Crown Colony (Great Britain)
A crown colony ( English crown colony ) was the name in British constitutional law for a property administered directly by the crown by a governor , which had a higher degree of self-government than normal overseas territories , but had fewer rights than self-administered dominions . The term was replaced in 1981 by British Dependent Territory ("British Dependent Territory") and in 2002 by British Oversea Territory ("British Overseas Territory", see British Overseas Territories Act 2002 ). The current name applies to all overseas territories , regardless of the respective degree of autonomy .
Today, most British overseas territories have self-government (internal autonomy ) , albeit to varying degrees . Only the United Kingdom remains responsible for foreign policy and defense . Only very small territories with a low population, such as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands , are under the direct administration of an official appointed by the British government.
Many of the current members of the British Commonwealth were previously crown colonies. A distinction must be made between British protectorates and the self-governing Dominions as well as areas that were under the administration of a Dominion.
See : British Colonies and Protectorates
literature
- Claudia Schnurmann : From an island kingdom to a world power . Development of the British Empire from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. 1st edition. Kohlhammer Verlag , Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-17-016192-X .
