San Juan, Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea. Puerto Rico is one of the territories of the USA. Image credit score: Bogdan Dyiakonovych/Shutterstock.com
- There are 14 US Territories scattered in the course of the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Puerto Rico is the maximum populous of americaA Territories. - Puerto Rico voted in choose of complete US statehood in a non-binding referendum withinside the US elections of 2020.
- Residents of all of the US Territories with everlasting populations, besides American Samoa, are American residents.
It is commonly acknowledged that the USA of America consists of fifty states, plus the District of Columbia, wherein americaA capital, Washington, is based. What a few humans might not know, however, is that americaA additionally has jurisdiction over different locations that aren’t a part of any country or the District of Columbia. These locations are referred to as americaA territories and are placed withinside the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Some of those territories have everlasting populations, even as others haven’t any everlasting human population. Many of the states that presently make up the USA as soon as had the repute that today’s US territories hold.
The US Territories are:
- Puerto Rico
- Guam
- US Virgin Islands
- Northern Mariana Islands
- American Samoa
- Midway Atoll
- Palmyra Atoll
- Baker Island
- Howland Island
- Jarvis Island
- Johnston Atoll
- Kingman Reef
- Wake Island
- Navassa Island
Incorporated/Unincorporated Territories, Organized/Unorganized Territories
The territories are described as both included or unincorporated. Actually, best one territory, Palmyra Atoll, is taken into consideration an included territory, this means that that americaA Constitution completely applies withinside the territory. The different territories are all unincorporated, this means that that best pick out elements of the Constitution observe to them. For example, unincorporated territories do now no longer have the proper to complete illustration withinside the US Congress.
The territories also are outstanding via way of means of whether or not they’re prepared or unorganized. All territories with everlasting populations aside from American Samoa are prepared, which means that americaA authorities has given those territories their personal governments with confined autonomy. All US Territories with out everlasting populations are taken into consideration unorganized.
The US Territories
Puerto Rico
Map displaying the vicinity of Puerto Rico withinside the Caribbean Sea.
Total area: three,424 rectangular miles (eight,868 rectangular km)
Population: 2,829,148
Capital: San Juan
Largest city/town: San Juan
Puerto Rico is the maximum populous US territory, along with extra than 2.eight million humans. It is an island withinside the Caribbean Sea, placed simply east of the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico became a Spanish colony, however at some stage in the Spanish-American War of 1898, americaA seized the island, and it’s been below US jurisdiction ever since. The territory has a central authority that resembles that of a US country, with a governor performing because the government and a bicameral legislature, along with a Senate and a House of Representatives. The humans of Puerto Rico are very diverse, attributable to a records of conquest and the consequences of the slave trade. The sizable majority of Puerto Ricans adhere to Roman Catholicism, and Spanish and English are each reputable languages withinside the territory. During americaA elections of 2020, Puerto Rico held a referendum on whether or not the island need to emerge as the 51st country. A narrow majority of Puerto Ricans voted in choose of statehood, however it will likely be as much as americaA Congress to decide if the territory does, in fact, emerge as a country.
Guam
Map displaying the vicinity of Guam withinside the North Pacific Ocean.
Total area: 217 rectangular miles (561 rectangular km)
Population: 169,387
Capital: Hagåtña
Largest city/town: Dededo
Guam is an island withinside the northern Pacific Ocean, domestic to extra than 168,seven hundred humans. The biggest ethnic institution at the island is its local population, the Chamorro. There is likewise a huge populace of Filipino descent. Most of the island’s different citizens are of blended ethnic ancestry. Like Puerto Rico, Guam became additionally a Spanish ownership till it became ceded to americaA after the 1898 Spanish-American conflict. After World War II, Guam have become an vital army installation. Aside from army activity, tourism is the territory’s principal industry. Guam additionally has the difference of being the first actual US territory to legalize same-intercourse marriage, following a courtroom docket ruling in 2015.
US Virgin Islands
Map displaying the vicinity of americaA Virgin Islands withinside the Caribbean Ocean.
Total area: a hundred thirty five rectangular miles (350 rectangular km)
Population: 104,361
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
Largest city/town: St Croix
The US Virgin Islands is any other of America’s territories withinside the Caribbean, which they bought the islands from Denmark in 1917. To the east of americaA Virgin Islands are the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico lies approximately forty miles (sixty four km) to the west. The principal islands of this US territory are St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. There also are approximately 50 islets and cays which are taken into consideration to be a part of americaA Virgin Islands. Three-quarters of the islands’ population are Black, and approximately a 10th are white. English is the territory’s reputable language, aleven though there are a few citizens who communicate French or Spanish. Tourism and different offerings are the mainstays of the financial system withinside the US Virgin Islands.
Northern Mariana Islands
Map displaying the vicinity of the Northern Mariana Islands withinside the Pacific Ocean.
Total area: 176.five rectangular miles (457.1 rectangular km)
Population: 57,701
Capital: Saipan
Largest city/town: Saipan
Just north of Guam lies any other US territory withinside the Pacific Ocean, the Northern Mariana Islands. The territory includes 22 islands and islets, and is a self-governing commonwealth. The best different such territory in affiliation with americaA is Puerto Rico. These islands are domestic to extra than 57,500 humans, lots of them Indigenous population of Micronesian heritage. Like different US island territories, tourism is the essential driving force of the financial system withinside the Northern Mariana Islands.
American Samoa
Map displaying the vicinity of American Samoa withinside the Pacific Ocean.
Total area: seventy seven rectangular miles (two hundred rectangular km)
Population: 55,140
Capital: Pago Pago
Largest city/town: Pago Pago
American Samoa is a US territory in a far flung a part of the South Pacific referred to as Polynesia. The territory includes six islands and is bordered at once to the west via way of means of the impartial u . s . a . of Samoa. Unlike different US territories with everlasting populations, American Samoa is an unorganized territory, which means that americaA Congress has by no means handed an natural act officially organising an self reliant authorities therein. In 1951, americaA Department of the Interior became given authority to manage American Samoa, and in 1967 the territory became allowed to put in writing its personal constitution. Therefore, in practice, the territory does have a few diploma of self-governance. The sizable majority of the populace in American Samoa, numbering simply over 55,000, is of local Samoan ancestry. They are US nationals so they will input and live withinside the u . s . a ., however they do now no longer have citizenship.
Midway Atoll
Map of Midway Atoll. Image credit score: Rainer Lesniewski/Shutterstock
Total area: 2.four rectangular miles (6.2 rectangular km)
Population: forty
Midway Atoll lies withinside the imperative Pacific Ocean, 1,three hundred miles (2,a hundred km) northwest of the Hawaiian country capital, Honolulu. If the call Midway sounds acquainted to you, it is able to be due to the fact it’s also the call of an vital war in World War II, the Battle of Midway, which befell from June third to 6th, northwest of the territory. Historians credit score the American victory over Japanese forces on this war because the turning factor for the conflict withinside the Pacific. Today, Midway Atoll is a included natural world refuge. There is a completely small populace at the atoll, however no Indigenous population.
Palmyra Atoll
Map of Palmyra Atoll. Image credit score: Rainer Lesniewski/Shutterstock
Total area: four.6 rectangular miles (eleven.nine rectangular km)
Population: 20 (no everlasting population)
The Palmyra Atoll is a part of the volcanic island chain referred to as the Northern Line Islands and is placed approximately 1,000 miles southwest of Honolulu. The atoll is known as after the primary American deliver to make landfall there in 1802. Once a manufacturer of copra and domestic to US airstrips at some stage in WWII, Palmyra Atoll is now a US National Wildlife Refuge and is likewise a part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.
Baker Island
Map displaying the vicinity of Baker Island. Image credit score: TUBS/Wikimedia Commons
Total area: zero.6 rectangular miles (1.five rectangular km)
Baker Island is an atoll placed withinside the South Pacific. It became claimed via way of means of americaA in 1857 and has been below US sovereignty ever since. During WWII, an airbase became constructed at the atoll. Today, Baker Island is a US National Wildlife Refuge, and is domestic to endangered sea turtles. Scientists will from time to time live at the atoll temporarily, however in any other case there aren’t anyt any everlasting population.
Howland Island
Map displaying the vicinity of Howland Island. Image credit score: TUBS/Wikimedia Commons
Total area: zero.6 rectangular miles (1.6 rectangular km)
Howland Island, like Baker Island, became claimed via way of means of americaA in 1857. The islands are virtually in distinctly near proximity to every different, and each had been as soon as the house of guano deposits, however those had been exhausted withinside the nineteenth century. Howland Island as soon as served as a stopover for planes touring among Hawaii and Australia, and it’s miles close to right here that Amelia Earheart disappeared in her tried flight across the world. Today, similar to Palmyra Atoll and Baker Island, Howland Island is a US National Wildlife Refuge and a part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.
Jarvis Island
Map displaying the vicinity of Jarvis Island. Image credit score: TUBS/Wikimedia Commons
Total area: 1.6 rectangular miles (four.1 rectangular km)
Jarvis Island is placed withinside the South Pacific, simply southwest of the small u . s . a . referred to as Kiribati. Like Palmyra Atoll, Baker Island, and Howland Island, Jarvis Island became previously exploited for its guano deposits. The island is domestic to a submarine terrace, which extends to one km (zero.sixty two miles) offshore. It is likewise a US National Wildlife Refuge and a part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.
Johnston Atoll
Map displaying the vicinity of Johnston Atoll. Image credit score: TUBS/Wikimedia Commons
The Johnston Atoll is the nearest of americaA-managed atolls withinside the Pacific to the principle Hawaiian Islands, approximately 825 miles (1,330 km) southwest of Honolulu. Some of Johnston Atoll is virtually man-made. In fact, out of 4 of the island’s reefs had been artificially created via way of means of dredging.
Kingman Reef
Map displaying the vicinity of Kingman Reef. Image credit score: TUBS/Wikimedia Commons
Total area: zero.01 rectangular miles (zero.03 rectangular km)
Kingman Reef is placed to the northwest of the aforementioned state of Kiribati, distinctly near Jarvis Island. The island became officially annexed via way of means of the U.S. in 1922, and made right into a naval reservation 12 years later. It remained a naval reserve till the yr 2000, while it became transferred to americaA Fish and Wildlife Service. One yr later, the island became made a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge.
Wake Island
Map displaying the vicinity of Wake Island. Image credit score: TUBS/Wikimedia Commons
Total area: 2.five rectangular miles (6.five rectangular km)
Wake Island is placed withinside the imperative Pacific Ocean, approximately 2,three hundred miles west of Honolulu. The territory is made from 3 coral islets that surround a lagoon, which is likewise the crater of a volcano. The US claimed the territory in 1899 and in 1934, Wake Island became positioned below the jurisdiction of americaA Navy. In 1941, Japanese Imperial forces attacked and occupied Wake Island, however it became back to U.S. manage after Japan surrendered on the give up of WWII.
Map displaying the vicinity of Navassa Island. Image credit score: Golbez/Wikimedia Commons
Total area: 2.1 rectangular miles (five.four rectangular km)
Navassa Island is a Caribbean island placed near the west coast of Haiti. The US took manage of the island in 1857 and exploited phosphate there till the give up of the century. In 1999, Navassa Island became made right into a natural world refuge.
Legal Status Of US Territory Residents
Residents of all however one of the permanently-inhabited US territories are American residents. People in American Samoa are simply taken into consideration American nationals, now no longer residents, which means that they’re loose to journey inside all of US territory, however do now no longer have the rights and privileges that americaA Constitution bestows on American residents. In addition, US residents withinside the territories do now no longer vote in Presidential Elections. Their illustration withinside the US Congress is likewise extraordinarily confined. Residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, and americaA Virgin Islands decide on representatives that take a seat down withinside the US House of Representatives, however they’ve few to no balloting rights withinside the chamber. Residents of the territories who flow to one of the 50 states, however, can completely take part in US elections. For example, there may be a widespread Puerto Rican network in positive elements of americaA mainland.
What Are The US Territories?
Rank Territory Location Population Status
1 Puerto Rico Caribbean Sea 2,860,853 unincorporated, prepared
2 Guam Pacific Ocean 168,775 unincorporated, prepared
3 US Virgin Islands Caribbean Sea 104,425 unincorporated, prepared
4 Northern Mariana Islands Pacific Ocean 57,559 unincorporated, prepared
5 American Samoa Pacific Ocean 55,191 unincorporated, unorganized
6 Midway Atoll Pacific Ocean 40 unincorporated, unorganized
7 Palmyra Atoll Pacific Ocean 20 included, unorganized
8 Baker Island Pacific Ocean 0 unincorporated, unorganized
9 Howland Island Pacific Ocean 0 unincorporated, unorganized
10 Jarvis Island Pacific Ocean 0 unincorporated, unorganized
11 Johnston Atoll Pacific Ocean 0 unincorporated, unorganized
12 Kingman Reef Pacific Ocean 0 unincorporated, unorganized
13 Wake Island Pacific Ocean 0 unincorporated, unorganized
14 Navassa Island Caribbean Sea 0 unincorporated, unorganized
