British Overseas Territories
British Overseas Territories
British Overseas Territories
BOTs redirects here. For other uses, see Bots (disam- sibility of the Minister for Europe David Lidington MP,
biguation) and Bot (disambiguation). while the Falkland Islands are the responsibility of Hugo
Swire MP, also of the Foreign Oce.[8][9][10]
The fourteen British Overseas Territories (BOT) are
territories under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the
United Kingdom.[1][2] They are those parts of the for- 1 Current overseas territories
mer British Empire that have not chosen independence
or have voted to remain British territories. While some The fourteen British Overseas Territories are:[11]
of the inhabited territories have their own internal lead-
ership, only a select few are self-governing. They share
the British monarch (Elizabeth II) as head of state.
2 History
The term British Overseas Territory was introduced by
the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, replacing the
Main articles: British Empire, Territorial evolution of the
term British Dependent Territory, introduced by the
British Empire and List of countries that have gained in-
British Nationality Act 1981. Prior to 1 January 1983, the
dependence from the United Kingdom
territories were ocially referred to as British Crown
Early colonies, in the sense of English subjects residing
Colonies. With the exceptions of the British Antarctic
Territory and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Is-
lands (which host only ocials and research station sta)
and the British Indian Ocean Territory (used as a mili-
tary base), the Territories retain permanent civilian pop-
ulations. Permanent residency for the 7,000 or so civil-
ians 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 and a land area of about 667,018
square miles (1,727,570 km2 ). The vast majority of
this, 660,000 square miles (1,700,000 km2 ), constitutes
the British Antarctic Territory.[3][4] The United Kingdom
participates in the Antarctic Treaty System[5] and, as part
of a mutual agreement, the British Antarctic Territory is
recognised by four of the other sovereign nations making St. Georges town, in the Islands of Bermuda, or The Somers
claims to Antarctic territory. Isles. The colony was founded by the wrecking of the agship of
the Virginia Company in 1609. The Companys charter was ex-
Although the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey
tended to include Bermuda in 1612, and it has remained a British
and the Isle of Man are also under the sovereignty of colony ever since. Since the rebellion of Virginia, it has been the
the British monarch, they are in a dierent constitutional oldest-remaining British colony, and the town of St. Georges
relationship with the United Kingdom.[6][7] The British is the oldest continuously inhabited British settlement in the New
Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are them- World.[32]
selves distinct from the Commonwealth realms, a group
of 15 independent countries (and the United Kingdom) in lands hitherto outside the control of the English gov-
which each also have Queen Elizabeth II as their reign- ernment, were generally known as "Plantations".
ing monarch, and from the Commonwealth of Nations,
The rst, unocial, colony was Newfoundland, where
a voluntary association of 53 countries mostly with his-
English shermen routinely set up seasonal camps in the
toric links to the British Empire (which also includes all
16th century.[33] It is now a province of Canada known
Commonwealth realms).
as Newfoundland and Labrador. It retains strong cultural
The current minister responsible for the Territories is ties with Britain.
James Duddridge MP, of the Foreign Oce. Gibraltar
English colonisation of North America began ocially
and the Sovereign Base Areas, however, are the respon-
in 1607 with the settlement of Jamestown, the rst suc-
1
2 3 GOVERNMENT
3.3 Legal system Tristan da Cunha on 6 February 2013, as seen from space. The
population was temporarily evacuated to the UK in 1961 because
of an eruption. Postal code TDCU 1ZZ
Each overseas territory has its own legal system indepen-
dent of the United Kingdom. The legal system is gen-
erally based on English common law, with some distinc-
tions for local circumstances. Each territory has its own
attorney general, and court system. For the smaller terri-
tories, the UK may appoint a UK-based lawyer or judge
to work on legal cases. This is particularly important for
cases involving serious crimes and where it is impossible
to nd a jury who will not know the defendant in a small
population island.
Many of them, such as Isle of Man, Cayman islands and
Bermuda are used as tax havens and as ags of conve-
nience for ships as part of the Red Ensign group.[43]
The Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004 is an example of
how the UK may choose to provide the legal framework
for particular cases where the territory cannot do so alone. Coastline at Little Bay, the site of the new capital of Montser-
rat replacing Plymouth. The project is funded by the[45] UKs
Department for International Development.
bers of the EU, the main body of EU law does not apply
and, although certain slices of EU law are applied to those
territories as part of the EUs Association of Overseas
Countries and Territories (OCT Association), they are
not commonly enforceable in local courts. The OCT As-
sociation also provides overseas territories with structural
funding for regeneration projects.
Since the return of full British citizenship[53] to most 'be-
longers of overseas territories (mainly since the British
Overseas Territories Act 2002), the citizens of those ter-
ritories hold concurrent European Union citizenship, giv-
ing them rights of free movement across all EU member
states. Thousands of Gibraltarians dress in their national colours of red
Several nations dispute the UKs sovereignty in the fol- and white during the 2013 Gibraltar National Day celebrations.
lowing overseas territories:
exodus of the citizens of Hong Kong to the UK before the
Akrotiri and Dhekelia claimed by Cyprus agreed handover to China in 1997. Exception was made
for the Falkland Islands, which had been invaded in 1982
British Antarctic Territory Territory overlaps by Argentina. Full British citizenship was soon returned
Antarctic claims made by Chile and Argentina to the people of Gibraltar having regard to the friction
with Spain.
British Indian Ocean Territory claimed by
Mauritius and Seychelles However, the British Overseas Territories Act 2002
replaced British Dependent Territory citizenship with
Falkland Islands claimed by Argentina British Overseas Territories citizenship (BOTC), and re-
stored full British citizenship to all BOTCs except those
Gibraltar claimed by Spain from Akrotiri and Dhekelia. This restored to BOTCs the
right to reside in the UK.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
claimed by Argentina British citizens, however, do not have an automatic right
to reside in any of the Overseas Territories. Some territo-
ries prohibit immigration, and any visitors are required to
4.2 Citizenship seek the permission of the territorys government to live
in the territory.
Main article: British Overseas Territories citizen
4.3 Military
None of the overseas territories has its own nationality
status, and all citizens are classed as British Overseas Ter-
ritories citizens (BOTC). They do, however, have legisla-
tive independence over immigration, and holding the sta-
tus of a BOTC does not automatically give a person a right
of abode in any of the territories, as it depends on the ter-
ritorys immigration laws. A territory may issue Belonger
status to allow a person classed as a BOTC to reside in
the territory that they have close links with. Non-BOTC
citizens may acquire Belonger status to reside in a partic-
ular territory (and may subsequently become naturalised
BOTC if they wish).
Historically, most inhabitants of the British Empire held
the status of British subject, which was usually lost upon
independence. From 1949, British subjects in the United RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands
Kingdom and the remaining colonies became citizens of
the United Kingdom and Colonies. However changes in Defence of the Overseas Territories is the responsibility
British immigration and nationality law between 1962 of the UK. Many of the overseas territories are used as
and 1983 saw the creation of a separate British Depen- military bases by the UK and its allies.
dent Territories citizenship (BDTC) with eect from Jan-
uary 1983. Citizens in most territories were stripped of Ascension Island (part of Saint Helena, Ascension
full British citizenship. This was mainly to prevent a mass and Tristan da Cunha) the Base known as RAF
6 7 SPORTS
Ascension Island is used by both the Royal Air Force NZ dollar, or their own currencies, which may be pegged
and the United States Air Force. to one of these.
Bermuda became the primary Royal Navy base in
America, following US independence. The Naval
establishment included an admiralty, a dockyard, 6 Symbols and insignia
and a naval squadron. A considerable military
garrison was built up to protect it, and Bermuda,
which the British Government came to see as a
base, rather than as a colony, was known as Fortress
Bermuda, and the Gibraltar of the West (Bermudi-
ans, like Gibraltarians, also dub their territory The
Rock).[54] Canada and the USA also established
bases in Bermuda during the Second World War,
which were maintained through the Cold War. Four
air bases were located in Bermuda during the Sec-
ond World War (operated by the Royal Air Force,
Royal Navy, US Navy, and US Army/Royal Air
Force). Since 1995, the military force in Bermuda
has been reduced to the local territorial battalion, the
Royal Bermuda Regiment. Overseas Territories ags in Parliament Square in 2013
British Indian Ocean Territory the island of Diego
Each overseas territory has been granted its own ag and
Garcia is home to a large naval base and airbase
coat of arms by the British monarch. Traditionally, the
leased to the United States by the United Kingdom
ags follow the Blue Ensign design, with the Union Flag
until 2036 (unless renewed), but either government
in the canton, and the territorys coat of arms in the y.
can opt out of the agreement in 2016. There are
Exceptions to this are Bermuda which uses a Red Ensign;
British forces in small numbers in the BIOT for ad-
British Antarctic Territory which uses a White Ensign;
ministrative and immigration purposes.
British Indian Ocean Territory which uses a Blue Ensign
Falkland Islands the British Forces Falkland Is- with wavy lines to symbolise the sea; and Gibraltar which
lands includes commitments from the British Army, uses a banner of its coat of arms (the ag of the city of
Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Gibraltar).
Akrotiri and Dhekelia and Saint Helena, Ascension and
Gibraltar British Forces Gibraltar includes a Royal
Tristan da Cunha are the only British overseas territories
Navy dockyard (also used by NATO), RAF Gibral-
without their own ag. The Union Flag is used in these
tar used by the RAF and NATO and a local garri-
territories.
son the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
in Cyprus maintained as strategic British military 7 Sports
bases in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Montserrat the Royal Montserrat Defence Force, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Is-
historically connected with the Irish Guards, is a lands are the only British Overseas Territories with recog-
body of twenty volunteers, whose duties are primar- nised National Olympic Committees (NOCs); the British
ily ceremonial.[55] Olympic Association is recognised as the appropriate
NOC for athletes from the other territories, and thus ath-
Saint Helena it has been speculated[56] that the new letes who hold a British passport are eligible to represent
Saint Helena Airport might be used for military pur- Great Britain at the Olympic Games.[62]
poses but this has neither been conrmed nor de-
Shara Proctor from Anguilla, Delano Williams from
nied.
the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jenaya Wade-Fray from
Bermuda[63] and Georgina Cassar from Gibraltar[64]
strived to represent Team GB at the London 2012
5 Currencies Olympics. Proctor, Wade-Fray and Cassar[64] qualied
for Team GB, with Williams missing the cut, however
Main article: List of British currencies wishing to represent the UK in 2016.[65][66]
The Gibraltar national football team was accepted into
The many British overseas territories use a varied assort- UEFA in 2013 in time for the 2016 European Champi-
ment of currencies, including the euro, pound, US dollar, onships. It has also applied to be part of FIFA and hopes
7
to be accepted in time for eligibility for the 2018 FIFA British overseas territory citizens in the mainland
World Cup qualifying. United Kingdom
Colonial Department
8 Biodiversity Secretary of State for the Colonies
Colonial Oce
The World Heritage Sites of the UK (Overseas Territo-
ries): The natural sites of Gough and Inaccessible Islands Universities in British Overseas Territories
and Henderson Island are marked green, the cultural
site of the Historic Town of St George and Related United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association
Fortications, Bermuda is marked red. (UKOTA)
[11] "[ARCHIVED CONTENT] UK Overseas Terri- [33] Newfoundland History Early Colonization and Settle-
tories Foreign & Commonwealth Oce. Collec- ment of Newfoundland. Faculty.marianopolis.edu. Re-
tions.europarchive.org. Retrieved 8 December 2010. trieved 8 December 2010.
[12] SBA Cyprus. Jncc.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 December [34] Copyright 2015 The University of North Carolina at
2010. Chapel Hill. UNC Press - In the Eye of All Trade.
[13] British Antarctic Territory. Jncc.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 [35] In the Eye of All Trade: Bermuda, Bermudians, and the
December 2010. Maritime Atlantic World, 1680-1783.
[14] Commonwealth Secretariat Anguilla. Thecommon- [36] Statute of Westminster 1931 (UK) CHAPTER 4 22 and
wealth.org. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 23 Geo 5
[15] UNdata | record view | Surface area in km2. United [37] The Commonwealth About Us; Online September 2014
Nations. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
[38] Population. Census and Statistics Department. Hong
[16] Bermuda. Jncc.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2010. Kong Statistics. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
[17] Commonwealth Secretariat British Antarctic Terri- [39] British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (text online): S. 3:
tory. Thecommonwealth.org. Retrieved 8 December Any person who, immediately before the commencement
2010. of this section, is a British overseas territories citizen shall,
on the commencement of this section, become a British
[18] British Indian Ocean Territory. Jncc.gov.uk. Retrieved citizen.
8 December 2010.
[40] Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly. Falk-
[19] Commonwealth Secretariat British Indian Ocean Ter- lands.gov.fk. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
ritory. Thecommonwealth.org. Retrieved 8 December
2010. [41] Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitu-
tion Order 2009 (at OPSI)". Opsi.gov.uk. 16 July 2010.
[20] British Virgin Islands (BVI)". Jncc.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 Retrieved 8 December 2010.
December 2010.
[42] Press Release No. 133/2007. Government of Gibraltar
[21] The World Factbook: Cayman Islands. CIA. Retrieved Press Oce.
10 December 2011.
[43] Carlisle, Rodney (December 1982). Sovereignty for Sale
[22] Commonwealth Secretariat Falkland Islands. (1st ed.). USA: naval institute Press. ISBN 0870216686.
Thecommonwealth.org. 14 June 1982. Retrieved 8
December 2010. [44] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/
overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2015-communique
[23] Gibraltar. Jncc.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
[45] Little Bay Development. Projects.dd.gov.uk. Re-
[24] Commonwealth Secretariat Gibraltar. Thecommon- trieved 28 April 2013.
wealth.org. 7 November 2002. Retrieved 8 December
2010. [46] British Overseas Territories Law, Ian Hendry and Susan
Dickson, Hart Publishing, Oxford, 2011, p. 340
[25] Montserrat. Jncc.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
[47] Sovereign Base Areas, Background. Sovereign Base Ar-
[26] Pitcairn Island. Jncc.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 December eas, Cyprus. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
2010.
[48] UK Overseas Territories.
[27] UN Statistics St Helena census 2008 (PDF). United
Nations. Retrieved 4 January 2011. [49] The Overseas Territories: security, success and sustain-
ability (PDF). Foreign & Commonwealth Oce. 28
[28] Territories: St Helena, Ascension, Tristan da Cunha. June 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
BBC. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
[50] British nancial ocials in the region for talks with de-
[29] Vital Statistics SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH pendent territories By Oscar Ramjeet, CaribbeanNet-
SANDWICH ISLANDS. 22 January 1993. CIA News, (Published on Saturday, 21 March 2009) Archived
WORLD FACTBOOK 1992 via the Libraries of the 25 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis.
[51] MP proposes British Overseas Territories be represented
[30] Population of Grytviken, South Georgia and the South in Westminster MercoPress. En.mercopress.com. Re-
Sandwich Islands. Population.mongabay.com. 31 March trieved 28 April 2013.
2009. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
[52] HM Government e-petitions. Epetitions.direct.gov.uk.
[31] Turks and Caicos Islands. Jncc.gov.uk. 1 November Retrieved 28 April 2013.
2009. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
[53] Any person who, immediately before the commencement of
[32] Bermuda History and Heritage. Smithsonian.com. 6 this section, is a British overseas territories citizen shall, on
November 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2008. the commencement of this section, become a British citizen.
9
[60] British Indian Ocean Territory Currency. George Drower, Britains Dependent Territories
Wwp.greenwichmeantime.com. 6 March 2013. (Dartmouth, 1992)
Retrieved 28 April 2013.
George Drower, Overseas Territories Handbook
[61] Commemorative UK Pounds and Stamps issued in GBP (London: TSO, 1998)
have been issued. Source:,
Ian Hendry and Susan Dickson, British Overseas
[62] Overseas Territories. House of Commons Foreign Aairs Territories Law (London: Hart Publishing, 2011)
Select Committee.
Ben Fogle, The Teatime Islands: Adventures in
[63] Stephen Wright (28 July 2012). Representing Britains Faraway Outposts (London: Michael
Britain...and Bermuda | Bermuda Olympics 2012. Joseph, 2003)
Royalgazette.com. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
Bonham C. Richardson (16 January 1992). The
[64] London, Bianca (24 July 2012). You've heard of Victo- Caribbean in the Wider World, 14921992. Cam-
ria Pendleton and Jessica Ennis... now meet the OTHER bridge University Press. Retrieved 8 December
Olympic babes going for gold. Daily Mail. Retrieved 28 2010.
July 2012.
[68] Turks and Caicos Islands UNESCO World Heritage British Overseas Territories Act 2002 Text of the
Centre. Whc.unesco.org. 27 January 2012. Retrieved Act
28 April 2013.
13.2 Images
File:Bermuda-Harbour_and_Town_of_St_George.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/
Bermuda-Harbour_and_Town_of_St_George.jpg License: CC BY 2.5 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.
Original artist: Aodhdubh at English Wikipedia
File:BritishAntarcticTerritory.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/BritishAntarcticTerritory.svg Li-
cense: OGL Contributors: adapted from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/queen-elizabeth-land Original artist: Foreign and Com-
monwealth Oce
File:British_Overseas.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/British_Overseas.png License: CC BY-SA
3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: George Bozanko
File:British_Overseas_Territories_Joint_Ministerial_Council_with_Cameron.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/a/a1/British_Overseas_Territories_Joint_Ministerial_Council_with_Cameron.jpg License: OGL Contributors: Flickr Original
artist: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/ Foreign and Commonwealth Oce]
File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Anguilla.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Coat_of_arms_of_Anguilla.svg
License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Vectorized by Froztbyte
File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Ascension_Island.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Coat_of_Arms_of_
Ascension_Island.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: HowFalcons
13.2 Images 11