| ORGANIZATIONAL TERM |
DEFINITION |
|---|
| A jurisdiction that is neither a part of one of the
several States nor a Federal district. This is the current generic term
to refer to any commonwealth, freely associated state, possession or
territory or Territory and from July 18, 1947, until October 1, 1994,
the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Unmodified, it may refer not
only to a jurisdiction which is under United States sovereignty but
also to one which is not, i.e., a freely
associated state or, 1947-94, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
or one of the districts of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. |
| An independent or non-independent jurisdiction which
itself possesses or whose people possess in their own right the
jurisdiction's supreme authority, regardless of the jurisdiction's or
people's current ability to exercise that authority. |
| Equivalent to territory. Although it still appears in Federal statutes and regulations, possession is no longer current colloquial usage. |
| An organized United States insular area, which has
established with the Federal Government, a more highly developed
relationship, usually embodied in a written mutual agreement. Currently,
two United States insular areas are commonwealths,
the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico. A United States insular
area from April 11, 1899, the Philippine Islands achieved commonwealth
status on March 24, 1934 (Public Law 73-127), and remained as such
until the United States recognized the Philippine Islands' independence
and sovereignty as of July 4, 1946. |
| Equivalent to Territory, a
United States insular area, of which only one territory exists
currently, Palmyra Atoll, in which the United States Congress has
applied the full corpus of the United States
Constitution as it applies in the several States. Incorporation is
interpreted as a perpetual state. Once incorporated, the Territory can
no longer be de-incorporated. |
| An incorporated United States insular area, of which
only one exists currently, Palmyra Atoll. With an area of 1.56 square
miles, Palmyra consists of about fifty small islands and lies
approximately one thousand miles south of Honolulu. |
| unincorporated territory |
A United States insular area in which the United
States Congress has determined that only selected parts of the United
States Constitution apply. |
| An unincorporated United States insular area, of
which there are currently thirteen, three in the Caribbean (Navassa
Island, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands) and ten in the
Pacific (American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis
Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, the Northern Mariana
Islands and Wake Atoll). |
| organic act |
The body of laws that the United Congress has
enacted for the government of a United States insular area; it usually
includes a bill of rights and the establishment and conditions of the
insular area's tripartite government. |
| A United States insular area for which the United States Congress has enacted an organic act. |
| unorganized territory |
An unincorporated United States insular area for which the United States Congress has not enacted an organic act. |
| Compact of Free Association |
The status of free association recognizes an island
government as a sovereign, self-governing state with the capacity to
conduct foreign affairs consistent with the terms of the Compact. The
Compact places full responsibility for military defense with the United
States. The basic relationship of free association continues
indefinitely; the economic provisions of the Compact are subject to
renegotiation at the end of 15 years. |
| Disputed Island |
Formerly or currently considered U.S. possession by
the U.S. The U.S., through negotiation, has disclaimed ownership of most
islands in favor of another country. Two islands remain contested. |
