Territories & Dependencies
The Western Hemisphere's territories and dependencies: places with their own histories, cultures, and identities that remain linked to a sovereign nation.
Part of the Americas, Linked to Nations Near and Far
Alongside its 35 sovereign nations, the Western Hemisphere is home to about twenty inhabited territories and dependencies. Most are islands in the Caribbean and the North Atlantic, two lie on or off the South American mainland, and one, Greenland, is the largest island in the world. Each is governed in association with one of five nations: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, or Denmark. Their arrangements range from full integration into the governing nation to broad self-government under their own constitutions and elected leaders.
A note on scope: AmericasPedia's country pages and topic articles currently cover the 35 sovereign nations. This page introduces the hemisphere's territories and dependencies; dedicated coverage for them will be added in the future.
North America
Northern Islands on the Atlantic Edge
From the Arctic to the mid-Atlantic, these territories sit at the northern and eastern edges of the continent. Greenland is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a French overseas collectivity off the coast of Newfoundland, and Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory whose parliament is one of the oldest in the world.
Caribbean
Islands Shaped by Many Flags
The Caribbean holds most of the hemisphere's territories and dependencies. Their ties to the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands trace back to the colonial era, and today they take many forms: some are fully part of the governing nation and its institutions, while others manage most of their own affairs. A few islands are even shared; the island of Saint Martin, for example, is divided between French Saint Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten.
South America
The Mainland and the South Atlantic
French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America between Suriname and Brazil, is an overseas department and region of France, making it the only part of the European Union on the South American mainland. Far to the south, the Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic; Argentina also claims sovereignty over the islands, which it calls the Islas Malvinas.
Sources: official government publications of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Denmark.