This article is about a type of political territory. A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions See also Form of government This article lists forms of government and Political systems according to a series of different ways of categorising them Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Authoritarianism describes a Form of government characterized by an emphasis on the Authority of the State in a republic or union An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler A band society is the simplest form of human Society. A band generally consists of a small kin group no larger than an Extended family or Clan. A chiefdom is a type of complex society of varying degrees of centralization that is led by an individual known as a chief. Communist state is a term used by many Political scientists to describe a Form of government in which the State operates under a one-party system Corporatocracy is a Neologism that describes a Government dominated by corporate influence banks and governments Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Despotism is a Form of government by a single authority either an individual or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute political power A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy, Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed A kleptocracy (sometimes cleptocracy, occasionally kleptarchy) ( root klepto+kratein = rule by thieves) is a term applied to a Kritarchy is a form of government ruled by judges It may have existed in Israel during the period of time described in the Book of Judges and exist in Somalia under the Meritocracy is a system of a government or another organization wherein Appointments are made and responsibilities are given based on demonstrated talent and Ability A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is An empire (from the Latin " Imperium " denoting military Command within the ancient Roman government) is a State that Ochlocracy ( Greek: οχλοκρατία or okhlokratía; Latin: ochlocratia) is government by mob or a mass of people Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy or power provided by wealth A puppet state is a State that is nominally independent but in reality under the control of another power A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Mixed government, also known as a mixed constitution, is a form of government that integrated facets of government by Democracy, Oligarchy, and Monarchy A constitutional Republic is a State where the Head of state and other officials are elected as representatives of the people and A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The term socialist state (or socialist republic, or workers' state) can carry one of several different (but related meanings In strictly speaking any A capitalist republic is a concept of government completely the reverse of Marxist thought A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of Party system Government in which a single Political party Technocracy: A form of government in which scientists and technical experts are in control "technocracy is described as that society in which those who govern justify themselves Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler Theodemocracy is a political system theorized by Joseph Smith Jr Constitutional theory defines a timocracy as either a State where only property owners may participate in Government; or a government Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally consists of a Social group existing before the development of or outside of States Many anthropologists use For other uses see Colony (disambiguation).

In politics and in history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Types of administrative and/or political territories include Many types of legally administered territories, each of which is a non-sovereign geographic area A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Colonies in antiquity were City-states founded from a mother- City A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. The metropolitan state is the state that owns the colony. In Ancient Greece, the city that owned a colony was called the metropolis within its political organization. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Mother country is a reference to the metropolitan state from the point of view of citizens who live in its colony. Today, the terms overseas territory or dependent territory are preferred. A dependent territory dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political Independence or Sovereignty as a A dependent territory dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political Independence or Sovereignty as a There is a United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. The United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories documents countries that according to the United Nations, are non- decolonized.

People who migrated to settle permanently in colonies controlled by their country of origin were called colonists or settlers. A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there often to colonize the area

A colony differs from a puppet state or satellite state in that a colony has no independent international representation, and the top-level administration of a colony is under direct control of the metropolitan state. A puppet state is a State that is nominally independent but in reality under the control of another power Satellite state is a political term that refers to a country which is formally independent but under heavy influence or control by another country

The term "informal colony" is used by some historians to describe a country which is under the de facto control of another state, although this description is often contentious.

Contents 1 Definitions 2 History 3 Colonies in ancient civilizations (examples) 4 Modern colonies (examples) 5 Current colonies (examples) 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Definitions

In the modern usage, colony is generally distinguished from overseas possession. In the former case, the local population, or at least the part of it not coming from the "metropolitan" (controlling) country, does not enjoy full citizenship rights. The political process is generally restricted, especially excluding questions of independence. In this case, there are settlers from a dominating foreign country, or countries, and often the property of indigenous peoples is seized, to provide the settlers with land. A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there often to colonize the area The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical Foreign mores, religions and/or legal systems are imposed. In some cases, the local population is held for unfree labour, is submitted to brutal force, or even to pfor legal independence movements to form; should they gain a majority in the oversea possession, the question of independence may be brought, for instance, to referendum. Unfree labour is a generic or collective term for those work relations especially in modern or early modern history in which people are employed against their will However, in some cases, settlers have come to outnumber indigenous people in overseas possessions, and it is possible for colonies to become overseas possessions, against the wishes of indigenous peoples. This often results in ongoing and long-lasting independence struggles by the descendants of the original inhabitants.

The word colony may also be used for countries that, while independent or considering themselves independent of a former colonizing power, still have a political and social structure where the rulers are a minority originating from the colonizing power. Such was the case with Rhodesia after the Unilateral Declaration of Independence. Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence This article is about declarations of independence in general

The term informed colony has also been used in relation to countries which, while they have never been conquered by force or officially ruled by a foreign power, have a clearly subordinate social or economic relationship to one.

History

Originally, as with the ancient (Hellenic) Greek apoikia (apoikia), the term colonization referred to the foundation of a new city or settlement, more often than not with nonviolent means (but see for instance the Athenian re-colonisation of Melos after wiping out the earlier settlement). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Colonies in antiquity were City-states founded from a mother- City Milos (in Greek, Μήλος &mdash not related to the modern word μήλο &ndash milo " Apple " The term colony is derived from the Latin colonia, which indicated a place meant for agricultural activities; these Roman colonies and others like them were in fact usually either conquered so as to be inhabited by these workers, or else established as a cheap way of securing conquests made for other reasons. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The name of the German city Koeln, which is "Cologne" in English, also derives from colonia. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In the modern era, communities founded by colonists or settlers became known as settler colonies. A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there often to colonize the area

The "Age of Discovery" began in the 15th century with the initiation of the vast Portuguese Empire and lasted until the mid-20th century. The Age of Discovery or Age of Exploration was a period from the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans explored The Portuguese Empire was the earliest and longest lived of the modern European colonial empires spanning almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta Curiously, the first great European colonial empire to be created, the Portuguese, was also the last one to be dismantled. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. In this long period, the Spanish, the British, the French, the Dutch, the German, and other Colonial Empires were created. The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world The Dutch Empire was the territories controlled by The Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century The German colonial empire was an overseas area formed in the late 19th century as part of the Hohenzollern dynasty's German Empire. During these centuries European states, the United States and others took political control of much of the world's population and landmass. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The term "colony" came to mean an overseas district with a majority indigenous population, administered by a distant colonial government. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical (Exceptions occurred: Russian colonies in Central Asia and Siberia, American settlements in the American West, and German colonies in Eastern Europe were not "overseas"; British colonies (or "overseas territories") like the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha lacked a native population. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Tristan da Cunha (ˈtrɪstən də ˈkuːnə is a group of remote volcanic Islands in the south Atlantic Ocean, 2816 km (1750 miles from South ). Most non-European countries were colonies of Europe at one time or another, or were handled in a quasi-colonial manner. The European colonies and former colonies in America made extensive use of slave labor, initially using the native population, then through the importation of slaves from black Africa. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another

There existed various statuses and modes of operation for foreign countries, direct control by the colonizing country being the most obvious. Some colonies were operated through corporations (the British East India Company for India; the Russian-American Company for Alaska; the Congo Free State under the very brutal rule of Leopold II of Belgium); some were run as protectorates. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Russian-American Company ( Under His Imperial Majesty's Protection Russian-American Company)was a state-sponsored Trading company begun by Grigory and Natalia Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The Congo Free State was a Corporate state privately controlled by Leopold II King of the Belgians through a dummy non-governmental organization the Leopold II (Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor Leopold Lodewijk Filips Maria Victor (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909 was King of the Belgians. In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect Quasi-colonies were run through proxy or puppet governments, generally kingdoms or dictatorships. For instance, it may be argued that Cuba before the Revolution was a quasi-colony of the United States, with an enormous influence of US economic and political interests; see banana republic. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Banana Republic is a chain of mainly United States based clothing stores founded by Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978 as a travel-themed

The United Kingdom used Australia as a penal colony: British convicts would be sent to forced labour there, with the added benefit that the freed convicts would settle in the colony and thus augment the European population there. A penal colony is a Settlement used to detain Prisoners and generally use them for Penal labour in an economically underdeveloped part of the state's Similarly, France once deported prostitutes and various "undesirables" to populate its colonies in North America, and until the 20th century operated a penitentiary on Devil's Island in French Guiana. For other uses see Devils Island. Devil's Island (Île du Diable is the smallest and northernmost island of the three Îles du Salut French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France

The independence of these colonies began with that of 13 colonies of Britain that formed the United States, finalised in 1783 with the conclusion of a war begun in 1776, and has continued until about the present time, with for example Algeria and East Timor being relinquished by European powers only in 1962 and 1975 respectively (although the latter was forcibly made an Indonesian possession instead of becoming fully independent). Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste (officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) is a country in Southeast Asia. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. This process is called decolonization, though the use of a single term obscures an important distinction between the process of the settler population breaking its links with the mother country while maintaining local political supremacy and that of the indigenous population reasserting themselves (possibly through the expulsion of the settler population). Decolonization refers to the undoing of Colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through the creation of settlements by another country or jurisdiction A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there often to colonize the area The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical

The movement towards decolonization was not uniform, with more newer powers, sometimes themselves ex-colonies or once threatened by colonial power, trying to carve a colonial empire. The United States, itself a former colony, expanded westwards. It also colonized Hawaii, and waged various wars and conduct armed expeditions so as to assert power over local governments (in Japan, with Commodore Perry and in Cuba, for example). The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Matthew Calbraith Perry ( April 10, 1794 &ndash March 4, 1858) was the Commodore of the U The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la European countries and the United States, exploiting the weakness of China's waning imperial regime, also maintained so-called international concessions in that country, a sort of colonial enclave; the coastal towns of Macau and Hong Kong were held on long-term leases by Portugal and the United Kingdom. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located During the first half of the 20th century, until its defeat the Second World War, Japan, once afraid of becoming a European or American colony, built itself a colonial empire in Korea, Taiwan, South Sakhalin, northeast part of China, and the Western Pacific, using brutal military force. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was signed on August 22, 1910 by the representatives of the Korean and Japanese Imperial Governments and was The Japanese colonial period, Japanese rule or the Imperial Japanese occupation, in the context of Taiwan 's history refers to the period between Sakhalin (Сахали́н səxʌˈlʲin Japanese:nihongo|樺太|karafuto or; Chinese: 庫頁 Kùyè also Saghalien, is a large elongated The Kwantung Leased Territory ( Chinese: 關東州 关东州 Guāndōngzhōu Japanese: 関東州 Kantōshū was a territory in the southern part of the Liaodong

Under the Geneva Conventions of 1949, it is a war crime to transfer, directly or indirectly, the civilian population of a country power onto land under that country's military occupation. The Geneva Conventions consist of four Treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for International law for humanitarian The reasoning for this crime is apparently to emphasise that it is now a violation of international law to annex territory through military force. This phrase describes many of acts of colonisation in the past, and arguably outlaws colonisation. Colonisation (also known as Colonization) occurs whenever any one or more species populates a new area

See also: British Empire, Belgian colonial empire, Portuguese Empire, Spanish Empire, Italian Empire, French colonial empire, Dutch colonial empire, Colonialism, Colonial mentality, Colonization, British Nationality Law, Slavery, Imperialism, New Imperialism, settler. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Belgian colonial empire consisted of three colonies possessed by Belgium between 1901 to 1962 The Portuguese Empire was the earliest and longest lived of the modern European colonial empires spanning almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries The Italian colonial empire was created after the Kingdom of Italy joined other European powers in establishing colonies overseas during the " Scramble for Africa France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world The Dutch Empire was the territories controlled by The Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism Colonial mentality refers to institutionalised or systemic feelings of inferiority within some societies or peoples who have been subjected to Colonialism, relative to the Colonisation (also known as Colonization) occurs whenever any one or more species populates a new area British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning Citizenship and other categories of British Nationality. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude New Imperialism refers to the colonial expansion adopted by Europe 's powers and later Japan and the United States, during the 19th A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there often to colonize the area

Compare protectorate, Crown colony, dominion, Proprietary colony. In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities under sovereign authority within the British Empire and A proprietary colony is a Colony in which one or more private land owners retain rights that are normally the privilege of the state and in all cases eventually became so

Colonies in ancient civilizations (examples)

• Carthage was a Phoenician colony
• Cyrene was a colony of the Greeks of Thera
• Naples formed as a Greek colony
• Durrës formed as a Greek colony dome
• South East Asia was an Indian colony

Modern colonies (examples)

• Indonesia was a Dutch colony for 350 years, from 1600 to 1945/49, occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun Cyrene (in Greek, Κυρήνη &ndash Kurene) was an ancient Greek Colony in present-day Libya, the oldest and most Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia.
• Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 to 1997, and Macau was a Portuguese colony until December 20, 1999. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)
• Parts of India were under the direct control of the government of the United Kingdom between 1858 and 1947. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located See also Crown colony. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom
• Taiwan was a colony of Japan between 1895 and 1945. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Prior to that, Taiwan was a territory and, briefly, a province of the Qing Empire. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China
• The Philippines was a colony of Spain, from 1521 to 1898, and became a United States territory at the close of the Spanish-American war in 1898. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Spanish East Indies The story of the Philippines from 1521 to 1898 is an exciting epic of how a handful of Christian missionaries Spanish conquistadores United States territory is any extent of Region under the Jurisdiction of the federal Government of the United States, including all It became a self-governing commonwealth in 1935, and fell under the Japanese_empire during World War II. This article is about US insular areas For US States that designate themselves as "Commonwealths" see Commonwealth (United States. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In 1946, the U. S. relinquished sovereignty and recognized the Philippines as an independent sovereign country. This article covers the history of the Philippines from the granting of independence in 1946 to the end of the presidency of Diosdado Macapagal. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself

Today, the colonizing European and North American powers hold few colonies in the traditional sense of the term, with exceptions in the case of the United States (including Puerto Rico and Guam - see next section), France and the UK (including the Falkland islands and the British Virgin Islands). Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The British Virgin Islands ( BVI) is a British overseas territory, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. Some of their former colonies have been integrated as dependent areas or have closer integration with the country. A dependent territory dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political Independence or Sovereignty as a

Current colonies (examples)

• Puerto Rico's subjection to United States sovereignty is considered by many countries to constitute a colonial imposition since Puerto Ricans are subject to laws passed by Congress without their consent and they are excluded from electoral participation in elections of the officials that hold ultimate sovereignty over their national government. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} A congress is a formal meeting of representatives from different countries (or by extension Constituent States, or independent organisations (such as different Trade ^[1] According to the U. S. President's Task Force Report on the Political Status of Puerto Rico^[2] (which was expressly endorsed by the George W. Bush Administration), the extent of United States power over Puerto Rico is so great, that the U. S. may dispose of Puerto Rico by transferring it to any other sovereign country as a mere disposition of property. ^[3] This view is shared by many supporters of independence and statehood for this Caribbean archipelago, as well as by supporters of an "enhanced" Commonwealth status. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting This article is about US insular areas For US States that designate themselves as "Commonwealths" see Commonwealth (United States. However, some other Puerto Ricans do not agree with this perception. In a recent letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Head of Government of Puerto Rico, Anibal Acevedo Vila, accused the United States of having deceived the United Nations and the international community in 1953, when it succeeded in having the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico recognized as a provisional decolonized status subject to continued monitoring; Acevedo-Vila claimed that it was ironic that this is the position taken by the Government of Iran and that the Governor of Puerto Rico will soon feel forced to support Iran's claims regarding the U. The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Condoleezza Rice (born November 14 1954 is the 66th United States The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The international community is a vague term used in International relations to refer to all the countries of the world or to a group of them The politics and government of Iran takes place in the framework of a Republic with an Islamic ideology For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. S. government's alleged-hypocritical actions with regards to Puerto Rico's "colonial" status. ^[4][5]

• Similarly, Guam's relationship to the United States is also considered by some to be colonial, as its citizens are also subject to the laws of Congress passed without their consent. Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A congress is a formal meeting of representatives from different countries (or by extension Constituent States, or independent organisations (such as different Trade Guam is formally known as an unincorporated territory. Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U
• The French Overseas Departments are integral regions, although seen by others as still modern day colonies under France. Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.
• Tokelau is a colony of New Zealand. Tokelau (ˈtoʊkəlaʊ is a territory of New Zealand that consists of three tropical coral Atolls in the South Pacific Ocean. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

See also

• List of dominant sovereign states and their servient territories
• Space colonization
• Settler colonialism
• Crown colony
• Proprietary colony
• Commonwealth

References

External links

• http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/trust3.htm - Non-self governing territories as listed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002

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