Dependent territory

A territory that lacks full political sovereignty and is governed or represented in some matters by another state. Its constitutional relationship with that state varies widely.

Sovereignty: The authority of a political entity to govern itself without subordination to another power. A dependent territory lacks the full sovereignty that defines an independent state.
Associated state: A self-governing polity linked to another state by a formal agreement, often retaining the right to end the association. This status grants more explicit self-government and a defined path to independence than many dependent-territory arrangements.
Puerto Rico: A Caribbean island and United States territory with local self-government under U.S. sovereignty. Its commonwealth arrangement demonstrates the distinction between extensive local powers and national sovereignty.
United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories: A United Nations list of territories considered not to have attained a full measure of self-government. Inclusion places a territory within the UN decolonization framework, though it does not determine sovereignty.
UN decolonization process: United Nations procedures for supporting self-government and decolonization in territories that have not attained full self-government. Its standards raise questions about how freely a territory must choose its political status.
Self-determination: The principle that peoples may determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. Claims to self-determination shape debates over a territory’s future status.
Overseas department: A territorial subdivision of France outside continental Europe, generally integrated into the French Republic. Unlike a dependent territory, an overseas department is constitutionally part of its sovereign state.
Bermuda: A self-governing British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic. Bermuda controls many domestic matters while the United Kingdom retains responsibility for areas including defense and foreign affairs.
Decolonization: The process through which colonies or dependent territories end colonial rule and determine a new political status. It has transformed many dependent territories into independent states or different constitutional arrangements.
Referendum: A direct vote in which an electorate decides a political or legal question. Referendums can test preferences on independence or integration, but their design and electorate remain contested.

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