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British Overseas Territories
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) comprise fourteen territories that maintain a constitutional or historically recognised connection with the United Kingdom (UK) and constitute part of its sovereign territory, yet lie outside the British Islands. These territories are remnants of the former British Empire which remained under British sovereignty following decolonisation, albeit with varying constitutional statuses.
The permanently inhabited territories exercise varying degrees of internal self-governance, although the UK retains ultimate constitutional oversight, and authority over defence, foreign relations and internal security. While three of the territories are inhabited primarily by military or scientific personnel, the remainder host substantial civilian populations. All fourteen territories recognise the British monarch as head of state and oversight is primarily exercised by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The total land area of all the BOTs make up 18,015 km2 (6,956 sq mi), roughly the size of Fiji, which was itself a former British colony.
Most of the territories retain permanent civilian populations, with the exceptions of the British Antarctic Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (which host only officials and research station staff) and the British Indian Ocean Territory (used as a military base). Permanent residency for the approximately 7,000 civilians living in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia is limited to citizens of the Republic of Cyprus.
Collectively, the territories encompass a population of about 250,000 people. The two largest territories by population, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, account for about half of the total BOT population. The Cayman Islands alone comprise 28% of the entire BOT population. At the other end of the scale, three territories have no civilian inhabitants – the Antarctic Territory (currently consisting of five research stations), the British Indian Ocean Territory (whose inhabitants, the Chagossians, were forcibly moved to Mauritius and the United Kingdom between 1968 and 1973), and South Georgia (which actually did have a full-time population of two between 1992 and 2006). The Pitcairn Islands, settled by the survivors of the mutiny on the Bounty, is the smallest settled territory, with 49 inhabitants (all of whom live on the titular island).
Collectively, the territories encompass a land area of about 480,000 sq nmi (1,600,000 km2). The vast majority of this land area constitutes the almost uninhabited British Antarctic Territory (the land area of all the territories excepting the Antarctic territory is only 18,015 km2 [6,956 sq mi]). The smallest by land area is Gibraltar, which lies on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom participates in the Antarctic Treaty System and, as part of a mutual agreement, the British Antarctic Territory is recognised by four of the six other sovereign nations making claims to Antarctic territory.
The 14 British Overseas Territories are:
Early colonies, in the sense of English subjects residing in lands hitherto outside the control of the English government, were generally known as plantations.
The first, unofficial, colony was Newfoundland Colony, where English fishermen routinely set up seasonal camps in the 16th century. It is now a province of Canada known as Newfoundland and Labrador.
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British Overseas Territories
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) comprise fourteen territories that maintain a constitutional or historically recognised connection with the United Kingdom (UK) and constitute part of its sovereign territory, yet lie outside the British Islands. These territories are remnants of the former British Empire which remained under British sovereignty following decolonisation, albeit with varying constitutional statuses.
The permanently inhabited territories exercise varying degrees of internal self-governance, although the UK retains ultimate constitutional oversight, and authority over defence, foreign relations and internal security. While three of the territories are inhabited primarily by military or scientific personnel, the remainder host substantial civilian populations. All fourteen territories recognise the British monarch as head of state and oversight is primarily exercised by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The total land area of all the BOTs make up 18,015 km2 (6,956 sq mi), roughly the size of Fiji, which was itself a former British colony.
Most of the territories retain permanent civilian populations, with the exceptions of the British Antarctic Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (which host only officials and research station staff) and the British Indian Ocean Territory (used as a military base). Permanent residency for the approximately 7,000 civilians living in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia is limited to citizens of the Republic of Cyprus.
Collectively, the territories encompass a population of about 250,000 people. The two largest territories by population, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, account for about half of the total BOT population. The Cayman Islands alone comprise 28% of the entire BOT population. At the other end of the scale, three territories have no civilian inhabitants – the Antarctic Territory (currently consisting of five research stations), the British Indian Ocean Territory (whose inhabitants, the Chagossians, were forcibly moved to Mauritius and the United Kingdom between 1968 and 1973), and South Georgia (which actually did have a full-time population of two between 1992 and 2006). The Pitcairn Islands, settled by the survivors of the mutiny on the Bounty, is the smallest settled territory, with 49 inhabitants (all of whom live on the titular island).
Collectively, the territories encompass a land area of about 480,000 sq nmi (1,600,000 km2). The vast majority of this land area constitutes the almost uninhabited British Antarctic Territory (the land area of all the territories excepting the Antarctic territory is only 18,015 km2 [6,956 sq mi]). The smallest by land area is Gibraltar, which lies on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom participates in the Antarctic Treaty System and, as part of a mutual agreement, the British Antarctic Territory is recognised by four of the six other sovereign nations making claims to Antarctic territory.
The 14 British Overseas Territories are:
Early colonies, in the sense of English subjects residing in lands hitherto outside the control of the English government, were generally known as plantations.
The first, unofficial, colony was Newfoundland Colony, where English fishermen routinely set up seasonal camps in the 16th century. It is now a province of Canada known as Newfoundland and Labrador.