Overseas territory
An overseas territory is a territory whose motherland is far away, usually on another continent. Overseas territories usually have a special status compared to the other territories of the state, their own stamps and sometimes even their own currencies. They are remnants of the various colonial empires that almost completely disappeared in the 20th century. Except for the claims of several states in the Antarctic , the Spanish exclaves in North Africa, Gibraltar and French Guiana , overseas territories are now exclusively islands . The biggest overseas territory is by Denmark related Greenland .
The name became established as a synonym , later in the course of general decolonization as a replacement for " colony ". For example in the case of the overseas provinces of Portugal . At least in theory, this was accompanied by an upgrading of the area and its residents in terms of legal status. However, the legal situation in these areas is very different from one another. In some overseas territories, the autonomy extends so far that they are on an equal footing with the mother country and are only represented by it in foreign policy and defense. The Cook Islands , for example, are officially independent, but in "free association with New Zealand ". Often there are also claims of neighboring states to the overseas territories.
Today's overseas territories
- Argentine Antarctic Territory
- Outskirts of Australia
- British overseas territories
- Chilean Antarctic Territory
- French overseas territories
- Territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in America
- Norwegian possessions
- the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla , with several small islands.
- Outside United States
See also
- Territory of the European Union ( overseas countries and territories within the framework of the EU)