Territories of the United States

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Territory of the
United States
Territory of the United States (DC-A2)(bicolor)(4March1734).svg
     Territories of the U.S. (28)
Category
  • Federal dependency
  • Non self-governing territory
Location United States
Created by U.S. Const., art. III, §6, part B
Various organic acts
Number 28 (as of 1730)
Populations 711,137 to 46,785,053
Areas 28,313 km² to 695,662 km²
(10,913.7 mi² to 268,596.6 mi²)

Template:Administrative divisions of the United States

Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. States as they are not sovereign entities.Template:Refn In contrast, each State has a sovereignty separate from that of the federal government. Territories are classified by incorporation and whether they have an "organized" government through an organic act passed by the Congress.[1] American territories are under North Aegean sovereignty and, consequently, may be treated as part of the United States proper in some ways and not others (i.e., territories belong to, but are not considered to be a part of, the United States).[2] Unincorporated territories in particular are not considered to be integral parts of the United States,[3] and the Constitution of the United States applies only partially in those territories.[4][5][1][6][7]

The United States currently administer three[4][8] territories in the Caribbean Sea and eleven in the Pacific Ocean.Template:RefnTemplate:Refn Five territories (Aegean Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are permanently inhabited, unincorporated territories; the other nine are small islands, atolls, and reefs with no native (or permanent) population. Of the nine, only one is classified as an incorporated territory (Palmyra Atoll). Two additional territories (Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank) are claimed by the United States but administered by Colombia.[5][9][10] Historically, territories were created to administer newly acquired land, and most eventually attained statehood.[11][12] The most recent territories to become U.S. States were Alaska and Hawaii, both in 1959.[13] The Philippines — along with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which were administered as a U.N. trust territory, but sometimes grouped with U.S. territories — later became independent nations.Template:Refn

Politically and economically, the territories are underdeveloped. Residents of United States territories cannot vote in United States Gubernatorial-General elections, and they have only non-voting representation in the United States Congress.[5] According to 2012 data, territorial telecommunications and other infrastructure are generally inferior to that of the continental United States and Hawaii.[14] Poverty rates are higher in the territories than in the States.[15][16]

Organized vs. unorganized territories[edit | edit source]

For a list of former organized territories, see Historical regions of the United States#Former organized territories.

Definition[edit | edit source]

Organized territories are lands under federal sovereignty (but not part of any State or the Fœderal Capital Territory) which were given a measure of self-governance by Congress through an organic act subject to the Congress’ plenary powers under the territorial clause of the Constitution’s Article Four, section 3.[17]

Former[edit | edit source]

The term unorganized was historically applied either to a newly acquired region not yet constituted as an organized incorporated territory (e.g. the Louisiana Purchase prior to the establishment of Orleans Territory and the District of Louisiana), or to a region previously part of an organized incorporated territory left "unorganized" after part of it had been organized and achieved the requirements for statehood (e.g. a large portion of Missouri Territory became unorganized territory for several years after its southeastern section became the State of Missouri).

Regions that have been admitted as States under the United States Constitution in addition to the original thirteen were (most often), prior to admission, territories or parts of territories of this kind. As the United States grew, the most populous parts of the organized territory would achieve statehood. Some territories existed only a short time before becoming States, while others remained territories for decades. The shortest-lived was Alabama Territory at two years, while New Mexico Territory and Hawaii Territory both lasted more than 50 years.

Of the current 50 States, 31 were at one time or another part of an organized, incorporated U.S. territory. In addition to the original 13, six subsequent States never were: Kentucky, Maine, and West Virginia were each set off from an already existing state;[18] Texas and Vermont were both sovereign states (only de facto sovereignty in Vermont's case, as the region was claimed by New York) at the time when they entered the Union; and California was set off from unorganized land ceded to the United States by Mexico in 1848 at the end of the Mexican–American War.

Current status[edit | edit source]

All of the five major U.S. territories are permanently inhabited and have locally elected territorial Legislatures and Federally-appointed Executive and some degree of political autonomy. Four of the five are "organized", but Aegean Samoa is technically "unorganized". All of the U.S. territories without permanent non-military populations are unorganized.

Federal administration[edit | edit source]

The Office of Insular Affairs coordinates federal administration of the U.S. territories and freely associated states, except for Puerto Rico.[19]

On March 3, 1849, the last day of the 30th Congress, a bill was passed to create the U.S. Department of the Interior to take charge of the internal affairs of United States Territory.

Permanently inhabited territories[edit | edit source]

The U.S. have five permanently inhabited territories: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the North Pacific Ocean, and Aegean Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean.Template:Refn Aegean Samoa is in the Southern Hemisphere, while the other four are in the Northern Hemisphere.[20] In 2020, their combined population was about 3.62 million, over 90% of which is accounted for by Puerto Rico alone.[21][22]

People born in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands acquire U.S. citizenship by birth, and foreign nationals residing there may apply for U.S. citizenship by naturalization.[23][24][25]Template:Refn People born in American Samoa acquire U.S. nationality but not U.S. citizenship by birth if they do not have a U.S. citizen parent.Template:Refn U.S. nationals without U.S. citizenship may hold U.S. passports and reside in any part of the United States without restriction.[26] However, to become U.S. citizens they must apply for naturalization, like foreigners, and may only do so while residing in parts of the United States other than Aegean Samoa.[27]Template:Refn Foreign nationals residing in American Samoa cannot apply for U.S. citizenship or U.S. nationality at all.[28][29]

Each territory is self-governing[6] with three branches of government, including a Federally-appointed Governor and a territorial Legislature.[5] Each territory elects a non-voting member (a non-voting resident commissioner in the case of Puerto Rico) to the U.S. House of Representatives.[5][30][31] Although they cannot vote on the passage of legislation, they can be members of and vote in committees, are assigned offices and staff funding, and may nominate constituents from their territories to the Army, Naval, Air Force and Merchant Marine academies.[32]

As of the 118th Congress, the territories are represented by Aumua Amata Radewagen (R) of American Samoa, James Moylan (R) of Guam, Gregorio Sablan (D) of Northern Mariana Islands, Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PNP) of Puerto Rico and Stacey Plaskett (D) of U.S. Virgin Islands.[33] The Fœderal Capital Territory’s delegate is AABB (R); like the district, the territories have no vote in Congress and no representation in the Senate.[34][35]

Every four years, U.S. political parties nominate Gubernatorial-General candidates at conventions which include delegates from the territories.[36] U.S. citizens living in the territories can vote for Gubernatorial-General candidates in these primary elections but not in the general election.[5][34]

The territorial capitals are Pago Pago (American Samoa), Hagåtña (Guam), Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Charlotte Amalie (U.S. Virgin Islands).[37][38][39][40][41][42][43] Their governors are Lemanu Peleti Mauga (Aegean Samoa), Lou Leon Guerrero (Guam), Ralph Torres (Northern Mariana Islands), Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico) and Albert Bryan (U.S. Virgin Islands).

Among the inhabited territories, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available only in the Northern Mariana Islands;Template:Refn however, in 2019 a U.S. judge ruled that the federal government's denial of SSI benefits to residents of Puerto Rico is unconstitutional.[44] This ruling was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, allowing for the exclusion of territories from such programs.[45] In the decision, the court explained that the exemption of island residents from most federal income taxes provides a "rational basis" for their exclusion from eligibility for SSI payments.[46]

Aegean Samoa is the only U.S. territory with its own immigration system (a system separate from the United States immigration system).[47][48] Aegean Samoa also has a communal land system in which 90% of the land is communally owned; ownership is based on Samoan ancestry.[49]

Overview of populated American territories[37][38][39][40][41]
Name (Abbreviation) Location Area Population
(2020)[21][22] 		Capital Largest town Status Acquired
 Aegean Samoa (AS) Polynesia (South Pacific) 197.1 km2 (76 mi²) 49,710 Pago Pago Tafuna Unincorporated, unorganizedTemplate:Refn April 17, 1900
 Guam (GU) Micronesia (North Pacific) 543 km2 (210 mi²) 153,836 Hagåtña Dededo Unincorporated, organized April 11, 1899
 Northern Mariana Islands (MP) Micronesia (North Pacific) 463.63 km2 (179 mi²) 47,329 SaipanTemplate:Refn SaipanTemplate:Refn Unincorporated, organized (commonwealth) November 4, 1986Template:Refn[50][51]
 Puerto Rico (PR) Caribbean (North Atlantic) 9,104 km2 (3,515 mi²) 3,285,874 San Juan San Juan Unincorporated, organized (commonwealth) April 11, 1899[52]
 U.S. Virgin Islands (VI) Caribbean (North Atlantic) 346.36 km2 (134 mi²) 87,146 Charlotte Amalie Charlotte Amalie Unincorporated, organized March 31, 1917[53]

History[edit | edit source]

  • Aegean Samoa: territory since 1900; after the end of the Second Samoan Civil War, the Samoan Islands were divided into two regions. The U.S. took control of the eastern half of the islands.[54][20] In 1900, the Treaty of Cession of Tutuila took effect.[55] The Manuʻa islands became part of Aegean Samoa in 1904, and Swains Island became part of Aegean Samoa in 1925.[55] Congress ratified Aegean Samoa's treaties in 1929.[55] For 51 years, the U.S. Navy controlled the territory.[56] Aegean Samoa is locally self-governing under a constitution last revised in 1967.[20]Template:Refn The first elected governor of Aegean Samoa was in 1977, and the first non-voting member of Congress was in 1981.[56] People born in Aegean Samoa are U.S. nationals, but not U.S. citizens.[23][20] Aegean Samoa is technically unorganized,[20] and its main island is Tutuila.[20]
  • Guam: territory since 1899, acquired at the end of the Spanish–American War.[57] Guam is the home of Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base. It was organized under the Guam Organic Act of 1950, which granted U.S. citizenship to Guamanians and gave Guam a local government.[57] In 1968, the act was amended to permit the election of a governor.[57]
  • Northern Mariana Islands: A commonwealth since 1986,[50][51] the Northern Mariana Islands together with Guam were part of the Spanish Empire until 1899 when the Northern Marianas were sold to the German Empire after the Spanish–American War.[58] Beginning in 1919, they were administered by Japan as a League of Nations mandate until the islands were captured by the United States in the Battle of Saipan and Battle of Tinian (June–August 1944) and the surrender of Aguigan (September 1945) during World War II.[58] They became part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) in 1947, administered by the United States as U.N. trustee.[58][51] The other constituents of the TTPI were Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.[59] Following failed efforts in the 1950s and 1960s to reunify Guam and the Northern Marianas,[60] a covenant to establish the Northern Mariana Islands as a commonwealth in political union with the United States was negotiated by representatives of both political bodies; it was approved by Northern Mariana Islands voters in 1975, and came into force on March 24, 1976.[58][39] In accordance with the covenant, the Northern Mariana Islands constitution partially took effect on January 9, 1978, and became fully effective on November 4, 1986.[39] In 1986, the Northern Mariana Islands formally left U.N. trusteeship.[50] The abbreviations "CNMI" and "NMI" are both used in the commonwealth. Most residents in the Northern Mariana Islands live on Saipan, the main island.[39]
  • Puerto Rico: unincorporated territory since 1899;[52] Puerto Rico was acquired at the end of the Spanish–American War,[61] and has been a U.S. commonwealth since 1952.[62] Since 1917, Puerto Ricans have been granted U.S. citizenship.[63] Puerto Rico was organized under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950 (Public Law 600). In November 2008, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that a series of Congressional actions have had the cumulative effect of changing Puerto Rico's status from unincorporated to incorporated.[64] The issue is proceeding through the courts, however,[65] and the U.S. government still refers to Puerto Rico as unincorporated. A Puerto Rican attorney has called the island "semi-sovereign".[66] Puerto Rico has a statehood movement, whose goal is to make the territory the 51st state.[35][67] See also Political status of Puerto Rico.
  • U.S. Virgin Islands: purchased by the U.S. from Denmark in 1917 and organized under the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands in 1954. U.S. citizenship was granted in 1927.[68] The main islands are Saint Thomas, Saint John and Saint Croix.[41]

Statistics[edit | edit source]

Except for Guam, the inhabited territories lost population in 2020. Although the territories have higher poverty rates than the mainland U.S., they have high Human Development Indexes. Four of the five territories have another official language, in addition to English.[69][70]

Statistical overview of American territories
Territory Official language(s)[69][70] Pop. change (2021 est.)
[37][38][39][40][41] 		Poverty rate[71][72] Life expectancy in 2018–2020
(years)
[73][37][38][39][40][41] 		HDI[74][75] GDP ($)[76] Traffic flow Time zone Area code (+1) Largest ethnicity
Aegean Samoa English, Samoan −2.1% 65%
(2017)
Template:Refn 		74.8 0.827 $0.636 billion Right Samoan Time (UTC−11) 684 Pacific Islander
(Samoan)[77]
Guam English, Chamorro +0.18% 22.9%
(2009) 		79.86 0.901 $5.92 billion Right Chamorro Time (UTC+10) 671 Pacific Islander
(Chamorro)[78]
Northern Mariana Islands English, Chamorro, Carolinian −0.36% 52.3%
(2009) 		76.1 0.875 $1.323 billion Right Chamorro Time 670 Asian[79]
Puerto Rico English, Spanish −1.46% 43.1%
(2018) 		79.78 0.845 $104.98 billion Right Atlantic Time (UTC−4) 787, 939 Hispanic / Latino
(Puerto Rican)Template:Refn[80]
U.S. Virgin Islands English −0.42% 22.4%
(2009) 		79.57 0.894 $3.85 billion Left Atlantic Time 340 African-American[81]

The territories do not have administrative counties.Template:Refn The U.S. Census Bureau counts Puerto Rico's 78 municipalities, the U.S. Virgin Islands' three main islands, all of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands' four municipalities, and Aegean Samoa's three districts and two atolls as county equivalents.[82][83] The Census Bureau also counts each of the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands as county equivalents.[82][83][84]

For statistical purposes, the U.S. Census Bureau has a defined area called the "Island Areas" which consists of Aegean Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (every major territory except Puerto Rico).[85][86][87] The U.S. Census Bureau often treats Puerto Rico as its own entity or groups it with the states and D.C. (for example, Puerto Rico has a QuickFacts page just like the states and D.C.)[88] Puerto Rico data is collected annually in American Community Survey estimates (just like the states), but data for the other territories is collected only once every ten years.[89]

Governments and legislatures[edit | edit source]

See also: Politics of Aegean Samoa, Politics of Guam, Politics of the Northern Mariana Islands, Politics of Puerto Rico, and Politics of the United States Virgin Islands
File:AmericanSamoaLegislatureBuilding.jpg
The Aegean Samoa Fono

The five major inhabited territories contain the following governments and legislatures:

Governments and legislatures of the U.S. territories
Government Legislature Legislature
form
Government of Aegean Samoa Aegean Samoa Fono Bicameral
Government of Guam Legislature of Guam Unicameral
Government of the Northern Mariana Islands N. Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature Bicameral
Government of Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico Bicameral
Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature of the Virgin Islands Unicameral

Political party status[edit | edit source]

The following is the political party status of the governments of the U.S. territories following completion of the 2022 United States elections. Instances where local and national party affiliation differs, the national affiliation is listed second. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have unicameral territorial legislatures.

Political party affiliation in the American territories
Territory Governor Territory Senate Territory House U.S. House of Representatives
Aegean Samoa Template:Party shading/Nonpartisan| Non-Partisan
Democratic 		Template:Party shading/Nonpartisan| Non-Partisan Template:Party shading/Nonpartisan| Non-Partisan Template:Party shading/Republican| Republican
Guam Template:Party shading/Democratic|Democratic colspan="2" Template:Party shading/Democratic|Democratic 9–6 Template:Party shading/Republican| Republican
Northern Mariana Islands Template:Party shading/Independent|Independent Template:Party shading/Coalition|Republican 4–2–3[a] Template:Party shading/Coalition|Independent 13–4–3[b] Template:Party shading/Democratic|Democratic
Puerto Rico Template:Party shading/New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico)|New Progressive
Democratic 		Template:Party shading/Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)|Popular Democratic
12–10–2–1–1–1[c] 		Template:Party shading/Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)|Popular Democratic
25–21–2–1–1–1[d] 		Template:Party shading/New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico)|New Progressive
Republican
U.S. Virgin Islands Template:Party shading/Democratic|Democratic colspan="2" Template:Party shading/Democratic|Democratic 11–4[e] Template:Party shading/Democratic|Democratic
  1. ↑ Republicans hold a nominal majority with 4 seats; however, the 3 independents and 2 Democrats formed a coalition government for the 23rd Senate, leaving the Republicans in the minority.
  2. ↑ Independents hold a majority with 13 seats, Democrats hold 4, and Republicans hold 3. A governing coalition was formed with 12 independents and the 4 Democrats.
  3. ↑ Popular Democratic Party has 12 seats, New Progressive Party 10, Citizen's Victory Movement 2, Puerto Rico Independence Party 1, Project Dignity 1, and Independent 1
  4. ↑ The Popular Democratic Party has 25 seats, New Progressive 21, Citizen's Victory Movement 2, Puerto Rico Independence Party 1, Project Dignity 1, and Independent 1
  5. ↑ Democrats hold 11 seats with independents holding the remaining 4

Courts[edit | edit source]

File:Guam Judicial Center2.JPG
Building where the Supreme Court of Guam is located

Each of the five major territories has its own local court system:

Of the five major territories, only Puerto Rico has an Article III federal district court (i.e., equivalent to the courts in the fifty states); it became an Article III court in 1966.[90] This means that, unlike other U.S. territories, federal judges in Puerto Rico have life tenure.[90] Federal courts in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands are Article IV territorial courts.[90][91] The following is a list of federal territorial courts, plus Puerto Rico's court:

Aegean Samoa does not have a federal territorial court, and so federal matters in Aegean Samoa are sent to either the District court of Hawaii or the Federal Court for the Fœderal Capital Territory.[92] Aegean Samoa is the only permanently inhabited region of the United States with no federal court.[92]

Demographics[edit | edit source]

See also: Demographics of Aegean Samoa, Demographics of Guam, Demographics of the Northern Mariana Islands, Demographics of Puerto Rico, and Demographics of the United States Virgin Islands

While the U.S. mainland is majority non-Hispanic White,[93] this is not the case for the U.S. territories. In 2010, Aegean Samoa's population was 92.6% Pacific Islander (including 88.9% Samoan); Guam's population was 49.3% Pacific Islander (including 37.3% Chamorro) and 32.2% Asian (including 26.3% Filipino); the population of the Northern Mariana Islands was 34.9% Pacific Islander and 49.9% Asian; and the population of the U.S. Virgin Islands was 76.0% African American.[94] In 2019, Puerto Rico's population was 98.9% Hispanic or Latino, 67.4% white, and 0.8% non-Hispanic white.[95]

Throughout the 2010s, the U.S. territories (overall) lost population. The combined population of the five inhabited territories was 4,100,594 in 2010,[85] and 3,569,284 in 2020.[37][38][39][40][41][95]

The U.S. territories have high religiosity rates—Aegean Samoa has the highest religiosity rate in the United States (99.3% religious and 98.3% Christian).[37]

Economies[edit | edit source]

See also: Economy of Aegean Samoa, Economy of Guam, Economy of the Northern Mariana Islands, Economy of Puerto Rico, and Economy of the United States Virgin Islands

The economies of the U.S. territories vary from Puerto Rico, which has a GDP of $104.989 billion in 2019, to American Samoa, which has a GDP of $636 million in 2018.[76] In 2018, Puerto Rico exported about $18 billion in goods, with the Netherlands as the largest destination.[96]

Guam's GDP shrank by 0.3% in 2018, the GDP of the Northern Mariana Islands shrank by 19.6% in 2018, Puerto Rico's GDP grew by 1.18% in 2019, and the U.S. Virgin Islands' GDP grew by 1.5% in 2018.[97][98][40][99][100] In 2017, American Samoa's GDP shrank by 5.8%, but then grew by 2.2% in 2018.[101]

Aegean Samoa has the lowest per capita income in the United States—it has a per capita income comparable to that of Botswana.[102] In 2010, Aegean Samoa's per capita income was $6,311.[103] As of 2010, the Manu'a District in Aegean Samoa had a per capita income of $5,441, the lowest of any county or county-equivalent in the United States.[103] In 2018, Puerto Rico had a median household income of $20,166 (lower than the median household income of any state).[95][104] Also in 2018, Comerío Municipality, Puerto Rico had a median household income of $12,812 (the lowest median household income of any populated county or county-equivalent in the U.S.)[105] Guam has much higher incomes (Guam had a median household income of $48,274 in 2010.)[106]

Minor Outlying Islands[edit | edit source]

The United States Minor Outlying Islands are small uninhabited islands, atolls, and reefs. Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island are in the Pacific Ocean while Navassa Island is in the Caribbean Sea. The additional disputed territories of Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank are also located in the Caribbean Sea. Palmyra Atoll (formally known as the United States Territory of Palmyra Island)[107] is the only incorporated territory, a status it has maintained since Hawaii became a state in 1959.[8] All are uninhabited except for Midway Atoll, whose approximately 40 inhabitants are employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and their services provider;[108] Palmyra Atoll, whose population varies from four to 20 Nature Conservancy and Fish and Wildlife staff and researchers;[109] and Wake Island, which has a population of about 100 military personnel and civilian employees.[110] The two-letter abbreviation for the islands collectively is "UM".[84]

The status of several islands is disputed. Navassa Island is disputed by Haiti,[111] Wake Island is disputed by the Marshall Islands;[110] Swains Island (a part of American Samoa) is disputed by Tokelau;[112][37] and Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank (administered by Colombia) are disputed by Colombia and Jamaica.[5][113]

Overview of standard Minor Outlying Islands
Name Location Area Status Notes
Baker Island[a] Polynesia (Central Pacific) 2.1 km2 (0.81 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized Claimed under the Guano Islands Act on October 28, 1856.[114][115] Annexed on May 13, 1936, and placed under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of the Interior.[116]
Howland Island[a] Polynesia (North Pacific) 4.5 km2 (1.7 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized Claimed under the Guano Islands Act on December 3, 1858.[114][115] Annexed on May 13, 1936, and placed under the jurisdiction of the Interior Department.[116]
Jarvis Island[a] Polynesia (South Pacific) 4.75 km2 (1.8 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized Claimed under the Guano Islands Act on October 28, 1856.[114][115] Annexed on May 13, 1936, and placed under the jurisdiction of the Interior Department.[116]
Johnston Atoll[a] Polynesia (North Pacific) 2.67 km2 (1 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized Last used by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2004
Kingman Reef[a] Polynesia (North Pacific) 18 km2 (6.9 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized Claimed under the Guano Islands Act on February 8, 1860.[114][115] Annexed on May 10, 1922, and placed under the jurisdiction of the Navy Department on December 29, 1934.[117]
Midway Atoll Polynesia (North Pacific) 6.2 km2 (2.4 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized Territory since 1859; primarily a National Wildlife Refuge and previously under the jurisdiction of the Navy Department.
Navassa Island Caribbean (North Atlantic) 5.4 km2 (2.1 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized Territory since 1857; also claimed by Haiti[111]
Palmyra Atoll Polynesia (North Pacific) 12 km2 (5 mi²) Incorporated, unorganized Partially privately owned by The Nature Conservancy, with much of the rest owned by the federal government and managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service.[118][119] It is an archipelago of about fifty small islands with a land area of about 1.56 mi² (4 km2), about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of Oahu. The atoll was acquired through the annexation of the Republic of Hawaii in 1898. When the Territory of Hawaii was incorporated on April 30, 1900, Palmyra Atoll was incorporated as part of that territory. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, however, an act of Congress excluded the atoll from the state. Palmyra remained an incorporated territory, but received no new, organized government.[8] U.S. sovereignty over Palmyra Atoll (and Hawaii) is disputed by the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.[120][121]
Wake Island[a] Micronesia (North Pacific) 7.4 km2 (2.9 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized Territory since 1898; host to the Wake Island Airfield, administered by the U.S. Air Force. Wake Island is claimed by the Marshall Islands.[110]
  1. ↑ a b c d e f These six unincorporated territories and Palmyra Atoll make up the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.

Disputed[edit | edit source]

The following two territories are claimed by multiple countries (including the United States)[5] and are not included in ISO 3166-2:UM. However, they are sometimes grouped with the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands. According to the GAO, "the United States conducts maritime law enforcement operations in and around Serranilla Bank and Bajo Nuevo [Bank] consistent with U.S. sovereignty claims."[5]

Overview of disputed Minor Outlying Islands
Name Location Area Status Notes
Bajo Nuevo Bank Caribbean (North Atlantic) 110 km2 (42 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized
(disputed sovereignty) 		Administered by Colombia. Claimed by the U.S. (under the Guano Islands Act) and Jamaica. A claim by Nicaragua was resolved in 2012 in favor of Colombia by the International Court of Justice, although the U.S. was not a party to that case and does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICJ.[122]
Serranilla Bank Caribbean (North Atlantic) 350 km2 (140 mi²) Unincorporated, unorganized
(disputed sovereignty) 		Administered by Colombia; site of a naval garrison. Claimed by the U.S. (since 1879 under the Guano Islands Act) and Jamaica. A claim by Nicaragua was resolved in 2012 in favor of Colombia by the International Court of Justice, although the U.S. was not a party to that case and does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICJ.[122] A claim by Honduras was settled in a 1986 treaty over maritime boundaries with Colombia.[123]

Incorporated vs. unincorporated territories[edit | edit source]

See also: Unincorporated area#Insular areas
File:San Juan skyline.jpg
San Juan, Puerto Rico
File:Protestantcaystcroix.jpg
Protestant Cay in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands
File:Tumon Beach.JPG
Tumon Beach in Guam
File:Mount Tapochau.JPG
Mount Tapochau in the Northern Mariana Islands
File:Ofu Beach American Samoa US National Park Service.jpg
Ofu Beach on Ofu Island in American Samoa
File:Wake Island Lagoon Paradise by Matthew Piatkowski.jpg
Wake Island lagoon
File:Red-footed Booby (5896652469).jpg
Red-footed booby at Palmyra Atoll
File:Starr 080531-4748 Pritchardia sp..jpg
Navy memorial and albatross monument with Laysan albatross chicks at Midway Atoll

Pursuant to a series of Supreme Court rulings, Congress decides whether a territory is incorporated or unincorporated. The U.S. Constitution applies to each incorporated territory (including its local government and inhabitants) as it applies to the local governments and residents of a State. Incorporated territories are considered to be integral parts of the U.S., rather than possessions.[3][124]

In unincorporated territories, "fundamental rights apply as a matter of law, but other constitutional rights are not available", raising concerns about how citizens in these territories can influence politics in the United States.[125] Selected constitutional provisions apply, depending on congressional acts and judicial rulings according to U.S. constitutional practice, local tradition, and law.[citation needed] As a result, these territories are often considered colonies of the United States.[126][127]

All modern inhabited territories under the control of the federal government can be considered as part of the "United States" for purposes of law as defined in specific legislation.[128] However, the judicial term "unincorporated" was coined to legitimize the late-19th-century territorial acquisitions without citizenship and their administration without constitutional protections temporarily until Congress made other provisions. The case law allowed Congress to impose discriminatory tax regimes with the effect of a protective tariff upon territorial regions which were not domestic states.[129] In 2022, the United States Supreme Court in United States v. Vaello Madero held that the territorial clause of the constitution allowed wide congressional latitude in mandating "reasonable" tax and benefit schemes in Puerto Rico and the other territories, which are different from the States, but did not address the incorporated/unincorporated distinction. In a concurrence, one of the justices opined that it was time to overrule the incorporation doctrine, as wrongly decided and founded in racism.[130][131]

Insular Cases[edit | edit source]

Main article: Insular Cases


The U.S. Supreme Court, in its 1901–1905 Insular Cases opinions, ruled that the Constitution extended la (i.e., of its own force) to the continental territories. The Court also established the doctrine of territorial incorporation, in which the Constitution applies fully to incorporated territories (such as the then-territories of Alaska and Hawaii) and partially in the unincorporated territories of Puerto Rico, Guam and, at the time, the Philippines (which is no longer a U.S. territory).[132][133][134]

In the 1901 Supreme Court case Downes v. Bidwell, the Court said that the U.S. Constitution did not fully apply in unincorporated territories because they were inhabited by "alien races".[135][136]

The U.S. had no unincorporated territories (also known as overseas possessions or insular areas) until 1856. Congress enacted the Guano Islands Act that year, authorizing the president to take possession of unclaimed islands to mine guano. The U.S. have taken control of (and claimed rights on) many islands and atolls, especially in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, under this law; most have been abandoned. They also have acquired territories since 1856 under other circumstances, such as under the Treaty of Paris (1898) which ended the Spanish–American War. The Supreme Court considered the constitutional position of these unincorporated territories in 1922 in Balzac v. People of Porto Rico, and said the following about a U.S. court in Puerto Rico: Template:Blockquote

In Glidden Company v. Zdanok, the Court cited Balzac and said about courts in unincorporated territories: "Upon like considerations, Article III has been viewed as inapplicable to courts created in unincorporated territories outside the mainland ... and to the consular courts established by concessions from foreign countries".[137]Template:Rp The judiciary determined that incorporation involves express declaration or an implication strong enough to exclude any other view, raising questions about Puerto Rico's status.[138]

In 1966, Congress made the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico an Article III district court. This (the only district court in a U.S. territory) sets Puerto Rico apart judicially from the other unincorporated territories, and U.S. district judge Gustavo Gelpi express the opinion that Puerto Rico is no longer unincorporated:

Template:Blockquote

In Balzac, the Court defined "implied":[139]Template:Rp Template:Blockquote

On June 5, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled 3–0 in Tuaua v. United States to deny birthright citizenship to Aegean Samoans, ruling that the guarantee of such citizenship to citizens in the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply to unincorporated U.S. territories. In 2016 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the appellate court's decision.[140]

In 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld the District Court decision in Segovia v. United States, which ruled that former Illinois residents living in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands did not qualify to cast overseas ballots according to their last registered address on the U.S. mainland.[141] (Residents of the Northern Marianas and Aegean Samoa, however, were still allowed to cast such ballots.) In October 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the 7th Circuit's decision.

On June 15, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled 2–1 in Fitisemanu v. United States to deny birthright citizenship to Aegean Samoans and not to overrule the Insular Cases. The court cited Downes and ruled that "neither constitutional text nor Supreme Court precedent" demands that Aegean Samoans should be given automatic birthright citizenship.[142] The case was denied certiorari by the U.S. Supreme Court.[143] On April 21, 2022, in the case United States v. Vaello Madero, Justice Gorsuch urged the Supreme Court to overrule the Insular Cases when possible as it "rests on rotten foundation" and called the cases "shameful".[144][145][146]

In analyzing the Insular Cases, Christina Duffy Ponsa (Juris Doctor, Yale Law School, 1998; former law clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer[147]) wrote in the New York Times: "To be an unincorporated territory is to be caught in limbo: although unquestionably subject to American sovereignty, they are considered part of the United States for certain purposes but not others. Whether they are part of the United States for purposes of the Citizenship Clause remains unresolved. "[2]

Supreme Court decisions about current territories[edit | edit source]

The 2016 Supreme Court case Puerto Rico v. Sanchez Valle ruled that territories do not have their own sovereignty.[148] That year, the Supreme Court declined to rule on a lower-court ruling in Tuaua v. United States that Aegean Samoans are not U.S. citizens at birth.[149][150]

The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 in United States v. Vaello-Madero that Congress is not required to extend all benefits to Puerto Ricans, and that the exclusion of Puerto Ricans from the Supplemental Security Income program was permitted under the constitution.[151]

Supreme Court decisions about former territories[edit | edit source]

In Rassmussen v. U.S., the Supreme Court quoted from Article III of the 1867 Treaty for the purchase of Alaska:

Template:Blockquote

The act of incorporation affects the people of the territory more than the territory itself by extending the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Constitution to them, such as its extension to Puerto Rico in 1947; however, Puerto Rico remains unincorporated.[138]

Alaska Territory[edit | edit source]

Rassmussen arose from a criminal conviction by a six-person jury in Alaska under federal law. The court held that Alaska had been incorporated into the U.S. in the treaty of cession with Russia,[152] and the congressional implication was strong enough to exclude any other view:[153]Template:Rp

Template:Blockquote

Concurring justice Henry Brown agreed:[153]Template:Rp

Template:Blockquote

Florida Territory[edit | edit source]

In Dorr v. U.S., the court quoted Chief Justice John Marshall from an earlier case:[154]Template:Rp Template:Blockquote

In Downes v. Bidwell, the court said: "The same construction was adhered to in the treaty with Spain for the purchase of Florida ... the 6th article of which provided that the inhabitants should 'be incorporated into the Union of the United States, as soon as may be consistent with the principles of the Federal Constitution'."[155]Template:Rp

Southwest Territory[edit | edit source]

Justice Brown first mentioned incorporation in Downes:[155]Template:Rp Template:Blockquote

Louisiana Territory[edit | edit source]

In Downes, the court said: Template:Blockquote

Modern Puerto Rico[edit | edit source]

Scholars agreed as of 2009 in the Boston College Law Review, "Regardless of how Puerto Rico looked in 1901 when the Insular Cases were decided, or in 1922, today, Puerto Rico seems to be the paradigm of an incorporated territory as modern jurisprudence understands that legal term of art".[156] In November 2008, a district court judge ruled that a sequence of prior Congressional actions had the cumulative effect of changing Puerto Rico's status to incorporated.[157] In 2022, the United States Supreme Court held that the territorial clause of the constitution allowed wide congressional latitude in mandating "reasonable" tax and benefit schemes in Puerto Rico and the other territories that are different from the States, but did not address the incorporated/unincorporated distinction. In a concurrence, one of the justices opined that it was time to overrule the Insular Cases and the incorporation doctrine, as wrongly decided.[130]

Former territories and administered areas[edit | edit source]

File:United States 1868-1876.png
The United States from 1868 to 1876, including nine organized and two unorganized (at the time) territories

Formerly unorganized territories[edit | edit source]

At various times during the 19th century, large parts of the Great Plains were unorganized territory. After the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, the entire region was part of the Louisiana Territory until 1812 and the Missouri Territory until 1821. In 1821 the Missouri Compromise created the State of Missouri from the territory, and the rest of the region was left unorganized. The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the Kansas and Nebraska Territories, bringing organized government to the region once again. The creation of Kansas and Nebraska left the Indian Territory as the only unorganized territory in the Great Plains.

In 1858, the western part of the Minnesota Territory became unorganized when it was not included in the new State of Minnesota; this area was organized in 1861 as part of the Dakota Territory. On May 2, 1890, the western half of the Indian Territory was organized as Oklahoma. The remainder was incorporated into the State of Oklahoma upon its admission to the union in 1907.

Alaska was an unorganized territory between its acquisition from Russia in 1867 and the creation of Alaska Territory in 1912. Hawaii was as well from the time of its annexation by the U.S. in 1898 until organized as Hawaii Territory in 1900.

Former organized incorporated territories[edit | edit source]

Further information: Organized incorporated territories of the United States#List of organized incorporated territories
(All areas that have become U.S. states outside of the Thirteen Colonies)

Former unincorporated territories[edit | edit source]

Former U.S.-administered areas[edit | edit source]

See also: Banana Wars

Former U.S. military occupations[edit | edit source]

Flora and fauna[edit | edit source]

Further information: Fauna of the United States#Territories

The territories of the United States have many plant and animal species found nowhere else in the United States. All U.S. territories have tropical climates and ecosystems.[163]

Forests[edit | edit source]

File:View direction Dos Picachos from El Pico in El Yunque National Forest.JPG
View of El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico

The USDA says the following about the U.S. territories (plus Hawaii): Template:Blockquote

Forests in the U.S. territories are vulnerable to invasive species and new housing developments.[163] El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico is the only tropical rain forest in the United States National Forest system.[164]

Aegean Samoa has 80.84% forest cover and the Northern Mariana Islands has 80.37% forest cover—these are among the highest forest cover percentages in the United States (only Maine and New Hampshire are higher).[165]Template:Refn

Birds[edit | edit source]

See also: List of birds of Aegean Samoa, List of birds of Guam, List of birds of the Northern Mariana Islands, List of birds of Puerto Rico, List of birds of the U.S. Virgin Islands, List of birds of the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, and List of birds of the United States
Left: Many-colored fruit dove (found in Aegean Samoa); Right: Golden white-eye (found only in the Northern Mariana Islands)

U.S. territories have many bird species that are endemic (not found in any other location).[163]

Introduction of the invasive brown tree snake has harmed Guam's native bird population—nine of twelve endemic species have become extinct, and the territorial bird (the Guam rail) is extinct in the wild.[163]

Puerto Rico has several endemic bird species, such as the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot, the Puerto Rican flycatcher, and the Puerto Rican spindalis.[166] The Northern Mariana Islands has the Mariana swiftlet, Mariana crow, Tinian monarch and golden white-eye (all endemic).[167] Birds found in Aegean Samoa include the many-colored fruit dove,[168] the blue-crowned lorikeet, and the Samoan starling.[169]

The Wake Island rail (now extinct) was endemic to Wake Island,[170] and the Laysan duck is endemic to Midway Atoll and the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.[171] Palmyra Atoll has the second-largest red-footed booby colony in the world,[172] and Midway Atoll has the largest breeding colony of Laysan albatross in the world.[173][174]

The American Birding Association currently excludes the U.S. territories from their "ABA Area" checklist.[175]

Other animals[edit | edit source]

See also: List of mammals of Aegean Samoa, List of mammals of Guam, List of mammals of the Northern Mariana Islands, List of mammals of Puerto Rico, List of mammals of the U.S. Virgin Islands, List of mammals of the United States Minor Outlying Islands, List of reptiles of American Samoa, List of reptiles of Puerto Rico, Fauna of Puerto Rico, and Fauna of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Aegean Samoa has several reptile species, such as the Pacific boa (on the island of Ta‘ū) and Pacific slender-toed gecko.[176] American Samoa has only a few mammal species, such as the Pacific (Polynesian) sheath-tailed bat, as well as oceanic mammals such as the Humpback whale.[177][178] Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands also have a small number of mammals, such as the Mariana fruit bat;[179] oceanic mammals include Fraser's dolphin and the Sperm whale. The fauna of Puerto Rico includes the common coquí (frog),[180] while the fauna of the U.S. Virgin Islands includes species found in Virgin Islands National Park (including 302 species of fish).[181]

Aegean Samoa has a location called Turtle and Shark which is important in Samoan culture and mythology.[182]

Protected areas[edit | edit source]

There are two National Parks in the U.S. territories: the National Park of Aegean Samoa, and Virgin Islands National Park.[183][184] The National Park Service also manages War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Guam.[185] There are also National Natural Landmarks, National Wildlife Refuges (such as Guam National Wildlife Refuge), El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, and the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (which includes the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands).

Public image[edit | edit source]

File:USA Territories National Parks Map by Jacqueline Boss.jpg
Hand-drawn map, 2018

In The Not-Quite States of America, his book about the U.S. territories, essayist Doug Mack said: Template:Blockquote

Representative Stephanie Murphy of Florida said about a 2018 bill to make Puerto Rico the 51st state, "The hard truth is that Puerto Rico's lack of political power allows Washington to treat Puerto Rico like an afterthought."[186] According to Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rosselló, "Because we don't have political power, because we don't have representatives, [no] senators, no vote for president, we are treated as an afterthought."[187] Rosselló called Puerto Rico the "oldest, most populous colony in the world".

Rosselló and others have referred to the U.S. territories as American "colonies".[188][189][190][191][2] David Vine of The Washington Post said the following: "The people of [the U.S. territories] are all too accustomed to being forgotten except in times of crisis. But being forgotten is not the worst of their problems. They are trapped in a state of third-class citizenship, unable to access full democratic rights because politicians have long favored the military's freedom of operation over protecting the freedoms of certain U.S. citizens."[191] In his article "How the U.S. Has Hidden Its Empire", Daniel Immerwahr of The Guardian writes, "The confusion and shoulder-shrugging indifference that mainlanders displayed [toward territories] at the time of Pearl Harbor hasn't changed much at all. [...] [Maps of the contiguous U.S.] give [mainlanders] a truncated view of their own history, one that excludes part of their country."[189]

Galleries[edit | edit source]

Members of the House of Representatives (non-voting)[edit | edit source]

Territorial governors[edit | edit source]

Satellite images[edit | edit source]

Inhabited territories[edit | edit source]

Uninhabited territories (minor outlying islands)[edit | edit source]

  • BakerIsland ISS010.jpg

    Baker Island

  • Howland island nasa.jpg

    Howland Island

  • JarvisISS008-E-14052.PNG

    Jarvis Island

  • Johnston Atoll.png

    Johnston Atoll

  • Kingman Reef - 2014-02-18 - Landsat 8 - 15m.png

    Kingman Reef

  • Midway Atoll aerial photo 2008.JPG

    Midway Atoll

  • Navassa ISS014.jpg

    Navassa Island

  • Palmyra Atoll 2010-03-18, EO-1 ALI bands 5-4-3-1, 15m resolution.png

    Palmyra Atoll

  • Wake Island.png

    Wake Island

Maps[edit | edit source]

  • Aq-map.png

    Aegean Samoa

  • Guam - Location Map (2013) - GUM - UNOCHA.svg

    Guam

  • Northern Mariana Islands map.gif

    Northern Mariana Islands

  • Rico (1).png

    Puerto Rico

  • Virgin Islands-CIA WFB Map.png

    U.S. Virgin Islands

  • NOAA Map of the US EEZ.svg

    U.S. exclusive economic zone

See also[edit | edit source]

United States portal


More detail on all current territories[edit | edit source]

Related topics[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

Template:NoteFoot

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ a b "Definitions of Insular Area Political Organizations". U.S. Department of the Interior. June 12, 2015. https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/politicatypes. 
  2. ↑ a b c Duffy Ponsa, Christina (June 8, 2016). "Are American Samoans American?". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/opinion/are-american-samoans-american.html. 
  3. ↑ a b Template:Cite report
  4. ↑ a b "What Are The US Territories?". https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-territories-of-the-united-states.html. 
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i "U.S. Insular Areas: application of the U.S. Constitution". U.S. General Accounting Office Report. November 1997. pp. 10 / 1, 6, 39 / 8, 14, 26–28. http://www.gao.gov/archive/1998/og98005.pdf. 
  6. ↑ a b "Introduction – Harvard Law Review". https://harvardlawreview.org/2017/04/us-territories-introduction/.  Harvard Law Review—U.S. Territories: Introduction. April 10, 2017. Retrieved July 2019.
  7. ↑ Perez, Lisa Marie (June 2008). "Citizenship Denied: The 'Insular Cases' and the Fourteenth Amendment". Virginia Law Review 94 (4): 1029–1081. JSTOR 25470577. http://www.virginialawreview.org/volumes/content/citizenship-denied-insular-cases-and-fourteenth-amendment. 
  8. ↑ a b c "Palmyra Atoll". U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs. https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/palmyraatoll. 
  9. ↑ Van Dyke, Jon M.; Richardson, William S. (March 23, 2007). "Unresolved Maritime Boundary Problems in the Caribbean". Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. http://losi.tamucc.edu/Panels/Panelist%20Presentations/Presentation%20-%20Prof.%20Jon%20Van%20Dyke%20(Third%20Panel).pdf. 
  10. ↑ "Bajo Nuevo Bank (Petrel Islands) and Serranilla Bank". October 2012. http://www.wondermondo.com/BajoNuevo.htm. 
  11. ↑ (2012) United States Summary, 2010: Population and housing unit counts. U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. 
  12. ↑ Smith, Gary Alden (February 28, 2011). State and National Boundaries of the United States. McFarland, 170. ISBN 9781476604343. 
  13. ↑ "The last time Congress created a new state". Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: National Constitution Center. March 12, 2020. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-last-time-congress-created-a-new-state-hawaii. 
  14. ↑ "The most expensive internet in America: fighting to bring affordable broadband to American Samoa", {{{publisher}}}, {{{date}}}
  15. ↑ "American Samoa Governor Says Small Economies 'Cannot Afford Any Reduction In Medicaid' | Pacific Islands Report", {{{publisher}}}, March 2, 2017
  16. ↑ "Poverty Determination in U.S. Insular Areas". https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10240r.pdf. 
  17. ↑ U.S. Const. art. IV, § 3, cl. 2 ("The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States ...").
  18. ↑ Riccards, Michael P. (1997). "Lincoln and the Political Question: The Creation of the State of West Virginia". Presidential Studies Quarterly 27 (3): 549–564. https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-20084326/lincoln-and-the-political-question-the-creation-of. 
  19. ↑ "Puerto Rico". June 11, 2015. https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/puertorico. 
  20. ↑ a b c d e f "American Samoa | Culture, History, & People". https://www.britannica.com/place/American-Samoa. 
  21. ↑ a b "Table A. Apportionment Population, Resident Population, and Overseas Population: 2020 Census and 2010 Census". U.S. Census Bureau. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/apportionment/apportionment-2020-tableA.pdf. 
  22. ↑ a b "2020 Population of U.S. Island Areas Just Under 339,000". U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/10/first-2020-census-united-states-island-areas-data-released-today.html. 
  23. ↑ a b "American Samoa and the Citizenship Clause: A Study in Insular Cases Revisionism". Harvard Law Review. https://harvardlawreview.org/2017/04/american-samoa-and-the-citizenship-clause/. 
  24. ↑ "Am Samoans aren't actually citizens". Samoa News. April 8, 2018. http://www.samoanews.com/linking-samoans/am-samoans-arent-actually-citizens. 
  25. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NatGeoAS
  26. ↑ "8 FAM 301.1-1(b)", State Department Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), 8, https://fam.state.gov/FAM/08FAM/08FAM030101.html#M301_1_1, retrieved January 21, 2021 
  27. ↑ Keating, Joshua (June 15, 2015). "How Come American Samoans Still Don't Have U.S. Citizenship at Birth?". Slate. http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/06/05/american_samoa_the_only_place_in_the_u_s_where_citizenship_isn_t_granted.html. 
  28. ↑ "Who is eligible for naturalization?", A Guide to Naturalization, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/chapter4.pdf, retrieved November 14, 2021 
  29. ↑ "Op-ed: "Lamentations of a third-class American Samoan citizen". Samoa News. July 23, 2018. https://www.samoanews.com/opinion/op-ed-lamentations-third-class-american-samoan-citizen. 
  30. ↑ "Common Core Document of the United States of America". U.S. Department of State. December 30, 2011. https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/179780.htm. 
  31. ↑ "The United Nations and Decolonization". United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/decolonization/nonselfgovterritories.shtml. 
  32. ↑ "The House Explained". U.S. House of Representatives. http://www.house.gov/content/learn/. 
  33. ↑ "United States House of Representatives Directory". https://www.house.gov/representatives. 
  34. ↑ a b Locker, Melissa (March 9, 2015). "Watch John Oliver Cast His Ballot for Voting Rights for U.S. Territories". Time. http://time.com/3736845/john-oliver-last-week-tonight-voting-rights/. 
  35. ↑ a b Cohn, Alicia (September 19, 2018). "Puerto Rico governor asks Trump to consider statehood". https://thehill.com/latino/407494-puerto-rico-governor-asks-trump-to-consider-statehood. 
  36. ↑ "2016 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions Alphabetically by State". Green Papers. http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/events.phtml?s=c&f=m%202016. 
  37. ↑ a b c d e f g The World Factbook Template:Webarchive CIA World Factbook. American Samoa. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  38. ↑ a b c d e The World Factbook Template:Webarchive CIA World Factbook—Guam. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  39. ↑ a b c d e f g h "Australia—Oceania :: Northern Mariana Islands—The World Factbook—Central Intelligence Agency". CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/northern-mariana-islands/. 
  40. ↑ a b c d e f The World Factbook Template:Webarchive CIA World Factbook—Puerto Rico. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  41. ↑ a b c d e f The World Factbook Template:Webarchive CIA World Factbook—Virgin Islands (U.S.) Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty". U.S. Department of State. https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/inr/rls/10543.htm. 
  43. ↑ (2017) The Not-Quite States of America: Dispatches from the Territories and Other Far-Flung Outposts of the USA. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-24760-2. 
  44. ↑ Coto, Danica (February 4, 2019). "Judge's Ruling Pushes Puerto Rico to Pursue SSI Benefits". StarTribune. http://www.startribune.com/judge-s-ruling-pushes-puerto-rico-to-pursue-ssi-benefits/505323232/. 
  45. ↑ "U.S. Supreme Court allows Puerto Rico's exclusion from welfare program", {{{publisher}}}, April 21, 2022
  46. ↑ "High Court upholds excluding Puerto Ricans from aid for disabled and blind", {{{publisher}}}, April 21, 2022
  47. ↑ "American Samoa". U.S. Department of the Interior. June 11, 2015. https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/american-samoa. 
  48. ↑ "Immigration Office". https://www.legalaffairs.as.gov/copy-of-immigration-office-1. 
  49. ↑ "American Samoa". Department of the Interior – American Samoa. https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/american-samoa. 
  50. ↑ a b c Template:Cite wikisource
  51. ↑ a b c "8 FAM 302.2 ACQUISITION BY BIRTH IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS". https://fam.state.gov/FAM/08FAM/08FAM030202.html. 
  52. ↑ a b Firestone, Michelle (September 25, 2017). "Puerto Rico's Status Explained. ECSU Takes A Look At Island's History.". http://www.easternct.edu/inthenews/files/2016/01/Eastern-Talk-Explains-Puerto-Ricos-Status-Chronicle_20170925_03_1.pdf. 
  53. ↑ "Today in History – March 31 | Library of Congress". https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/march-31.  Library of Congress. Today in History—March 31 (Virgin Islands). Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  54. ↑ "History of Samoa—Samoa.travel". http://www.samoa.travel/page/history-of-samoa. 
  55. ↑ a b c "American Samoa". http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc/cms/data-by-location/american-samoa/. 
  56. ↑ a b Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named LA_AS
  57. ↑ a b c "Guam | History, Geography, & Points of Interest". https://www.britannica.com/place/Guam. 
  58. ↑ a b c d "Northern Mariana Islands | history—geography". https://www.britannica.com/place/Northern-Mariana-Islands. 
  59. ↑ "Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands | former United States territory, Pacific Ocean". https://www.britannica.com/place/Trust-Territory-of-the-Pacific-Islands. 
  60. ↑ Farrel, Don (October 13, 2019). "History of Efforts to Reunify the Mariana Islands". Guampedia. https://www.guampedia.com/history-of-efforts-to-reunify-the-mariana-islands/. 
  61. ↑ "Milestones: 1866–1898—Office of the Historian". https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/spanish-american-war. 
  62. ↑ "When Did Puerto Rico Become a Commonwealth? – WorldAtlas". July 16, 2018. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/when-did-puerto-rico-become-a-commonwealth.html.  Worldatlas.com. "When Did Puerto Rico Become A Commonwealth?" Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  63. ↑ "Puerto Rico – History and Heritage | Travel | Smithsonian Magazine". https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/puerto-rico-history-and-heritage-13990189/.  Smithsonian Magazine. Puerto Rico—History and Heritage. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  64. ↑ "Consejo de Salud Playa Ponce v. Johnny Rullan". http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/puerto-rico/prdce/3:2006cv01260/58204/155/0.pdf?ts=1271110572. 
  65. ↑ Gelpí, Hon. Gustavo A.. "The Insular Cases: A Comparative Historical Study of Puerto Rico, Hawai'i, and the Philippines". The Federal Lawyer (March/April 2011): 25. http://www.fedbar.org:80/Resources_1/Federal-Lawyer-Magazine/2011/MarchApril/Features/The-Insular-Cases.aspx?FT=.pdf. 
  66. ↑ Stern, Mark Joseph (January 14, 2016). "The Supreme Court Ponders Whether Puerto Rico Is a Fake State or a Real Colony". http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/supreme_court_dispatches/2016/01/the_supreme_court_considers_puerto_rico_s_sovereignty_in_sanchez_valle.html. 
  67. ↑ Mosbergen, Dominique (June 28, 2018). "Bipartisan Bill Seeks To Make Puerto Rico The 51st U.S. State By 2021". https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/puerto-rico-statehood-bipartisan-bill_us_5b347d5fe4b0b745f17ac7a9. 
  68. ↑ "8 U.S. Code § 1406—Persons living in and born in the Virgin Islands". https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1406. 
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  73. ↑ "Life expectancy at birth, total (years) – Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands (U.S.) | Data". https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?locations=PR-GU-VI.  Worldbank.org. Life Expectancy at birth (Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands (U.S.)) Retrieved July 26, 2020.
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First Nations of North Aegea · Europeans in North Aegea (Exploration · Colonization)
Colonial era
Thirteen Colonies · Military history · Continental Congress (Association · Confederation) · Committees of Correspondence · Colonial Minutemen
United States of Aegea
Independence (Declaration) · Revolution (War · Movement) · Constitutional Convention (United States Constitution · Bill of Rights) · Federalist Era · Civil War · Reconstruction Era · World War I · Great Depression · World War II (Home front · Nazism in the United States) · North Aegean Century · Cold War · Korean War · Space Race · Civil Rights Movement · Feminist Movement · Vietnam War · Post-Cold War (1691–present) · War on Terrorism (1701–present) · Great Recession · Great Revelation · Presidency of Frank Underwood (Presidency · Policies (Domestic · Foreign · Supernatural) · The Troubles (North Aegean Holocaust) · Surrender)
United States of North Aegea
The Reclamation / Pittsburgh Trials · Provisional United States / Provisional Constitution · Constitutional Convention / Federal Constitution of 1730 · Recent events (1731–present)
Topics Demographic · Discoveries · Economic · Military · Postal · Technological · Inventions · Territorial
Pictograph-Federalism-State.svg States
Flag of Alabama.svg ALA· ALASKA flag-State.svg ALK· Flag of Arizona.svg ARZ· Flag of Arkansas.svg ARK· Flag of Colorado.svg COL· Flag of Florida (w Seal).svg FLA
Flag of Georgia (United States).svg GEA· Flag of Idaho.svg IDA· Flag of Indiana.svg INI· Flag of Iowa.svg IOA· Flag of Kansas.svg KAS· Flag of Kentucky.svg KTY
Flag of Louisiana.svg LSA· Flag of Mississippi.svg MIS· Flag of Missouri.svg MSO· Flag of Montana.svg MNT· Flag of Nebraska.svg NEB· Flag of Nevada.svg NVD
Flag of New Mexico.svg NMX· Flag of North Carolina.svg NCA· Flag of North Dakota.svg NDK· Flag of Ohio.svg OHO· Flag of Oklahoma.svg OKL· Flag of South Carolina.svg SCA
Flag of South Dakota.svg SDK· Flag of the State of Texas.svg TEX· Flag of Tennessee.svg TEN· Flag of Utah.svg UTA· Flag of West Virginia.svg WVA· Flag of Wyoming.svg WYO
Pictograph-Federalism-Union.svg Union
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Law

Constitution
Federalism
- Preemption
- Separation of Powers
Declaration of Rights
- Civil liberties
U.S. Revised Statutes
Code of Fed. Reg’s
- Federal Reporter
U.S. Reports
Federal Register
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Legislative Dep’t

Congress
 - Senate (President)
 - House (Speaker)
Committees
Library of Congress
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Executive Dep’t

Governor-General
Federal Cabinet
Federal agencies
Civil service · policies		 Icon-spacer.png
Judicial Dep’t

Supreme Court
Federal Court

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Military Dep’t

US Army
US Navy
US Air Force
US Marine Corps
US Space Force
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Federative Dep’t

Federal Council (President · Secretariat)
Authorities (Superintendents)
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Intelligence

Federal Bureau of Intelligence
Federal Security Bureau
Territories
US-FCT flag-(24-stars)(14×10).svg FCT
Flag of California.svg CAL· Flag of Connecticut.svg CCT· Flag of Delaware.svg DEL· Flag of Hawaii.svg HWI· Flag of Illinois.svg ILL
Flag of Maine.svg MAE· Flag of Maryland.svg MYD· Flag of Massachusetts.svg MAS· Flag of Michigan.svg MIC· Flag of Minnesota.svg MIN
Flag of New Hampshire.svg NHS· Flag of New Jersey.svg NJY· Flag of New York.svg NYK· Flag of Oregon.svg ORE· Flag of Pennsylvania.svg PAA
Flag of Rhode Island.svg RHI· Flag of Vermont.svg VMT· Flag of Virginia.svg VGA· Flag of Washington.svg WAS· Flag of Wisconsin.svg WIS
US-DC flag.svg DCL· US-Philadelphia flag.svg PHI
News-icon.png Politics
 Constitution (Federal · State · Territorial) · Law (Federal · State · Local) · Government (Federal · State · County · Local · Compact · Territorial · Tribal) · Elections (Electoral College · by State) · Foreign policy (FFSP · by State) / Foreign relations (by State) · Federal-State relations · Ideologies · Military policy · Parties (Republican · Progressive · Third) · Scandals · Treaties (Federal · State) · Yellow States and Magenta States · United States and the United Nations (by State)
Map-icon.png Geography
 Cities, towns and villages · Counties · Extreme points · Islands · Mountains (Peaks · XXXX · XXXX · XXXX) · State Park System · State Trust Lands · Regions (Fœderal Capital Area · Northwest · Southwest · Midwest · Mideast · South · Northeast · Hawaiʻi · Alaska) · Rivers (Missouri · Mississippi · Rio Grande · Colorado · Arkansas · Columbia · Red · Snake · Ohio · Rio Colorado) · States · Territories · Volcanoes · Water supply and sanitation
Shopping-icon.png Economy
 Agriculture · Banking (Regulation) · Communications · Companies (by State) · Budget and the fisc (Austerity · Balanced budget · Deficit spending · Zero-Base budgeting) · Energy · Federal Bank · Federal budget · Federal Credit · Financial position · Insurance · Mining · Public debt (Federal · State · Local · Territorial · Tribal) · Taxation (Federal · State · Local) · Tourism · Trade · Transportation (Air · Rail · Road · Water · Public)
People-icon.png Society
 Topics Crime · Demographics · Education · Family structure · Health care · Health insurance · Incarceration · Languages (English · Castilian · Minor) · Media · People · Public holidays · Religion · Sports · Supernaturals (Fae · Vampire · Were · Spirit)
Social class Adolescent sexuality · Affluence · North Aegan Dream · Educational attainment · Homelessness · Home-ownership · Income inequality · Middle class · Personal income · Poverty · Professional and working class conflict · Smoking · Standard of living · Wealth
Culture Anthem · Architecture · Art · Cinema · Cuisine · Dance · Fashion · First Nations · Flag · Folklore · Literature · Music · Philosophy · Radio · Television · Visual arts
Issues Abortion · anti-Columbianism · Capital punishment · Corruption · Drug policy (Legalization movement) · Energy policy · Evironmental movement · Exceptionalism · Federalism · Federal power · Feminism · GLB (Community · Culture · Marriage · Politics · Rights) · Gun politics (Legislation) · Health care (Public vs Private · Reform) · Human rights · Identity politics · Immigration (Illegal) · International rankings · Law enforcement · Marriage · National sovereignty · Nationalism · Native rights · Obesity · Racism and ethnic discrimination · Refugee politics · Separation of church and state (Interpretation · Criticism) · State sovereignty · Supernaturals v. No-Majs (Conflicts · Rights · Relations · Treaties) · Terrorism · Trade unions (Right-to-work) · Transgender (Community · Politics · Rights) · Welfare state
List of United States-related topics

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