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an British overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia....	Indian Ocean Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean ....	In tutela nostra Limuria (Latin Latin Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe.... : "Limuria is in our charge")		3,200 military and staff	Diego Garcia Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is the largest atoll, in terms of land area, in Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The island is located in the Indian Ocean, about 1,600 km south of the southern coast of India.... (base)
5	British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands The British 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, the remaining islands constituting the United States Virgin Islands....	Caribbean Caribbean The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America.... and North Atlantic Territories	Vigilate (Latin Latin Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe.... : "Be watchful")		21,730	Road Town Road Town Road Town, located on Tortola, is the Capital of the British Virgin Islands. It is situated on the horseshoe-shaped Road Harbour in the centre of the island's south coast....
6	Cayman Islands Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory located in the western Caribbean Sea, comprising the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman....	Caribbean Caribbean The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America.... and North Atlantic Territories	He hath founded it upon the seas		46,600	George Town George Town, Cayman Islands George Town, Grand Cayman, is the Capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. The town has a population of 20,626 .George Town is the heart of the Cayman Islands financial industry, with over 600 banks located there....
7	Falkland Islands Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located from the coast of Argentina, west of the Shag Rocks , and north of the British Antarctic Territory ....	South Atlantic Ocean	Desire the right		2,967	Stanley Stanley, Falkland Islands Stanley is the Capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope, south of Stanley Harbour, in one of the wettest parts of the islands....
8	Gibraltar Gibraltar Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....	Iberian Peninsula Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes modern-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar and a very small area of France....	Nulli expugnabilis hosti (Latin Latin Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe.... : "No enemy shall expel us")		27,776	Gibraltar Gibraltar Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....
9	Montserrat Montserrat Montserrat is British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea....	Caribbean Caribbean The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America.... and North Atlantic Territories	Each Endeavouring, All Achieving		9,000	Plymouth Plymouth, Montserrat Plymouth was the Capital as well as the only port of entry to Montserrat, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom located in the Caribbean Sea.... (abandoned due to volcano—de facto capital is Brades)
10	Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson Island , Ducie Island and Oeno Island Islands, are a group of four volcano islands in the southern Pacific Ocean....	Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....	None	(all islands)	67	Adamstown Adamstown, Pitcairn Island Adamstown is the only settlement of the Pitcairn Islands, and by default, the Capital of the Pitcairn Islands. It is located on the central north of the island and has a population of 48 - the entire population of the Pitcairn Islands....
11	Saint Helena Saint Helena Saint Helena , named after Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcano origin and a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.... (including Ascension Ascension Island Ascension Island is an isolated island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa, and from the coast of South America.... , Tristan da Cunha Tristan da Cunha Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean, 2,816 km from South Africa and 3,360 km from South America.... )	South Atlantic Ocean	Loyal and unshakeable	(all islands)	6,563	Jamestown Jamestown, Saint Helena Jamestown is a harbour and the Capital of Saint Helena at . Located on the north-western face of the island, it was founded in 1659 by the British East India Company....
12	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and the 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 ? which measures approximately by and is by far the largest island in the territory ? and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sand...	South Atlantic Ocean	Leo terram propriam protegat (Latin Latin Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe.... : "Let the lion protect his own land")		11-26 staff	King Edward Point King Edward Point King Edward Point is a promontory and settlement with port facilities on the northeastern coast of the island of South Georgia. It is located at in Cumberland East Bay.... /Grytviken Grytviken Grytviken is the principal Hamlet in the United Kingdom territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic. It was so named by a 1902 Swedish surveyor who found old English try pots used to render Pinniped oil at the site....
13	Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two UK-administered areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas British overseas territories of the United Kingdom....	Mediterranean (Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt.... )	Dieu et mon droit (French French language French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries.... : "God and my right")		15,000 (almost half British military and staff)	Episkopi Cantonment Episkopi Cantonment Episkopi Cantonment is the capital of British military bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, it is located in the middle of the Western Sovereign Base Area along with Akrotiri....
14	Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands 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....	Caribbean Caribbean The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America.... and North Atlantic Territories			21,500	Cockburn Town Cockburn Town Cockburn Town is the capital city of the Turks and Caicos Islands, located on the largest island in the Turks Islands archipelago, Grand Turk Island....

Government

Head of State

The head of state in the Overseas Territories is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
. 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

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the Executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state. In federations, a governor may be the title of each appointed or elected politician who governs a constitutive state....
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.

The role of the Governor is to act as the de facto head of state

Head of State

Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth or any other political 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.

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.

Territories	Government
British Antarctic Territory British Antarctic Territory The British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. It is situated in Antarctica from the South Pole to 60th parallel south between longitudes 20th meridian west and 80th meridian west.... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and the 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 ? which measures approximately by and is by far the largest island in the territory ? and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sand...	No native population, therefore there is no elected government. The Commissioner, supported by an Administrator run the affairs of the territory.
British Indian Ocean Territory British Indian Ocean Territory The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an British overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia....	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 considered to be that territory's people - are currently defending an appeal against an English High Court judgment which quashed an Order Order-in-Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, typically those in the Commonwealth of Nations. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the Queen of the United Kingdom by the Privy Council of the United Kingdom ; in Canada in the name of the Governor General of Canada by the Queen's Privy Council... preventing them from returning.
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two UK-administered areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas British overseas territories of the United Kingdom....	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 Pitcairn Islands The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson Island , Ducie Island and Oeno Island Islands, are a group of four volcano islands in the southern Pacific Ocean....	There is an elected Mayor and Island Council Island Council (Pitcairn) The Island Council is the List of national legislatures body of the Pitcairn Islands. It also doubles as the court of the British Empire, making it one of the few bodies in the world to possess both legislative and judicial authority.... , 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 Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located from the coast of Argentina, west of the Shag Rocks , and north of the British Antarctic Territory .... Saint Helena Saint Helena Saint Helena , named after Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcano origin and a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean....	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-offico members.
Anguilla Anguilla Anguilla is a British overseas territories 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 long by 5 km wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population.... British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands The British 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, the remaining islands constituting the United States Virgin Islands.... Cayman Islands Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory located in the western Caribbean Sea, comprising the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.... Montserrat Montserrat Montserrat is British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea....	These larger territories have a larger Legislative Council, with political parties. The Executive Council is usually called a cabinet and is led by a Chief Minister Chief Minister A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a United Kingdom crown colony that has attained self-government.... (except in the Cayman Islands, which have a Leader of Government Business Leader of Government Business The post of Leader of Government Business in the Cayman Islands is the equivalent to Chief Minister or Premier in most British colony. It is the highest political level that can be attained within the colony.... ), 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.
Gibraltar Gibraltar Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....	Under the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 The Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 was a new constitution for Gibraltar which was given effect by an Order-in-Council on December 14 2006 and came into force on January 2 2007.... which was approved in Gibraltar by a referendum Gibraltarian constitutional referendum, 2006 A referendum on the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 of Gibraltar was held on 30 November 2006. After being accepted by voters, the new constitution came into effect on the 2nd of January 2007.... , Gibraltar now has a Parliament. The Government of Gibraltar, headed by the Chief Minister Chief Minister of Gibraltar The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the leader of the largest party in the Gibraltar Parliament, and is formally appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, representative of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom.... is elected. Defence, external affairs and internal security vest in the Governor Governor of Gibraltar The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territories of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the Monarchy of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Her Majesty's Government.... as a matter of distribution of powers. The UK therefore has no need to administer in Gibraltar.
Bermuda Bermuda Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1350 kilometres south of Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada.... Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands 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....	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 List of Premiers of Bermuda The following is a list of Premiers of Bermuda.See also British overseas territoryLists of incumbents... . Its system of government is very similar to that of a sovereign Commonwealth Realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 Sovereignty states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as their monarch.... . The UK government retains only minor powers, exercised through the Governor Governor of Bermuda The Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government.... , but most of those are handed to local ministers for day-to-day purposes. Bermuda's Parliament Parliament of Bermuda Parliament has two bicameralism. Originally, there was only one, the House of Assembly, which held its first session in 1620, making Bermuda's Parliament amongst the World's oldest legislatures.... held its first session in 1620, and Bermuda has been largely self-governed and self-sufficient since then. The Turks and Caicos Islands adopted a new constitution effective 9 August 2006; their head of government now also has the title Premier Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands This is a list of Chief Ministers and Premiers of the Turks and Caicos Islands.... , and their autonomy has been greatly increased.

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.

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

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs....
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 Meg Munn

Meg Munn

Margaret Patricia Munn , is a politician in the United Kingdom. She is Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley , and was first elected at the United Kingdom general election, 2001....
. The exception is the Sovereign Base Areas territory, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
.

In 1999, the FCO published the 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 (except Bermuda) all retain a representative office in London

London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. The also represents the interests of the territories in London.

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

The which provides assistance on government administration;
The which aim to diversify and enhance the economic bases of the territories

Foreign affairs

Foreign Affairs of the Overseas Territories are handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. However some territories maintain diplomatic officers in nearby countries for trade and immigration purposes. Several of the Caribbean territories maintain membership of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , created in 1981, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance between countries and dependencies in the Eastern Caribbean....
and the Caribbean Community

Caribbean Community

The Caribbean Community , is an organization of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy....
. None of the territories is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
, although they do take part in the Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. Held every four years, it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations....
.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....
is the only Overseas Territory that is part of the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
(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

British nationality law

British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex owing to the United Kingdom's former status as an imperialism power....
to most 'belongers' of Overseas Territories (mainly since the British Overseas Territories Act 2002

British Overseas Territories Act 2002

The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which superseded parts of the British Nationality Act 1981....
), 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
British Antarctic Territory

The British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. It is situated in Antarctica from the South Pole to 60th parallel south between longitudes 20th meridian west and 80th meridian west....
— Territory overlaps Antarctic claims made by Chile
Chile

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean....
and Argentina
Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....
(though under the Antarctic Treaty System
Antarctic Treaty System

The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population....
, these claims are not disputed)
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory

The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an British overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia....
— claimed by Mauritius
Mauritius

Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius, , is an island nation off the coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometres east of Madagascar....
and Seychelles
Seychelles

Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an archipelago Country of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located from the coast of Argentina, west of the Shag Rocks , and north of the British Antarctic Territory ....
— claimed by Argentina
Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....
Gibraltar
Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....
— claimed by Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — claimed by Argentina
Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia — claimed by Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....

Currencies

The many British Overseas territories use a varied allotment of currencies with very 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 Pound sterling ----The pound sterling , subdivided into 100 pence , is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependency and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Territory....
The Falkland Islands	Falkland Islands pound Falkland Islands pound The pound is the currency of the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. The symbol is the pound sign, ?, or alternatively FK?, to distinguish it from other pound -denominated currencies....
Gibraltar	Gibraltar pound Gibraltar pound The pound is the currency of Gibraltar. It is exchangeable with the UK pound sterling at par value....
Saint Helena Ascension Island	Saint Helenian pound
British Indian Ocean Territory The British Virgin Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands	United States dollar United States dollar The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
Anguilla Montserrat	Eastern Caribbean dollar East Caribbean dollar The East Caribbean dollar is the currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. It has existed since 1965 and is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $ or, alternatively, EC$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies....
Bermuda	Bermudian dollar
The Cayman Islands	Cayman Islands dollar Cayman Islands dollar The dollar is the currency of the Cayman Islands. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively CI$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies....
The Pitcairn Islands	New Zealand dollar New Zealand dollar The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. The New Zealand Dollar is divided into 100 cent s....
Akrotiri and Dhekelia	Euro Euro The euro is the official currency of 16 out of 27 European Union member state of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain....

Citizenship

None of the Overseas Territories have their own nationality status, and all citizens are classed as British Overseas Territories citizen

British Overseas Territories citizen

The status of British Overseas Territories citizen relates to persons holding British nationality law by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territories....
s (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

Belonger status

Belonger status is a legal classification normally associated with British overseas territories. It refers to people who have close ties to a specific territory, normally by birth and/or ancestry....
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

British subject

In British nationality law, the term British subject has at different times had different meanings. The current definition of the term British subject is contained in the British Nationality Act 1981....
, 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

History of British nationality law

This article concerns the history of British nationality law....
. However changes in British immigration and nationality law between 1962 and 1983 saw the creation of a separate British Dependent Territories citizenship

British Overseas Territories citizen

The status of British Overseas Territories citizen relates to persons holding British nationality law by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territories....
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

Hong Kong

China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
in 1997. Exception was made for the Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located from the coast of Argentina, west of the Shag Rocks , and north of the British Antarctic Territory ....
, which had been invaded the previous year by Argentina

Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....
. Full British citizenship was soon returned to the people of Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
.

However, the British Overseas Territories Act 2002

British Overseas Territories Act 2002

The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which superseded parts of the British Nationality Act 1981....
replaced dependent territory citizenship with British Overseas Territories citizen

British Overseas Territories citizen

The status of British Overseas Territories citizen relates to persons holding British nationality law by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territories....
ship, and restored full British citizenship to all BOTCs except those from the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two UK-administered areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas British overseas territories of the United Kingdom....
. This restored to BOTCs the right to reside in the UK.

British citizens

British nationality law

British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex owing to the United Kingdom's former status as an imperialism power....
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

Ascension Island

Ascension Island is an isolated island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa, and from the coast of South America....
and the British Indian Ocean Territory

British Indian Ocean Territory

The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an British overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia....
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
Saint Helena

Saint Helena , named after Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcano origin and a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean....
) - the Base (formerly known as RAF Ascension Island) is used by both the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
and the United States Air Force
United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States....
.
Bermuda - became the primary Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
base in the Western Hemisphere, following US independence. The Naval establishment included an admiralty, a dockyard
Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda

HMD Bermuda was the principal base of the Royal Navy in the Western Atlantic between American independence and the Cold War. Bermuda had occupied a useful position astride the homeward leg taken by many European vessels from the New World since before its settlement by England in 1609....
, 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 . Canada and the USA also established bases in Bermuda during the Second World War, which were maintained through the Cold War
Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state of conflict, tension and competition that existed between a number of world powers, including the United States, the Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, France, United Kingdom and those countries' respective allies from the mid-1940s to the early 1990s....
. Since 1995, the military force in Bermuda
Military of Bermuda

The defence of Bermuda remains the responsibility of the National Government, rather than of the Bermudian Government, which is effectively a local authority....
has been reduced to the local territorial
Territorial Army

The Territorial Army is the volunteer Military reserve force of the British Army, the army of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents....
battalion, the Bermuda Regiment
Bermuda Regiment

The Bermuda Regiment is the home defence unit of the United Kingdom British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is a single Territorial Army infantry battalion#British Army that was formed by the amalgamation in 1965 of two originally-voluntary units, the all white Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps and the mostly black Bermuda Militia Artillery ....
.
British Indian Ocean Territory - the island of Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia

Diego Garcia is the largest atoll, in terms of land area, in Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The island is located in the Indian Ocean, about 1,600 km south of the southern coast of India....
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
Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located from the coast of Argentina, west of the Shag Rocks , and north of the British Antarctic Territory ....
- the British Forces Falkland Islands
Military of the Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are an British overseas territory of the United Kingdom and, as such, rely on the UK for guarantee of their security. The other UK territories in the South Atlantic, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, fall under the protection of the British Armed Forces on Falkland Islands , which includes commitments from the...
includes commitments from the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
and Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
.
Gibraltar - a Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
dockyard
Cammell Laird Gibraltar

Cammell Laird Gibraltar is a ship repair facility at Gibraltar....
, also used by NATO
NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization , also called the Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949....
. RAF Gibraltar
RAF Gibraltar

Royal Air Force Station Gibraltar, better known as RAF Gibraltar and formally as North Front, is a Royal Air Force station on Gibraltar....
is used by the RAF
Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
and NATO
NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization , also called the Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949....
. The local garrison is manned by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Royal Gibraltar Regiment

The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop....
.
The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Akrotiri and Dhekelia

The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two UK-administered areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas British overseas territories of the United Kingdom....
in Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
- maintained as strategic British military bases in the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia....
.

Symbols and insignia

Each Overseas Territory has been granted its own flag

Flag

A flag is a piece of cloth, often flown from a pole or Mast , generally used symbolically for signaling or identification. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium....
and coat of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways....
by the British monarch. Traditionally, the flags follow the Blue Ensign

Blue Ensign

File:Commandant Ducuing 061030-N-5555T-017.jpgThe Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom....
design, with the Union Flag

Union Flag

The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national Flag of the United Kingdom. Historically, the flag was used throughout the former British Empire....
in the canton

Flag terminology

The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon....
, and the territory's coat of arms in the fly. Exceptions to this are Bermuda which uses a Red Ensign

Red Ensign

The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is a flag that originated in the early 17th century as a British ensign flown by the Royal Navy and later specifically by British merchantmen....
; British Antarctic Territory which uses a White Ensign

White Ensign

The White Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....
; 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

Coat of arms of Gibraltar

File:Original coat of arms of Gibraltar.jpgThe coat of arms of Gibraltar was first granted by a Royal Warrant passed in Toledo on July 10, 1502 by Isabella of Castile....
(the flag of the city of Gibraltar

Flag of Gibraltar

The Flag of Gibraltar is an elongated banner of the Coat of arms of Gibraltar, granted by Royal Warrant Queen Isabella of Castile on 10 July 1502....
). 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.

The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are the only British Overseas Territories without an official flag of their own. The Union Flag

Union Flag

The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national Flag of the United Kingdom. Historically, the flag was used throughout the former British Empire....
is used in this territory and is also used for Ascension Island.

Gallery of images

External links

- UK government site
- History links for the end of the European formal Empires, casahistoria.net

British overseas territories

History

Current Overseas Territories

Government

Head of State

Government

Legal system

Relations with the UK

Foreign affairs

Currencies

Citizenship

Military

Symbols and insignia

Gallery of images

See also

Further reading

External links