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Dependency status (Country profile category: Government)

American Samoa:
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Anguilla:
overseas territory of the UK

Aruba:
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles

Ashmore and Cartier Islands:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories

Baker Island:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Bassas da India:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Bermuda:
overseas territory of the UK

Bouvet Island:
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo

British Indian Ocean Territory:
overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London

British Virgin Islands:
overseas territory of the UK

Cayman Islands:
overseas territory of the UK

Christmas Island:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories

Clipperton Island:
possession of France; administered by France from French Polynesia by a high commissioner of the Republic

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories

Cook Islands:
self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands

Coral Sea Islands:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories

Europa Island:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina

Faroe Islands:
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948

French Guiana:
overseas department of France

French Polynesia:
overseas territory of France since 1946

French Southern and Antarctic Lands:
overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by High Commissioner of the Republic Brigitte GIRARDIN (since 25 March 1998), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA)

Gibraltar:
overseas territory of the UK

Glorioso Islands:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Greenland:
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979

Guadeloupe:
overseas department of France

Guam:
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Guernsey:
British crown dependency

Heard Island and McDonald Islands:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories

Hong Kong:
special administrative region of China

Howland Island:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Jan Mayen:
territory of Norway; administered from Oslo through a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard); however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service

Jarvis Island:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Jersey:
British crown dependency

Johnston Atoll:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and managed cooperatively by DTRA and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Juan de Nova Island:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Kingman Reef:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the US Navy; however, it is awash the majority of the time, so it is not usable and is uninhabited

Macau:
special administrative region of China

Man, Isle of:
British crown dependency

Martinique:
overseas department of France

Mayotte:
territorial collectivity of France

Midway Islands:
unincorporated territory of the US; formerly administered from Washington, DC, by the US Navy, under Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division; this facility has been operationally closed since 10 September 1993; on 31 October 1996, through a presidential executive order, the jurisdiction and control of the atoll was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Montserrat:
overseas territory of the UK

Navassa Island:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior; in September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and maintenance of Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse located on the southern side of the island; there has also been a private claim advanced against the island

Netherlands Antilles:
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954

New Caledonia:
overseas territory of France since 1956

Niue:
self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs

Norfolk Island:
territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of Environment, Sport and Territories

Northern Mariana Islands:
commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs

Palmyra Atoll:
incorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered from Washington, DC by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Pitcairn Islands:
overseas territory of the UK

Puerto Rico:
commonwealth associated with the US

Reunion:
overseas department of France

Saint Helena:
overseas territory of the UK

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
self-governing territorial collectivity of France

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by UK civil commissioner Donald A. LAMONT, representing Queen ELIZABETH II; Grytviken, formerly a whaling station on South Georgia, is the garrison town

Svalbard:
territory of Norway; administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway

Tokelau:
territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelauans are drafting a constitution, developing institutions and patterns of self-government as Tokelau moves toward free association with Wellington

Tromelin Island:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

Turks and Caicos Islands:
overseas territory of the UK

Virgin Islands:
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Wake Island:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the Department of the Interior; occasional activities on the island are managed by the US Army under a US Air Force contract

Wallis and Futuna:
overseas territory of France

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