British Overseas Territories - abstract. British overseas territories

The British Overseas Territories include 14 territories under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom. These are parts of the British Empire that did not gain independence or voted to remain British territories and have a British monarch (Elizabeth II) as head of state. These territories are not part of the United Kingdom (with the exception of Gibraltar), and are not part of the European Union. The population of the territories is internally self-governing, and Great Britain assumes responsibility for the defense and external relations of these territories. Most of The British Overseas Territories are uninhabited lands or have a temporary population (military or scientific personnel).

The term "British Overseas Territory" was introduced in 2002, replacing the term "British Dependency" (British Nationality Act). Until 1 January 1983, the territories were officially called British Crown Colonies. Excludes the British Antarctic Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (which are inhabited only by officials and staff of research stations) and the British Territory in Indian Ocean(which is used as military base).

Although the British Overseas Territories are subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom, they are not part of the United Kingdom. British Overseas Territories citizenship is different from British citizenship and does not provide a right of residence in the United Kingdom (with the exception of Gibraltarians).

All citizens of the British Overseas Territories (other than those associated exclusively with the sovereign base territories of Cyprus) were granted British citizenship on 21 May 2002 and therefore have the right of abode in the UK. They can use this full right of residence if they enter the UK with a British Citizen passport or a BOTC passport, having obtained a Right of Residence Certificate. A British Overseas Territories national traveling to the UK on a BOTC passport without a proof of residence is subject to immigration controls.

According to the 2001 census, in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) is home to 27,306 people born in the 14 British Overseas Territories.

Collectively, the British Overseas Territories cover a population of approximately 250,000 people and land area of ​​1,727,570 square kilometers. The vast majority of this land area is the virtually uninhabited Antarctic territory of Britain, and the largest area by population is Bermuda (almost a quarter of the total population of the British Overseas Territories).

At the other end of the scale are three territories that have no civilian population:

1. Antarctic territories
2. British Indian Ocean Territories (Chagos Islanders were forcibly removed)
3. South Georgia

The Pitcairn Islands are inhabited by the surviving Bounty rebels (it is the smallest settled territory, with only 49 inhabitants). And the smallest territory in terms of area is Gibraltar.

The United Kingdom participates in the Antarctic Treaty System. Under this agreement, the British Antarctic Territory is recognized by four of the six other sovereign states claiming Antarctic territory.

Although the Crown, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are also under the sovereignty of the British monarch, they have different constitutional relationships with the United Kingdom. British Overseas Territories and Hereditary Dependencies are themselves distinct from the Commonwealth of Nations: a group of 15 independent countries, each of which has Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch, and the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary association of 52 countries mostly historically associated with the British Empire.

British overseas territories are fourteen territories under the sovereignty of Great Britain, but not part of it.

The name "British Overseas Territories" was introduced in 2002 by the British Overseas Territories Act and replaced the term "British-Dependent Territories" contained in the British Nationality Act 1981. Before this, the territories were called colonies or crown colonies. In relation to the British Overseas Territories, the name "British Overseas Territories" or simply "Overseas Territories" may also be used when the title is clear from the context.

The islands of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are also under the sovereignty of the British Crown, but have somewhat different constitutional relations with Great Britain, and are consistently classified as Crown dependencies rather than overseas territories. Overseas and dependent territories should be distinguished from the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary union of former British colonies and, more recently, some other countries, such as Mozambique, which joined the Commonwealth for financial and political reasons.

In historical context, colonies, former part Great Britain must be distinguished from the protectorates, which, while under British control, remained nominally independent. They should also not be confused with dominions, independent states, which had equal status with Great Britain in the British Empire, and after the Statute of Westminster in 1931 - in the British Commonwealth of Nations. Crown colonies such as Hong Kong differed from other colonies in that they were administered directly by the Crown and did not have the autonomy that self-governing colonies such as Bermuda had.

The current population of the Overseas Territories is estimated at 247,899.

Story

The first British colonies in the New World were settlements of British subjects in lands that were still outside the domain of the Crown. The first such colony was Newfoundland, where British fishermen founded seasonal settlements in the 16th century. In 1607, the settlement of Jamestown appeared, the first permanent colony in Virginia (a term used to refer to all of North America). In 1609 in Bermuda shipwrecked settlers founded a second colony, which, after the loss of the American colonies in 1783, became the oldest existing British colony (the English colonies began to be called British in 1707, after the unification of England and Scotland and the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain).

The final list of territories that received crown colony status:

* Trinidad and Tobago - in 1797
* Dominica - in 1805
* Saint Lucia - in 1814

The growth of the British Empire in the 19th century, which peaked in the 1920s, led to Britain annexing more than a quarter of the landmass, including areas in Asia and Africa that had significant native populations and were held not for colonization but for commercial or strategic reasons. . At the end of the 19th century, large settlement colonies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa became self-governing and gained independence in all matters except foreign policy, defense and trade. Scattered self-governing colonies united to form federations: Canada in 1867 and the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. These and other large self-governing colonies were called dominions in the 1920s and gained full independence under the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The Empire was renamed the British Commonwealth, which in 1949 became known as the Commonwealth of Nations. Most of the British colonies in Africa, Asia and the West Indies gained independence. Some former colonies became Commonwealth Kingdoms, leaving the British monarch as head of state, others became republics, but recognized Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth.

City of St. Georges in Bermuda. The colony was founded in 1609 by shipwrecked settlers from the flagship of the Virginia Company. In 1612, the company's franchise was extended to Bermuda, and since that time it has been an English (since 1707 British) colony. Since Virginia's independence, it has been the oldest British colony, and the town of St. Georges is the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the New World.

In the 1980s, Britain lost its last mainland colonies - Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in Africa in 1980, and British Honduras (now Belize) in Central America in 1981. The last major colony remained Hong Kong, which had a population of more than 5 million people. Unlike other territories, Hong Kong from an administrative point of view consisted of two parts:

* Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula were annexed by Britain permanently under the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Beijing in 1860.
* The territory of mainland China, the so-called New Territories, was leased by Britain for 99 years starting in 1898 to accommodate Hong Kong's growing population.

As 1997 approached, the UK and the PRC signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, under which the whole of Hong Kong became a "Special Administrative Region" of the PRC in 1997, under numerous conditions that were supposed to guarantee the preservation of Hong Kong's capitalist economy and the way of life formed during the British dominion for at least 50 years after its transfer. The transfer of all of Hong Kong was dictated by the fact that its infrastructure was largely connected with Guangdong province, and the British territories themselves could not exist without Chinese supplies.

Following the return of Hong Kong to China, Britain's remaining colonial possessions were largely small. island territories with a negligible population, as well as the uninhabited British Antarctic Territory. These territories did not gain independence for various reasons, in particular:

* Lack of support for independence from the local population
* The small population makes it problematic for the territory to function as an independent state.
* Dependency on UK economic aid
* The need for a British military presence to protect against neighboring states
* Lack of economic and political prerequisites for independence
* Some areas are uninhabited and are used for scientific and military purposes

In 2002, the British Parliament approved the British Overseas Territories Act. It changed the name "dependent territories" to "overseas territories" and restored full British citizenship to their residents (with the exception of the military bases in Cyprus).

Currently, British Overseas Territories exist in all regions of the world - in the Caribbean ( North America), Falklands ( South America), Saint Helena in Africa, Pitcairn in Oceania, Gibraltar in Europe, British Indian Ocean Territory in Asia and the South Sandwich Islands in Antarctica.

Head of State

The head of state in the Overseas Territories is the British monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II) as head of Great Britain, rather than under the laws of individual territories. In each territory, the Queen appoints representatives to exercise executive power. In territories with a permanent population, a governor, usually a retired senior officer or civil servant, is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the British government. In territories without a permanent population, a commissioner is usually appointed. In overseas territories that have dependencies, the governor may appoint an administrator to represent him in the dependency.

The governor is the de facto head of state. He is usually responsible for appointing the head of government, and other civil servants. The Governor is also responsible for liaison with the UK government and performs representative functions. The Commissioner has the same powers as the Governor, but also serves as the head of government.

Government

All overseas territories have their own government system and local legislation. Their structure correlates with the size and political development of the colony.

Legislative system

Each overseas territory has its own legislation, independent of UK legislation. The legal system is generally based on English common law, with some local variations. Each territory has its own attorney general and judicial system. In smaller areas, the UK appoints a judge or lawyer to deal with court cases.

Such a system is especially important in cases involving serious crimes and where it is impossible to find unbiased juries, such as on sparsely populated islands. An example of UK intervention in a specific case is the investigation into the 2004 Pitcairn Island rape.

Relations with Great Britain

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for overseeing the interests of all overseas territories except for bases in Cyprus, which are administered by the Ministry of Defence. The Overseas Territories Department is headed by the Minister for Overseas Territories, currently Parliamentary Under-Secretary Meg Mann.

* Self-determination
*Responsibility of Great Britain and Territories
* Democratic autonomy
*Providing help and support

The UK and the Overseas Territories do not have diplomatic representation, but the governments of the Overseas Territories with an indigenous population (except Bermuda) have a representative office in London. The interests of the territories are also represented by the London-based United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA).

Financial assistance is provided through the Department International Development. Currently, only Montserrat and Saint Helena receive budget assistance. In addition, there are several special funds, for example:

* The Good Government Fund, for the development of government management
* The Economic Diversification Program Budget, the goal of which is to diversify the economies of the territories

External relations

The foreign affairs of the Overseas Territories are handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In addition, some territories have diplomatic representatives in neighboring countries dealing with immigration and foreign economic issues. Row Caribbean territories is a member of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community. None of the overseas territories are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, although they take part in the Commonwealth Games.

Gibraltar is the only overseas territory that is part of the European Union, but it is not an independent member and is not part of the customs union. The remaining overseas territories are not members of the European Union and most EU laws do not apply to them. Certain parts of EU legislation apply to them as members of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCT Association), but in practice they are rarely applied by local courts. On the same basis, structural funds are provided to the Overseas Territories for reconstruction projects.

Since the return of the majority of residents of the Overseas Territories to full British citizenship (mainly on the basis of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002), citizens of these territories have parallel citizenship of the European Union, giving them the right to free movement throughout the territory of all member countries of the European Union.

Several states have territorial claims to the UK, affecting the following overseas territories:

* British Antarctic Territory - not recognized by the world community (see Antarctic Treaty), in addition, part of the territory is disputed by Chile and Argentina.
* British Indian Ocean Territory - disputed by Mauritius and Seychelles
* Falkland Islands - disputed by Argentina
* Gibraltar - disputed by Spain
* South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands - disputed by Argentina
* Akrotiri and Dhekelia military bases - disputed by Cyprus

Citizenship

None of the Overseas Territories have their own nationality, and all citizens are classified as British Overseas Territories citizens (BOTC). However, territories have self-government in matters of migration, so obtaining BOTC status does not automatically give the right to stay in other territories, as this depends on the migration laws of a particular territory. An overseas territory may grant resident status (Belonger status), which gives the right of residence. Persons who do not have citizenship of the British Overseas Territories can obtain this status for the purpose of living in a specific territory, and after that, if they wish, undergo naturalization and obtain citizenship.

Historically, most residents of the former British Empire had British citizenship, which was usually lost after the territory gained independence. Since 1949, British subjects in Great Britain and the remaining crown colonies have been called citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. However, changes to the Nationality and Immigration Act between 1962 and 1983 led to the creation of separate British Dependent Territories citizenship in January 1983, and thus the majority of the population of the Overseas Territories was deprived of full British citizenship. . This was done mainly to prevent mass immigration of Hong Kong residents to the UK before its handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997. An exception was made for the Falkland Islands, which had been attacked by Argentina the year before. Due to disagreements with Spain, full British citizenship was soon returned to the residents of Gibraltar.

In 2002, the British Overseas Territories Act replaced British Dependent Territories citizenship with British Overseas Territories citizenship, and restored full British citizenship to all holders, with the exception of those on military bases in Cyprus. Thanks to this, residents of the territories again received the right to live in Great Britain.

However, British citizens do not have an automatic right to settle in any of the Overseas Territories. Some of them prohibit immigration and all arrivals must obtain a residence permit from the territorial government. Visits to Ascension Island and the British Indian Ocean Territory are not permitted (except on official visits) as these territories are used as military bases.

Armed forces

The UK is responsible for protecting the Overseas Territories. Many Overseas Territories are military bases for Great Britain and its allies.

* Ascension Island (administratively referred to as St Helena) is a Royal Air Force and United States Air Force base, formerly known as RAF Ascension Island.
* Bermuda - after the declaration of independence, the United States became the main base of the British Navy in the Western Hemisphere. The islands have an admiralty, shipyards and a squadron. A significant military garrison was created for their protection, and Bermuda was considered by the British government not as a colony, but as a military base - the "Gibraltar of the West". During the Second World War, Canadian and American military bases were established in Bermuda, which also existed during the Cold War. Since 1995, the military presence in Bermuda has been reduced to a territorial battalion (English Bermuda Regiment).
* British Indian Ocean Territory - on the island of Diego Garcia there is a large naval and air base leased by the United States until 2036 with the possibility of extension or renegotiation in 2016.
* Falkland Islands - British Forces are located on the islands Falkland Islands), including ground forces, aviation and navy.
* Gibraltar - has a British Navy base, an air base and shipyards also used by NATO, as well as a garrison (English: Royal Gibraltar Regiment).
* Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases in Cyprus are a strategic British military base in the eastern Mediterranean.

Symbols and emblems

Each Overseas Territory has its own flag and coat of arms, granted by the British monarch. Traditionally, the flags follow the design of the Blue Ensign, with the Union Jack in the top and the coat of arms of the territory. The exceptions are:

* Bermuda - English merchant flag (English Red Ensign)
* British Antarctic Territory - English naval ensign, English. White Ensign)
* British Indian Ocean Territory - blue stern ensign with wavy lines symbolizing the sea).
* Gibraltar - a flag with its own coat of arms (flag of the city of Gibraltar). The coat of arms of Gibraltar is the only one that existed before the arrival of the British colonial administration.

The bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus are the only British overseas territory that does not have its own flag. They, as well as Ascension Island, use the British flag.

Anguilla

Capital: Valley.

Population: about 11.7 thousand people, mainly descendants of the Carib Indians, as well as immigrants from Europe and America.

Official language: English.

Geography. British possession in the West Indies, located 320 km east of Puerto Rico on the islands of Anguilla (Anguilla) and Sombrero in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles. The landscape is relatively flat, the most high place on the island there is Crocus Hill (65 m). The total area of ​​the islands is 155 sq km, including small islands and reefs.

Climate: tropical, hot. Average monthly temperatures from +18 C to +24 degrees. Precipitation ranges from 700 to 1200 mm per year, mainly from August to November.

Political condition. A dependent territory of Great Britain with internal self-government. The English governor is responsible for matters of foreign policy and defence, police and civil service. The head of government is the prime minister.

Bermuda

Capital: Hamilton.

Population: about 60 thousand people, of which over 61% are people of African descent, the rest are from Europe and North America.

The official language is English.

Geography: Located in the western part Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North America at a distance of 1046 kilometers east of the United States. The archipelago consists of 7 large and about 150 small islands, formed as a result of active volcanic activity, surrounded by coral reefs(together with reefs, there are up to 360 of them), of which only about 20 are inhabited. Ten islands are connected to each other by a network of bridges and overpasses and make up the so-called Main Island - Main Island (locals simply call it “island”. The total area of ​​the archipelago is just 53.3 sq km.

Climate: temperate maritime. The Gulf Stream current, passing between Bermuda and the coast of North America, maintains a relatively even temperature on the islands, which rarely rises above +29 degrees. In winter (mid-December - end of March) the temperature can drop to +15-18, but these are isolated cases and often in January you can swim as well as in July, although the wind speed in winter sometimes reaches 40 knots.

Political condition. According to the constitution, Bermuda has internal self-government; the Queen of Great Britain is represented on the islands by a governor who manages matters of foreign policy, defense and police. The regulation of internal life is carried out by a bicameral parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Assembly. Executive power is exercised by the government headed by the Prime Minister.

Falkland Islands

Capital: Port Stanley.

Population: about 2.5 thousand people. The population of the archipelago consists mainly of people from british isles and Chile.

Language: English, Spanish.

Geography. The Falkland Islands (Malvinas) are an archipelago in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, 480 km east of Argentina. The archipelago consists of two large islands - Soledad (East Falkland) and Gran Malvina (West Falkland), and many (about 200) small ones. The total area is 12.2 thousand sq. km.

Climate: oceanic, cool and uniformly humid. Average annual temperatures do not exceed +10 degrees, January (summer) - +18, July (winter) - +3. Precipitation is about 1500 mm per year, December and January are also the wettest months. Best time to visit the islands - from October to April.

Political condition. The islands were discovered by Europeans in the 16th century. Possession of Great Britain since 1892. They are disputed territory, which Argentina claims. The 1982 conflict ended in Argentina's defeat, but it continues to consider the territory its own. They are governed by a governor who is accountable to the government and the Queen of Great Britain.

Gibraltar

Capital: Gibraltar.

Population: about 29.1 thousand people, about 20 thousand of them are native Gibraltarians. All of them are descendants of immigrants from England, Spain, Genoa and Malta. The rest are emigrants from England, the countries of the British Commonwealth, India, and Morocco.

Language: About half the population's native language is English, and the other half's native language is Spanish.

Geography. Gibraltar is a rocky peninsula 425 m high, which is connected to the Iberian Peninsula by a narrow sandy isthmus 1.5 km long. The city and port are located on the western slope of the cliff, facing Algeciras Bay; the enclave is separated from Spain by a neutral zone. In the north, Gibraltar borders the Spanish city of La Linea, 32 km south of it, in Africa, is the Spanish city of Ceuta. From the west, Gibraltar is washed by the waters of Algeciras Bay, from the east - by the Mediterranean Sea. The area of ​​Gibraltar is about 6.5 sq km.

Climate: Mediterranean maritime, with cool, wet winters and dry, hot summers. Distinctive feature local climate are sharp changes in temperature depending on the time of year, which is not typical for the Mediterranean. Summer is usually very hot and sunny; in July-August, when the south wind blows, the air temperature can rise to +32 degrees and above, and in January-February it drops to +10, with the rains increasing the discomfort. The average temperature in summer ranges from +28-30 degrees, and in winter about +13 C. Precipitation falls from 400 to 900 mm per year, and in different years their number can vary greatly. The best time to visit Gibraltar is spring and late summer (August - September).

Political condition. Gibraltar is a self-governing British colony. Issues of security, defense, foreign policy and financial stability fall under the purview of the governor, appointed by the Queen of England. He heads the Council of Gibraltar, which includes English and senior Gibraltar officials.

Saint Helena Islands

Capital: Jamestown on St. Helena Island.

Population: about 7.2 thousand people. The population consists mainly of descendants of English settlers, Creoles, blacks and Chinese. The population of Tristan da Cunha is 313 people, the Ascension Islands is about 1 thousand people.

English language.

Geography. Saint Helena Island is a British possession, including the island of the same name, as well as the Ascension Islands, Tristan da Cunha and five uninhabited islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, halfway between South America and Africa. The landscape of St. Helena is elevated volcanic, small plateaus (highest point - 818 m) are scattered throughout the island and surrounded by small plains. The most high point on the islands - Queen Mary peak on Tristan da Cunha - 2,060 m. The total area of ​​ownership is 0.4 thousand sq km, of which St. Helena Island occupies 122 sq km, the largest of the islands - Tristan da Cunha - 117 sq km, Ascension Island - 88 sq km

Climate: tropical marine. Average annual temperatures range from +13 to +30 degrees. Precipitation ranges from 400 to 1500 mm per year, December and January are the wettest months. The best time to visit the islands is from October to April.

Political condition. A British colony with limited self-government. The head of the governing bodies is the English governor, who is appointed by the queen and directly supervises the activities of the Legislative and Executive Councils of the island. The Legislative Council consists of the governor, secretary, treasurer and 12 elected members. The Executive Council carries out the functions of government and consists of the Governor, Secretary, Treasurer and chairmen of council committees (must be members of the Legislative Council). The islands of Tristan da Cunha and Ascension are also administratively subordinate to the Governor of Saint Helena.

Pitcairn Island

Capital: Adamstown ( the only settlement on Pitcairn).

Population: about 440 people, mostly descendants of mixed marriages of English and Polynesian people. The inhabitants of Pitcairn are descendants of mutineers landed here by the British warship Bounty in 1790.

Language: English, but among themselves the Pitcairnians speak a slightly distorted version of it, full of local idioms that make it almost incomprehensible to outsiders.

Geography. Pitcairn Island is volcanic in origin (although the volcanoes are long extinct, the height is up to 335 m), with steep cliffs and heavily rugged coastline. Closest neighbors are Easter Island and the southeastern islands French Polynesia—- Tuamotu and Gambier. The island is only 3 km long and 1.5 km wide. The total area of ​​the islands is 35.5 sq. km, of which Pitcairn is 4.5 sq. km, Henderson is 30 sq. km.

Climate: subtropical marine. Average monthly temperatures range from +18 degrees in August (winter) to +24 degrees in February (summer). July and August are the driest months. Largest quantity precipitation falls in November (up to 100 mm), although showers are fairly evenly distributed throughout all seasons of the year (total precipitation 1200-1500 mm).

Political condition. Currently, the British High Commissioner to New Zealand is also the Governor of Pitcairn. The island has a local government body - the Island Council of nine people: the master (magistrate) of the island, 5 members elected annually, 3 members appointed for one year by the governor, and the secretary of the island.

Turks and Caicos Islands

The unofficial capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands is Cockburn Town.

The official language is English.

Geography. Turks and Caicos - Island state in the Caribbean with an area of ​​500 sq. km, located 900 km southeast of Miami and 70 km southeast of the Bahamas. The islands have the longest chain of reefs in the world, making them one of the best places for diving. Turks and Caicos is also famous for its white sandy beaches. Some islands of the archipelago are uninhabited.

Climate. For everyone Caribbean Islands The climate is even throughout the year. The average temperature is 25-30 degrees during the day, 20-24 degrees at night. The average water temperature is 22-25 degrees. Strong winds are possible in August and September.

Virgin Islands

Capital: Road Town, on the island of Tortola.

Population: About 18 thousand people.

The official language is English. However, most local residents speaks West Indian in English, which is a bizarre mixture of Spanish, Danish, English, French languages and African dialects.

Geography. British possession in the West Indies, in the north-eastern part Caribbean, about 80 km east of the island Puerto Rico, which occupies part of the Virgin Islands. The largest islands are Tortola (54 sq. km), Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke; most of the other 40 islets are uninhabited. All islands, with the exception of Anegada, have a mountainous surface composed of Cretaceous limestone. On large islands Ancient crystalline or volcanic massifs up to 500 m high have been preserved. There are no rivers on the islands, there are many coral reefs, caves and lagoons. The total area of ​​ownership is 153 sq. km.

Climate: tropical maritime, with two dry and two rainy seasons (spring and autumn), average temperature practically unchanged throughout the year. Average annual temperature+27 degrees, annual precipitation is up to 1300 mm, most of it falls from September to December, although even at this time no more than five to six days a month are rainy. Tropical storms are frequent and can occur any time between July and November. The most favorable time to travel to the islands is from mid-December to the end of April.

Political condition. A British possession, a self-governing territory headed by an Executive Council, which includes the Governor (appointed by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office), the Chief Minister, three other ministers (all of whom are also part of the Legislative Council) and the Attorney General. The English governor is in charge of issues of defense, finance, foreign policy, justice and public service, and heads the Legislative and Executive Councils of the islands.

British overseas territories of Spain, British overseas territories of France
(English: British overseas territories) - fourteen territories under the sovereignty of Great Britain, but not part of it.

The name "British Overseas Territories" was introduced in 2002 by the British Overseas Territories Act and replaced the term " British dependent territories"(English British-Dependent Territories), contained in the British Nationality Act 1981. Before this, the territories were called colonies or crown colonies. in relation to the British Overseas Territories the title " British Overseas Territories", or simply " Overseas Territories"when the affiliation is clear from the context.

The islands of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are also under the sovereignty of the British Crown, but have somewhat different constitutional relations with Great Britain, and are consistently classified as Crown dependencies rather than overseas territories. Overseas territories and crown lands should be distinguished from the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary union of former British colonies and, more recently, some other countries, such as Mozambique, which joined the Commonwealth for financial and political reasons.

In a historical context, colonies that were part of Great Britain should be distinguished from protectorates, which, while under British control, remained nominally independent. They should also not be confused with dominions, independent states that had equal status with Great Britain in the British Empire and, after the Statute of Westminster in 1931, in the British Commonwealth of Nations. Crown colonies such as Hong Kong differed from other colonies in that they were administered directly by the Crown and did not have the autonomy that self-governing colonies such as Bermuda had.

The total population of the territories is about 230 thousand people (permanent population), the area is 18,131 km². In addition, the UK claims a portion of Antarctic territory (British Antarctic Territory) with an area of ​​0. Expression error: unexpected number 1,709,400 km², but according to the Antarctic Treaty, signed and ratified by Great Britain, territorial claims in this region frozen.

• 1. History
• 2 List of territories
• 3 Management
  • 3.1 Head of territory
  • 3.2 Administration
  • 3.3 Legislative system
• 4 Relations with Great Britain
• 5 External relations
• 6 Citizenship
• 7 Armed forces
• 8 Symbols and emblems
• 9 Gallery
• 10 See also

Story

The first British colonies in the New World were settlements of British subjects in lands that were still outside the possession of the British Crown. The first such colony was Newfoundland, where British fishermen founded seasonal settlements in the 16th century.

In 1607, the settlement of Jamestown appeared, the first permanent colony in Virginia (a term used to refer to all of North America). In 1609, a second colony was founded in Bermuda by shipwrecked settlers, which, after the loss of the American colonies in 1783, became the oldest existing British colony (the English colonies became known as British in 1707, after the unification of England and Scotland and the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain).

The final list of territories that received crown colony status:

• Trinidad and Tobago - in 1797
• Dominica - in 1805
• Saint Lucia - in 1814

The growth of the British Empire in the 19th century, which peaked in the 1920s, saw Britain annex more than a quarter of its landmass, including areas in Asia and Africa that had significant native populations and were held not for colonization but for commercial or strategic reasons. . At the end of the 19th century, large settlement colonies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa became self-governing and gained independence in all matters except foreign policy, defense and trade. Scattered self-governing colonies united to form federations: Canada in 1867 and the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. These and other large self-governing colonies were called dominions in the 1920s and gained full independence under the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The Empire was renamed the British Commonwealth, which in 1949 became known as the Commonwealth of Nations. Most of the British colonies in Africa, Asia and the West Indies gained independence. Some former colonies became Commonwealth Kingdoms, leaving the British monarch as head of state, others became republics but recognized Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth.

City of St. George in Bermuda. The colony was founded in 1609 by shipwrecked settlers from the flagship of the Virginia Company. In 1612, the company's privilege was extended to Bermuda, and since that time it has been an English (since 1707 British) colony. Since Virginia's independence, it is the oldest British colony, and the town of St. George is the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the New World.

In the 1980s, Britain lost its last mainland colonies - Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in Africa in 1980, and British Honduras (now Belize) in Central America in 1981. The last major colony remained Hong Kong, which had a population of more than 5 million people. Unlike other territories, Hong Kong from an administrative point of view consisted of two parts:

• Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula were annexed by Britain permanently under the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Beijing in 1860.
• The territory of mainland China, the so-called New Territories, was leased by Britain for 99 years starting in 1898 to accommodate Hong Kong's growing population.

As 1997 approached, the UK and the PRC signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, under which the whole of Hong Kong became a "Special Administrative Region" of the PRC in 1997, under numerous conditions that were supposed to guarantee the preservation of Hong Kong's capitalist economy and the way of life formed during the British dominion for at least 50 years after its transfer.

The transfer of all of Hong Kong was dictated by the fact that its infrastructure was largely connected with Guangdong province, and the British territories themselves could not exist without Chinese supplies.

Following the return of Hong Kong to China, Britain's remaining colonial possessions were mostly small island territories with negligible populations, as well as the uninhabited British Antarctic Territory. These territories did not gain independence for various reasons, in particular:

• Lack of support for independence from the local population.
• The small population makes it problematic for the territory to function as an independent state.
• Dependence on economic aid from the UK.
• The need for a British military presence to protect against neighboring states.
• Lack of economic and political prerequisites for independence.
• Some areas are uninhabited and are used for scientific or military purposes.

In 2002, the British Parliament approved the British Overseas Territories Act. It changed the name "dependent territories" to "overseas territories" and restored full British citizenship to their residents (with the exception of the military bases in Cyprus).

Currently, British Overseas Territories exist in all regions of the world - in the Caribbean (North America), the Falkland Islands (South America), St. Helena in Africa, Pitcairn in Oceania, Gibraltar in Europe, in Asia and the South Sandwich Islands in Antarctica.

List of territories

Flag	Coat of arms	Territory	Region	Motto	Square km²	Population (census year)	Capital
		Anguilla	West Indies	Strength and Endurance	102,0	13 037 (2011)	Valli
		Bermuda	North Atlantic	Quo fata ferunt (Latin: “Where fate will take us”)	53,2	64 237 (2010)	Hamilton
		British Antarctic Territory	Antarctic	Research and discovery	1 709 400	200 (staff)	Rothera (main base)
			Indian Ocean	In tutela nostra Limuria (Latin: "Lemuria under our care")	60	2800 (military and service personnel)	Diego Garcia (military base)
			West Indies	Vigilate (Latin: "Be vigilant")	153	24 939 (2010)	Road Town
		Cayman islands	West Indies	He hat founded it upon the seas	264	54 397 (2010)	Georgetown
		Falkland Islands	South Atlantic	Desire the right	12 173	2840 (2012)	Stanley
		Gibraltar	Iberian Peninsula	Nulli expugnabilis hosti (Latin: "No enemy will drive us out")	6,5	30 001 (2012)	Gibraltar
		Montserrat	West Indies		102	4922 (2011)	Plymouth (abandoned due to volcanic eruption; Brades is de facto capital)
		Pitcairn	Pacific Ocean	No	47 (all islands, Pitcairn Island 4.6 km²)	45 (2012)	Adamstown
		Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Islands	South Atlantic	Loyal and unshakeable	420 (all islands)	5231 (2008)	Jamestown
		South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands	South Atlantic	Leo terram propriam protegat (Latin: "Let the lion protect his country")	4066	30 (2006)	King Edward Point/Grytviken
		Akrotiri and Dhekelia	Mediterranean (Cyprus)	Dieu et mon droit (French: “God and my right”)	254	15 000 (almost half are military and service personnel)	Episkopi
		Turks and Caicos	West Indies		430	31 458 (2012)	Cockburn Town
		Total			1 727 531	249 137
		Total			18 131 (without Antarctica)	231 137 (permanent population)

Control

Head of the territory

The head of the Overseas Territories is the British monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II) as head of Great Britain, rather than under the laws of individual territories. In each territory the queen appoints representatives to exercise executive power. In territories with a permanent population, on the advice of the British government, a governor is appointed by the Queen, usually a retired senior officer or civil servant. In territories without a permanent population, a commissioner is usually appointed. In overseas territories that have dependencies, the governor may appoint an administrator to represent him in the dependency.

The governor is the de facto head of the territory. He is usually responsible for appointing the head of government, and other civil servants. The Governor is also responsible for liaison with the UK government and performs representative functions. The Commissioner has the same powers as the Governor, but also serves as the head of government.

Administration

All overseas territories have their own government system and local legislation. Their structure correlates with the size and political development of the colony.

Territory	Control
British Antarctic Territory South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands	There is no indigenous population, therefore there is no elected government. The commissioner, with the help of the administrator, administers the territory.
British Indian Ocean Territory	There is no elected government and this moment there is no indigenous population living there. The Chagossians, who were forcibly evicted from the territory in 1971 and could be considered part of the islands' population, are currently seeking permission from the British courts to return.
Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases in Cyprus	There is no elected government, but the British military authorities strive to bring local laws as close as possible to those of the Republic of Cyprus.
Pitcairn	There is an elected mayor and island council, which has legislative and executive powers. The decisions of these bodies must be approved by the governor, who, as the representative of the British government, retains virtually unlimited power.
Falkland Islands Saint Helena	The government consists of an elected Legislative Council. The governor is the head of the government and the executive council, consisting of members appointed by the legislative council, as well as two permanent members.
Anguilla British Virgin Islands Cayman islands Montserrat	These territories have a legislative council and political parties. The Executive Council is usually called the Cabinet and is headed by the Chief Minister (except in the Cayman Islands, where this post is held by the Leader of Government Business). The Governor has less power in local matters and is involved in mainly foreign policy and economics, while the elected government deals with domestic affairs.
Gibraltar	According to the 2006 Constitution, adopted by referendum, Gibraltar has a parliament. The Government of Gibraltar is elected and headed by the Chief Minister. Defense, foreign policy and internal security matters are the responsibility of the governor. Therefore, Great Britain has no administrative power in Gibraltar.
Bermuda Turks and Caicos	Bermuda, founded in 1609, is the oldest and most populous of the Overseas Territories. Most executive power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister. This system of government is close to that adopted in the Commonwealth Realms. The British government retains only minimal powers and is represented by a governor, but most matters are decided by local ministers. The first session of the Bermuda Parliament was held in 1620, and since then it has been a largely self-governing and autonomous territory. On August 9, 2006, Turks and Caicos adopted a new constitution. The head of government is the Prime Minister, and the autonomy of the islands has increased significantly.

Legislative system

Each overseas territory has its own legislation, independent of UK legislation. The legal system is generally based on English common law, with some local variations. Each territory has its own attorney general and judicial system. In small areas, the UK appoints a judge or lawyer to deal with court cases.

Such a system is especially important in cases involving serious crimes and where it is impossible to find unbiased juries, such as on sparsely populated islands. An example of UK intervention in a specific case is the 2004 Pitcairn rape investigation.

Relations with Great Britain

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for overseeing the interests of all overseas territories except for bases in Cyprus, which are administered by the Ministry of Defence. The Overseas Territories Department is headed by the Minister for Overseas Territories, currently Parliamentary Under-Secretary Meg Mann.

• Self-determination
• Responsibilities of the UK and Territories
• Democratic autonomy
• Providing help and support

The governments of the Overseas Territories with indigenous populations (except Bermuda) have offices in London. The interests of the territories are also represented by the London-based United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA).

Financial assistance is provided through the Department for International Development. Currently, only Montserrat and Saint Helena receive budgetary assistance. In addition, there are several special funds, for example:

• The Good Government Fund, for the development of government management
• The Economic Diversification Program Budget, the goal of which is to diversify the economies of the territories

External relations

The map shows the part of Antarctica considered by Great Britain to be the British Antarctic Territory.

The foreign affairs of the Overseas Territories are handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In addition, some territories have diplomatic representatives in neighboring countries dealing with immigration and foreign economic issues. A number of Caribbean territories are members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community. None of the overseas territories are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, although they take part in the Commonwealth Games.

Gibraltar is the only overseas territory that is part of the European Union, but it is not an independent member and is not part of the customs union. The remaining overseas territories are not members of the European Union and most EU laws do not apply to them. Certain parts of EU legislation apply to them as members of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCT Association), but in practice they are rarely applied by local courts. On the same basis, structural funds are provided to the Overseas Territories for reconstruction projects.

Since the return of the majority of residents of the Overseas Territories to full British citizenship (mainly on the basis of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002), citizens of these territories have parallel citizenship of the European Union, giving them the right to free movement throughout the territory of all member countries of the European Union.

Several states have territorial claims to Great Britain, affecting the following overseas territories:

• British Antarctic Territory is not recognized by the world community (see Antarctic Treaty), in addition, part of the territory is disputed by Chile and Argentina.
• British Indian Ocean Territory - disputed by Mauritius and Seychelles
• Falkland Islands - disputed by Argentina
• Gibraltar - disputed by Spain
• South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands - disputed by Argentina
• Akrotiri and Dhekelia military bases - disputed by Cyprus

Citizenship

None of the Overseas Territories have their own nationality, and all citizens are classified as British Overseas Territories citizens (BOTC). However, territories have self-government in matters of migration, so obtaining BOTC status does not automatically give the right to stay in other territories, as this depends on the migration laws of a particular territory. An overseas territory may grant resident status (Belonger status), which gives the right of residence. Persons who do not have British Overseas Territories citizenship can obtain this status for the purpose of living in a specific territory, and thereafter, if they wish, undergo naturalization and become a citizen.

Historically, most residents of the former British Empire had British citizenship, which was usually lost after the territory gained independence. Since 1949, British subjects in Great Britain and the remaining crown colonies have been called citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. However, changes made to the Nationality and Immigration Act between 1962 and 1983 led to the creation of separate British Dependent Territories citizenship in January 1983, and thus the majority of the population of the Overseas Territories was deprived of full British citizenship. This was done mainly to prevent mass immigration of Hong Kong residents to the UK before its handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997. An exception was made for the Falkland Islands, which had been attacked by Argentina the year before. Due to disagreements with Spain, full British citizenship was soon returned to the residents of Gibraltar.

In 2002, the British Overseas Territories Act replaced British Dependent Territories citizenship with British Overseas Territories citizenship and restored full British citizenship to all holders, with the exception of those on military bases in Cyprus. Thanks to this, residents of the territories again received the right to live in Great Britain.

However, British citizens do not have an automatic right to settle in any of the Overseas Territories. For some, immigration is prohibited and all arrivals must obtain a residence permit from the territorial government. Visits to Ascension Island and the British Indian Ocean Territory are not permitted (except on official visits) as these areas are used as military bases.

Armed forces

The UK is responsible for protecting the Overseas Territories. Many Overseas Territories are military bases for Great Britain and its allies.

• Ascension Island (administratively part of St Helena) is a Royal Air Force and United States Air Force base formerly known as RAF Ascension Island.
• Bermuda - after the declaration of US independence, became the main base of the British Navy in the Western Hemisphere. The islands have an admiralty, shipyards and a squadron. A significant military garrison was created for their protection, and Bermuda was considered by the British government not as a colony, but as a military base - the "Gibraltar of the West". During the Second World War, Canadian and American military bases were established in Bermuda, which also existed during the Cold War. Since 1995, the military presence in Bermuda has been reduced to a territorial battalion (English Bermuda Regiment).
• British Indian Ocean Territory - on the island of Diego Garcia there is a large naval and air base leased by the United States until 2016, with the possibility of extending or renegotiating the terms of the agreement until 2036.
• Falkland Islands - the British forces on the Falklands are located on the islands, including ground forces, aviation and navy.
• Gibraltar - has a British Navy base, an air base and shipyards also used by NATO, as well as a garrison (English: Royal Gibraltar Regiment).
• Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases in Cyprus are a strategic British military base in the eastern Mediterranean.

Symbols and emblems

Each Overseas Territory has its own flag and coat of arms, granted by the British monarch. Traditionally, the flags follow the design of the Blue Ensign, with the Union Jack in the top and the coat of arms of the territory.

The exceptions are:

• Bermuda - English Merchant Ensign (English Red Ensign)
• British Antarctic Territory - English naval ensign, (English White Ensign)
• British Indian Ocean Territory - blue stern ensign with wavy lines symbolizing the sea.
• Gibraltar - a flag with its own coat of arms (flag of the city of Gibraltar). The coat of arms of Gibraltar is the only one that existed before the arrival of the British colonial administration.

The bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus are the only British overseas territory that does not have its own flag. them, as well as on Ascension Island, the flag of Great Britain is used.

Gallery

Sandy Ground, Anguilla.

St. George, Bermuda.

View of a military base in Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

Plateau, Falkland Islands.

Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar.

Volcano Soufriere, Montserrat.

Adamstown, Pitcairn.

Jamestown, Saint Helena.

Cumberland Bay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos.

see also

• Dominion
• British Isles (terminology)
• Colonies and dependent territories of Great Britain
• Crown lands
• Commonwealth Kingdoms
• Commonwealth of Nations
• List of dependent territories

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
England England Scotland Scotland Wales Wales Northern Ireland
Crown demesne	Guernsey Guernsey Jersey Jersey Isle of Man Isle of Man
Overseas territories	Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Gibraltar · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Pitcairn · Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Islands · Turks and Caicos · Falkland Islands¹ · South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands¹ ¹ affiliation disputed by Argentina
Portal about Great Britain · Colonies of Great Britain in the past · British Empire

Overseas Territories of the British Empire
Legend: dependent territories of what is now Great Britain highlighted bold type, members of the Commonwealth of Nations in italics, Commonwealth kingdoms underlined. Territories lost before the start of the decolonization period (1947) are highlighted in dark green.
Europe and Mediterranean from 1066 Guernsey¹ , ² from 1066 Jersey¹ , ² 1171-1541 Lordship of Ireland from 1346 Isle Of Man¹ 1541-1801 Ireland in union 1708-1757 Minorca since 1713 Gibraltar 1763-1782 Minorca 1798-1802 Minorca 1800-1813 Protectorate of Malta 1801-1922 Great Britain and Ireland 1813-1964 Malta³ 1807-1890 Heligoland 1809-1864 Ionian Islands 1878-1960 Cyprus 1921-1922 Southern Ireland 1921-1937 Irish Free State (now Ireland) 4 since 1921 Northern Ireland 1945-1949 Occupation zone in Germany 1945-1949 Occupation zone in Austria since 1960 Akrotiri and Dhekelia

North America
1583-1907 Newfoundland 1607-1776 Virginia since 1619 Bermuda 1620-1691 Plymouth Colony 1622-1691 Maine 1629-1691 Massachusetts Bay Colony 1632-1776 Maryland 1635-1644 Saybrook 1636-1776 Connecticut 1636-1776 Rhode Island 1638-1665 New Haven 1663-1712 Caroline 1664-1783 New York 1665-1686 New Jersey 1670-1870 Rupert's Land 1674-1702 East Jersey 1674-1702 West Jersey 1680-1686 New Hampshire 1681-1783 Pennsylvania 1686-1689 New England 1689-1783 New Hampshire 1691-1780 Massachusetts 1701-1776 Delaware 1702-1776 New Jersey 1712-1776 North Carolina 1712-1776 South Carolina 1713-1867 Nova Scotia 1732-1776 Georgia 1759-1867 New Brunswick 1763-1873 Prince Edward Island 1763-1791 Quebec 1763-1783 East Florida 1763-1783 West Florida 1776 Thirteen Colonies 1791-1841 Upper Canada 1791-1841 Lower Canada 1815-1858 District of New Caledonia 1818-1846 Columbia/Oregon¹ 1841-1867 Province of Canada 1849-1866 Vancouver 1853-1863 Queen Charlotte Islands 1858-1866 British Columbia 1859-1870 North West Territory 1862-1863 Stikine Territory 1866-1871 Vancouver and Britain. Colombia 1867-1931 Canadian Confederation² 1907-1949 Dominion of Newfoundland
¹ Co-ownership with the USA. ² After 1931 - Dominion of Canada.

Latin America, Caribbean and South Atlantic Islands
1605-1979 Saint Lucia 1623-1883 St. Kitts 1624-1966 Barbados 1625-1650 Island of the Holy Cross 1627-1779 St. Vincent 1627-1816 Leeward Islands 1628-1883 Nevis 1632-1782 Montserrat 1632-1860 Antigua 1643-1860 Bay Islands from 1650 Anguilla 1651-1667 Willoughbyland (Suriname)¹ 1655-1859 Mosquito Coast 1655-1962 Jamaica since 1658 Saint Helena² since 1666 British Virgin Islands 1666-1860 Barbuda from 1670 Cayman islands 1650-1973 Bahamas 1630-1641 Providence Island 1670-1689 St. Andrew and Providence Islands 1762-1779 Grenada 1763-1778 Dominica 1763-1888 Tobago 1775-1908 South Georgia since 1783 Montserrat 1783-1974 Grenada 1783-1979 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1783-1978 Dominica since 1783 Turks and Caicos 1797-1888 Trinidad since 1815 Ascension Island² since 1816 Tristan da Cunha² 1814-1966 Brit. Guiana (Guyana)³ 1833-1958 Windward Islands 1833-1958 Leeward Islands since 1833 Falkland Islands 4 1860-1981 Antigua and Barbuda 1862-1981 British Honduras (Belize) 1882-1983 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1888-1962 Trinidad and Tobago since 1908 South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands 4 1958-1962 West Indies Federation

Africa
1661-1702 James Island 1765-1816 Senegambia 1787-1961 Sierra Leone¹ 1794-1976 Seychelles 1795-1803 Cape Colony 1806-1910 Cape Colony 1807-1814 Madeira 1810-1968 Mauritius¹ 1810-1965 Chagos 1816-1965 Gambia² 1834-1839 Socotra 1843-1910 Natal 1861-1906 Lagos Colony 1868-1966 Basutoland (Lesotho) 1867-1957 Gold Coast (Ghana)¹ 1877-1881 Transvaal Republic 1878-1910 Walvis Bay 1881-1900 Oil Rivers Protectorate 1882-1922 Sultanate of Egypt 1884-1960 British Somaliland 1885-1895 Bechuanaland Colony 1885-1966 Bechuanaland Protectorate (Botswana) 1887-1897 Zululand 1889-1924 Barotseland 1890-1962 Uganda¹ 1890-1963 Zanzibar 1890-1895 Vituland 1891-1907 Brit. Central Africa 1895-1920 Brit. East Africa 1899-1956 Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 1900-1914 Northern Nigeria 1900-1914 Southern Nigeria 1900-1910 Orange River Colony 1900-1910 Transvaal 1902-1968 Swaziland 1907-1964 Nyasaland (Malawi)¹ 1910-1931 Union of South Africa¹ 1914-1960 Nigeria¹ 1915-1931 South West Africa³ 1916-1956 British Togoland³ 1922-1961 British Cameroon³ 1920-1963 Kenya¹ 1922-1961 Tanganyika³ 1923-1965 Southern Rhodesia 1924-1964 Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) 1953-1963 Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland since 1965 British Indian Ocean Territory 1979-1980 South. Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 4

Asia
1640-1858 Madras Presidency 1685-1824 Bencoolen 1687-1858 Bombay Presidency 1690-1858 Bengal Presidency 1702-1705 Pulo-Condor 1721-1949 Native princely states of India 1762-1764 Manila and Cavite 1786-1826 Penang 1789-1796 Great Andaman 1796-1948 Ceylon (Sri Lanka)¹ 1812-1814 Bangka 1812-1824 Belitung 1819-1826 Singapore 1820-1971 Treaty Oman (UAE) 1820-1971 Bahrain 1824-1948 Burma² 1826-1946 Straits Settlements² 1839-1963 Aden Colony 1839-1842 Afghanistan (occupation) 1841-1997 Hong Kong² 1841-1946 Kingdom of Sarawak² 1848-1890 Labuan 1858-1947 British India (India¹, Pakistan¹, Myanmar, Bangladesh) 1858-1872 Andaman and Nicobar Islands² 1861-1947 Sikkim 1873-1896 Negeri Sembilan 1874-1896 Selangor 1874-1896 Perak 1879-1919 Afghanistan (protectorate) 1881-1963 Protectorate of the North. Borneo² 1887-1896 Pahang 1886-1963 Protectorate of Aden 1887-1965 Maldives 1888-1984 Brunei² 1891-1971 Muscat and Oman (Oman) 1895-1946 Federated Malay States² 1898-1930 Weihai 1899-1961 Kuwait 1904-1948 Johor 1910-1949 Bhutan 1909-1946 Unfederated Malay States³ 1916-1971 Qatar 1920-1932 Mesopotamia 4 1920-1948 Palestine 4 1921-1946 Transjordan 4 1946-1963 Colony of North Borneo Australia, Oceania and Antarctica 1788-1901 New South Wales 1788-1901 Norfolk Island 1803-1901 Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania 1807-1863 Auckland Islands 1824-1980 New Hebrides¹ (Vanuatu) 1826-1901 Western Australia 1829-1832 Swan River Colony 1836-1901 South Australia since 1838 Pitcairn Islands 1839-1907 Colony New Zealand 1841-1933 Victoria Land 1851-1901 Colony of Victoria 1857-1955 Cocos Islands (Keeling) 1859-1901 Queensland 1874-1970 Fiji² 1877-1976 British Western Pacific Territories 1878-1931 Ashmore Islands 1884-1902 British New Guinea³ (Papua New Guinea) 1888-1893 Rarotonga 1888-1958 Christmas Island² 1889-1926 Union Islands 1892-1976 Gilbert and Ellice Islands³ (Kiribati and Tuvalu) 1893-1901 Cook Islands Federation 1893-1978 British Solomon islands³ (Solomon Islands) 1900-1970 Tonga 1900-1901 Savage Island 1901-1942 Commonwealth of Australia 1907-1953 Dominion of New Zealand 1908-1962 South Shetland Islands 5 1908-1962 South Orkney 5 1908-1962 Graham's Land 5 1909-1931 Cartier Islands 1910-1947 Heard Island and McDonald Islands 1923 Ross Dependent Territory 1923-1968 Nauru 3, 6 1930-1933 Enderby Land 1939-1979 Canton and Enderbury Islands³ since 1962 British Antarctic Territory 5
The lists do not include territories occupied by the British Empire during the Second World War.

Modern dependent territories

Outer Territories of Australia Åland Islands (Finland), Crown Lands of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) Federal Dominions of Venezuela Kingdom of Denmark Sovereign Territories of Spain Carriacou and Petite Martinique (Grenada) Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China Outer Islands of Mauritius Kingdom of the Netherlands Kingdom of New Zealand Overseas Territories of Norway Autonomous regions Portugal Rotuma (Fiji) San Andres y Providencia (Colombia) US territories French overseas possessions See also: UN List of Non-Self-Governing Territories State expansionism of modern and recent times

British overseas territories of Spain, British overseas territories of France

British Overseas Territories Information About

The official name of Great Britain sounds proudly: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In addition to old England, the Kingdom includes special territories, called overseas: Cayman, Malvinas, Virgin, Bermuda, Antilla, Montserrat, Gibraltar, etc. The Channel Islands and separately fall under the jurisdiction standing island Men who are not part of the Kingdom and are not members of the European Union. They have the status of a special, “crown” territory. In addition, there are a number of countries (Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Solomon Islands, New Zealand and others) that consider the current queen to be their legitimate monarch. They are called Commonwealth countries.

So, how to visit countries that have a special status?

Some features of obtaining an entry document to the “crown” territories

If the main purpose of the trip for a tourist is to visit one of the Channel Islands (Jersey or Guernsey) or the Isle of Man, then the British Consulate must obtain a visa to enter their territory. It's not difficult to do this.

Firstly, you need to prepare the same list of documents as for, but without biometric data. There is no need to undergo this specific procedure in this case.

Secondly, be patient, because the submitted documents are first reviewed by a visa officer at the British Consulate, and then transferred to the islands’ representative office, and this takes some time. Thus, the review period may double, so it is recommended to prepare and submit a package of documents in advance, preferably three months before the planned date of travel.

In the event that the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands are included in the additional sightseeing tour while staying in the UK, if you have a UK visa, you can safely go on a trip. As such, England does not have borders with the islands, and all existing flights there are considered internal, but at the border checkpoint they may be asked about the purpose of the visit to the “crown” islands. If the person entering proves that the main purpose of his trip is to visit the UK (it is advisable to provide tickets, hotel reservations or other supporting documents), then there should be no problems with entering the territory of the “crown” islands.

If the islands are intermediate point when traveling, you should apply for a special transit visa.

Features of obtaining a visa to countries that are part of the Commonwealth or overseas territories of the Kingdom

The procedure for applying for and obtaining a visa to any of these countries is similar to that in the case of obtaining an entry document to the “crown islands”. As a rule, all submitted documents are reviewed and studied directly by the authorities of the country that you plan to visit. The decision period can be up to 3 months from the date of submission of documents to the consulate, however, the UK does not bear any responsibility and does not guarantee receipt of a visa within the prescribed period. In addition, migrants who previously did not have a British visa will have to submit the entire package of documents with copies to the consulate in person. It is worth noting that all certificates included in the package necessary documents(a standard list of documents on the basis of the reliability of which a UK visa is issued) have legal weight for one month before the date of application.

As in the case of visiting the Crown Islands, you do not need to undergo biometrics to obtain a visa to one of the countries that are part of the Commonwealth or overseas territories. Before visiting the British Consulate you will need to book a time and exact date.

There is also good news for travel lovers. A number of Commonwealth countries and overseas territories do not require a visa for Russian citizens (for a certain period of stay). For example, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis can be visited freely upon arrival in the country. Visas to Granada and Montserrat can be obtained with a letter and 40-50 dollars.

Therefore, when traveling to one of the countries that are part of the Commonwealth, overseas territories or to the “crown” islands, you need to contact professionals who provide assistance in obtaining visas and have full information about the current visa regime for each of these countries.