View source for Insular area

{{Short description|U.S. territory that is neither a U.S. state nor the District of Columbia}}
{{Distinguish|text=the ISO statistical designation [[United States Minor Outlying Islands]]}}

[[File:US insular areas SVG.svg|alt=A world map highlighting the several island claims of the United States|thumb|600px|Locations of the insular areas of the United States, color-coded to indicate status
{{Legend|#336733|The [[U.S. state|50 states]] and the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]}}
{{Legend|#C000C0|Incorporated unorganized territory}}
{{legend|#000080|Unincorporated organized territory}}
{{legend|#FF9933|Unincorporated organized territory with [[Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|Commonwealth]] status}}
{{legend|#FF8080|Unincorporated unorganized territory}}
{{legend|#00d180|[[Compact of Free Association]]}}]]

In the [[law of the United States]], an '''insular area''' is a U.S.-associated jurisdiction that is not part of a [[U.S. state]] or the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]. This includes fourteen [[Territories of the United States|U.S. territories]] administered under U.S. sovereignty, as well as three [[sovereign state]]s each with a [[Compact of Free Association]] with the United States.<ref name=USDoI>{{cite web |url=https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/politicatypes |title=Definitions of Insular Area Political Organizations |date=12 June 2015 |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=March 3, 2018 |archive-date=13 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713013603/https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/politicatypes |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="usc_42">{{USCode|42|5204|1}}</ref> The term also may be used to refer to the previous status of the [[Swan Islands, Honduras|Swan Islands]], [[Hawaii]], and the [[Philippines]], as well as the [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]] when it existed.

Three of the U.S. territories are in the [[Caribbean Sea]], eleven are in the [[Pacific Ocean]], and all three freely associated states are also in the Pacific. Two additional Caribbean territories are disputed and administered by [[Colombia]].

[[Article Four of the United States Constitution#Clause 2: Property Clause|Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2]] of the [[Constitution of the United States|U.S. Constitution]] grants to the [[United States Congress]] the responsibility of overseeing the territories.{{efn|Although an [[archaism]], some older federal statutes and regulations still in force refer to insular areas as ''insular possessions''.}} A series of [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] decisions known as the [[Insular Cases]] created a distinction between "incorporated territories", where the full [[Constitution of the United States]] applies, and "[[Territories of the United States#Incorporated vs. unincorporated territories|unincorporated territories]]", where only basic protections apply. The only current incorporated territory, [[Palmyra Atoll]], is uninhabited.

A U.S. territory is considered "organized" when the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] passes an [[organic act]] for it.<ref name=USDoI/> Three of the U.S. territories with a permanent non-military population have constitutions, and all five have locally elected territorial legislatures and executives, and some degree of political [[autonomy]]. Four of the five are "organized", but [[American Samoa]] is technically "[[Territories of the United States#Organized vs. unorganized territories|unorganized]]" and subject to the direct jurisdiction of the [[Office of Insular Affairs]].

[[File:Ofu Beach American Samoa US National Park Service.jpg|thumb|Beach in American Samoa]]

== History ==
The first insular areas that the United States occupied were Baker Island, Howland Island and Navassa Island (1857) then Johnston Atoll and Jarvis Island (both in 1858) would be claimed. After the [[Spanish–American War]] in 1898, several territories were taken that are still under U.S. sovereignty (Puerto Rico and Guam, both in 1898).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tagliaferro|first=Linda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6LnhfT8K5I0C&q=puerto+rico+guam+1898&pg=PA27|title=Puerto Rico in Pictures|date=2004-01-01|publisher=Twenty-First Century Books|isbn=978-0-8225-0936-3|language=en|access-date=2020-10-02|archive-date=2023-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630101736/https://books.google.com/books?id=6LnhfT8K5I0C&q=puerto+rico+guam+1898&pg=PA27|url-status=live}}</ref> Palmyra Atoll was annexed along with the Republic of Hawaii (formerly a Kingdom) that same year. American Samoa was reclaimed the following year (1899). In 1917, at the height of [[World War I]], Denmark sold the [[Danish Virgin Islands]] to the United States.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IYCyAAAAIAAJ&q=united+states+denmark+1917&pg=PA809|title=Statistical Abstract of the United States 2001: The National Data Book|date=2001|publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistical Administration, Bureau of the Census|isbn=978-0-934213-84-4|language=en|access-date=2020-10-02|archive-date=2023-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630101736/https://books.google.com/books?id=IYCyAAAAIAAJ&q=united+states+denmark+1917&pg=PA809|url-status=live}}</ref>

The U.S. Navy annexed Kingman Reef in 1922. [[Spain]] had sold the [[Northern Mariana Islands]] to Germany in 1899.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Goldberg|first=Walter M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KWdCDwAAQBAJ&q=spain+germany+1899&pg=PA158|title=The Geography, Nature and History of the Tropical Pacific and its Islands|date=2017-12-08|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-319-69532-7|language=en|access-date=2020-10-02|archive-date=2023-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630101736/https://books.google.com/books?id=KWdCDwAAQBAJ&q=spain+germany+1899&pg=PA158|url-status=live}}</ref> The islands passed to Japan, which in turn lost them to the United States in 1945 after the end of World War II.

The [[Marshall Islands]] became self-governing in 1979 and fully independent along with the [[Federated States of Micronesia]] in 1986. [[Palau]] achieved independence in 1994.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clinton |first=William J |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NCThAwAAQBAJ&q=united+states+palau+1994&pg=PA1316|title=Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton, 1994|date=1994-01-01|publisher=Best Books on|isbn=978-1-62376-794-5|language=en|access-date=2020-10-02|archive-date=2023-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630101737/https://books.google.com/books?id=NCThAwAAQBAJ&q=united+states+palau+1994&pg=PA1316|url-status=live}}</ref> The three countries maintain sovereignty with free association status with the United States, which provides them with defense assistance and economic resources.

===Timeline===
;August 28, 1867
:Captain [[William Reynolds (US Navy officer)|William Reynolds]] of the [[USS Lackawanna (1862)|USS ''Lackawanna'']] formally took possession of the [[Midway Atoll]] for the United States.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060101232205/http://www.janeresture.com/midway/ Midway Islands History]. Janeresture.com. (archived from [http://www.janeresture.com/midway/  the original] on January 1, 2006)</ref>
;August 13, 1898
:[[United States Navy]] under Admiral [[George Dewey]], [[United States Army]]'s [[Eighth Army Corps (Spanish–American War)|Eighth Army Corps]] under Major General [[Wesley Merritt]], and Lieutenant General [[Arthur MacArthur Jr.]] captured the [[City of Manila]] from Spain after Governor-General of the Philippines [[Fermin Jáudenes]] surrendered the city, which then remained Spanish-occupied even after the declaration of Philippine Independence from Spain and the establishment of the [[First Philippine Republic]] on June 12, 1898. 
;February 4, 1899
:[[Philippine–American War]] began between the [[First Philippine Republic]] and the newly arrived [[United States Military Government of the Philippine Islands|US Military Government]].
;April 11, 1899
:The [[Treaty of Paris (1898)|Treaty of Paris of 1898]] came into effect, transferring [[Guam]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Puerto Rico]] from Spain to the United States, all three becoming [[Organized territory#Unincorporated unorganized territories|unorganized, unincorporated]] territories. Puerto Rico's official name was changed to ''Porto Rico'', a phonetic reinterpretation of the Spanish name for the territory.
;April 12, 1900
:The [[Foraker Act]] becomes effective, making [[Puerto Rico]] an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States.<ref>''The World Almanac & Book of Facts 1901'', p93</ref>
;June 7, 1900
:The United States took control of the portion of the [[Samoan Islands]] given to it by the [[Treaty of Berlin, 1899|Treaty of Berlin of 1899]], creating the [[Organized territory#Unincorporated unorganized territories|unorganized, unincorporated]] territory of [[American Samoa]].
;April 1, 1901
:General [[Emilio Aguinaldo]], [[President of the Philippines|President]] of the [[First Philippine Republic]] and Filipino leader in the [[Philippine–American War]], surrendered to the United States, allowing the U.S. to form a civilian government for the Philippines.
;August 29, 1916
:The Philippine Autonomy Act or [[Jones Law (Philippines)|Jones Law]] was signed, promising the [[Philippines]] independence.
;March 2, 1917
:[[Jones–Shafroth Act]] reorganized [[Puerto Rico]]. This act conferred [[United States citizenship]] on all citizens of Puerto Rico.
;March 31, 1917
:The United States purchased the [[Danish West Indies]] and renamed it as [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]] under the terms of a treaty with [[Denmark]].<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.dkconsulateusvi.com/TRANSFER/transfer.html 
 |title=Transfer Day 
 |access-date=August 10, 2006 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628174027/http://www.dkconsulateusvi.com/TRANSFER/transfer.html 
 |archive-date=June 28, 2007 
 |df=mdy 
}}</ref>
;May 17, 1932
:The name of Porto Rico was changed to [[Puerto Rico]].<ref name="Puerto Rico">{{cite web
|url=http://statoids.com/upr.html
|title=Municipalities of Puerto Rico
|publisher=Statoids
|access-date=August 10, 2006
|archive-date=May 26, 2006
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526231931/http://www.statoids.com/upr.html
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
;March 24, 1934
:The [[Tydings–McDuffie Act]] was signed allowing the creation of the [[Commonwealth of the Philippines]].
;November 15, 1935
:The [[Commonwealth of the Philippines]] officially inaugurated [[Manuel L. Quezon]] as the President of the Philippine Commonwealth, held at the steps of the [[National Museum of Fine Arts (Manila)|Old Legislative Building]]. The event was attended by 300,000 Filipinos.
;December 8, 1941
: [[Commonwealth of the Philippines]] was [[Japanese occupation of the Philippines|invaded and occupied by Japan]] during [[World War Two]], initiating "the most destructive event ever to take place on U.S. soil".<ref name="Immerwahr">{{cite book |last1=Immerwahr |first1=Daniel |title=How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States |date=2019 |location=New York |isbn=978-0-3741-7214-5 |edition=First |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux }}</ref> Over 1,100,000 [[Filipino American]] civilians died during the war.<ref name="Immerwahr"/>
;February 3 - March 3, 1945
: The month long [[Battle of Manila (1945)|Liberation of Manila]] led by General [[Douglas MacArthur]] took place, and consequently resulted in [[Manila Massacre]] committed by the Japanese forces throughout the Battle of Manila. An estimated 100,000 Manila civilians were killed during the massacre.
;August 1945
: The United States regains full control of its colony of the Philippines following the [[Philippines campaign (1944–45)|Philippines campaign]].<ref name="Immerwahr"/>
;July 4, 1946
:The United States formally recognized the [[Republic Day (Philippines)|Philippine independence]], establishing the [[Third Philippine Republic]], which inaugurated [[Manuel Roxas]] as the President of the independent Philippines. The independence ceremonies and inauguration rites were held at the [[Quirino Grandstand]].
;July 14, 1947
:The [[United Nations]] granted the [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]] to the United States, consisting primarily of many islands fought over during World War II, and including what is now the [[Marshall Islands]], the [[Carolina Islands]], [[Federated States of Micronesia]], [[Northern Mariana Islands]], and [[Palau]]. It was a [[United Nations Trust Territories|trusteeship]], and not a territory of the United States.
;August 5, 1947
:The [[Privileges and Immunities Clause]] regarding the rights, privileges, and immunities of citizens of the United States was expressly extended to Puerto Rico by the [[U.S. Congress]] through federal law codified in Title 48 the United States Code as {{USC|48|737}} and signed by President [[Harry S. Truman]]. This law indicates that the rights, privileges, and immunities of citizens of the United States shall be respected in Puerto Rico to the same extent as though Puerto Rico were a State of the Union and subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 of section 2 of article IV of the Constitution of the United States.
;July 1, 1950
:The [[Guam Organic Act of 1950|Guam Organic Act]] came into effect, [[Organized territory|organizing]] [[Guam]] as an unincorporated territory.<ref name="Insular">{{cite web
|url=http://www.doi.gov/pfm/acct97/insular.html
|title=Relationship with the Insular Areas
|publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior
|access-date=August 10, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060526170126/http://www.doi.gov/pfm/acct97/insular.html |archive-date = May 26, 2006}}</ref>
;July 25, 1952
:[[Puerto Rico]] becomes a [[Commonwealth (United States insular area)|Commonwealth]] of the United States with the ratification of its constitution.<ref name="Puerto Rico" />
;July 22, 1954
:The organic act for the [[United States Virgin Islands]] went into effect, making them an [[Organized territory#Unincorporated organized territories|unincorporated, organized]] territory.<ref name="Insular" />
;July 1, 1967
:[[American Samoa]]'s constitution became effective. Even though no organic act was passed, this move to self-government made American Samoa similar to an organized territory.<ref name="Insular" />
;September 12, 1967
:[[Article Three of the United States Constitution]], was expressly extended to the [[United States District Court]] for [[United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico|the District of Puerto Rico]] by the [[U.S. Congress]] through the federal law 89-571, 80 Stat. 764, this law was signed by President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]].
;January 1, 1978
:The [[Northern Mariana Islands]] left the [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]] to become a [[Commonwealth (United States insular area)|commonwealth]] of the United States, making them an unincorporated and organized territory.<ref name="Insular" /><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://statoids.com/ump.html
|title=Municipalities of Northern Mariana Islands
|publisher=Statoids
|access-date=August 10, 2006
|archive-date=August 21, 2006
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821010838/http://www.statoids.com/ump.html
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
;January 9, 1978
:The [[Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Constitution]], which had been ratified by voters on March 6, 1977, goes into effect.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CNMI Constitution |url=https://cnmilaw.org/cons.php#gsc.tab=0 |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=cnmilaw.org |archive-date=2023-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601075323/https://www.cnmilaw.org/cons.php#gsc.tab=0 |url-status=live }}</ref> 
;October 21, 1986
:The [[Marshall Islands]] attained independence from the [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]], though the trusteeship granted by the [[United Nations]] technically did not end until December 22, 1990. The Marshall Islands remained in [[Compact of Free Association|free association]] with the United States.
;November 3, 1986
:The [[Federated States of Micronesia]] attained independence from the [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]], and remained in [[Compact of Free Association|free association]] with the United States.
;December 22, 1990
:The [[United Nations]] terminated the [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]] for all but the [[Palau]] district.
;May 25, 1994
:The [[United Nations]] terminated the [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]] for the [[Palau]] district, ending the territory and making [[Palau]] {{Lang|la|[[de facto]]}} independent, as it was not a territory of the United States.
;October 1, 1994
:[[Palau]] attained {{Lang|la|de jure}} independence, but it remained in [[Compact of Free Association|free association]] with the United States.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1840.htm
|title=Background Note: Palau
|publisher=Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
|access-date=August 10, 2006
|archive-date=January 21, 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121153237/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1840.htm
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
;December 11, 2012
:The [[Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico]] enacted a [[concurrent resolution]] to request the [[U.S. President|president]] and the [[Congress of the United States]] to respond diligently and effectively, and to act on the demand of the people of Puerto Rico, as freely and democratically expressed in the plebiscite held on November 6, 2012, to end, once and for all, its current form of territorial status and to begin the process to admit Puerto Rico to the Union as a State.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.puertoricoreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2012-concurrent-resolution.pdf |title=The Senate and the House of Representative of Puerto Rico Concurrent Resolution |access-date=2021-09-01 |archive-date=2013-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320043957/http://www.puertoricoreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2012-concurrent-resolution.pdf |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
;December 22, 2022 : The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the [[Puerto Rico Status Act]]. The act sought to resolve Puerto Rico's status and its relationship to the United States through a binding plebiscite to be held in November 2023;<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-status-act-house-vote-territory-plebiscite-rcna61871|title=House votes in favor of resolving Puerto Rico's territorial status|work=NBC News|first=Nicole|last=Acevedo|date=December 15, 2022|access-date=February 15, 2023|archive-date=February 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216003316/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-status-act-house-vote-territory-plebiscite-rcna61871|url-status=live}}</ref> however, the Senate never acted on the bill.<ref name=Acevedo2023/>
; April 20, 2023 : Puerto Rico Status Act re-introduced in U.S. House with the plebiscite to be held in November 2025.<ref name=Acevedo2023>{{cite news |last1=Acevedo |first1=Nicole |title=Bill to resolve Puerto Rico's territorial status reintroduced in the House |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-status-bill-house-reintroduced-territory-rcna80628 |access-date=9 June 2023 |publisher=NBC News |date=April 20, 2023 |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608160144/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-status-bill-house-reintroduced-territory-rcna80628 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Citizenship==
Congress has extended citizenship rights by birth to all inhabited territories except [[American Samoa]], and these citizens may vote and run for office in any U.S. jurisdiction in which they are residents. The people of [[American Samoa]] are [[United States nationality law#Nationals|U.S. nationals]] by place of birth, or they are U.S. citizens by parentage, or naturalization after residing in a State for three months.<ref>PBS Newshour, [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/american-samoans-dont-right-u-s-citizenship-court-rules/ "American Samoans don't have right to U.S. citizenship"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915132716/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/american-samoans-dont-right-u-s-citizenship-court-rules/ |date=2017-09-15 }}, Associated Press, June 5, 2015, viewed August 13, 2015.</ref> Nationals are free to move around and seek employment within the United States without immigration restrictions, but cannot vote or hold office outside American Samoa.<ref>US Department of Interior. [http://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/american-samoa.cfm "Insular Area Summary for American Samoa"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820064225/http://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/american-samoa.cfm |date=2015-08-20}}. viewed August 13, 2015.</ref>

==Political representation==
Each of the five inhabited areas: [[Puerto Rico]], [[American Samoa]], [[Guam]], the [[Northern Mariana Islands]] and the [[United States Virgin Islands]], has a [[non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives|non-voting member]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]].

==Taxation==
Residents of the five major populated insular areas do not pay U.S. federal [[income tax]]es but are required to pay other U.S. federal taxes such as [[Import tax|import]] and [[Export tax|export]] taxes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthcare-industry-policy-article/puerto-rico/267827 |title=Puerto Ricans pay import/export taxes |publisher=Stanford.wellsphere.com |access-date=August 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401034052/http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthcare-industry-policy-article/puerto-rico/267827 |archive-date=April 1, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v03/d903 |title=Foreign Relations of the United States |author=U.S. State Dept. |quote=The people of Puerto Rico will continue to be exempt from Federal income taxes on the income they derive from sources within Puerto Rico, and into their treasury, for appropriation and expenditure as their legislature may decide, will be deposited the proceeds of United States internal revenue taxes collected on articles produced in Puerto Rico and the proceeds of United States tariffs and customs collected on foreign merchandise entering Puerto Rico. |access-date=May 18, 2016 |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617152123/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v03/d903 |url-status=live }}</ref> federal [[commodity tax]]es,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthcare-industry-policy-article/puerto-rico/267827 |title=Puerto Ricans pay federal commodity taxes |publisher=Stanford.wellsphere.com |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401034052/http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthcare-industry-policy-article/puerto-rico/267827 |archive-date=2010-04-01 }}</ref> [[Social Security tax]]es, etc. Individuals working for the federal government pay [[Income tax in the United States|federal income tax]]es while all residents are required to pay federal [[payroll tax]]es ([[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]]<ref>{{cite web |date=December 18, 2009 |title=Topic Number 903 - U.S. Employment Tax in Puerto Rico |url=https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc903.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703133155/https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc903.html |archive-date=July 3, 2017 |access-date=January 11, 2019 |publisher=Internal Revenue Service}}</ref> and [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]]). According to [[U.S. Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] Publication 570, income from other U.S. [[Pacific Ocean]] insular areas ([[Howland Island|Howland]], [[Baker Island|Baker]], [[Jarvis Island|Jarvis]], [[Johnston Island|Johnston]], [[Midway Islands|Midway]], [[Palmyra Atoll|Palmyra]], and [[Wake Island|Wake]] Islands, and [[Kingman Reef]]) is fully taxable as income of United States residents.<ref>{{cite book |title=Publication 570 |publisher=U.S. Internal Revenue Service |year=2017 |place=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p570.pdf |access-date=April 12, 2018 |archive-date=April 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407195113/https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p570.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Puerto Rico is inside the main domestic [[customs territory]] of the United States, but the other insular areas are outside it; tariff treatment varies (see {{section link|Foreign trade of the United States|Customs territory}}).

==Associated states==
The [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]] and the U.S. Code also use the term "insular area" to refer not only to territories under the [[sovereignty]] of the United States, but also those independent nations that have signed a [[Compact of Free Association]] with the United States. While these nations participate in many otherwise domestic programs, and full responsibility for their military defense rests with the United States, they are legally distinct from the United States and their inhabitants are neither U.S. citizens nor nationals.<ref name=USDoI/>

== Current insular areas by status ==
The following islands, or island groups, are considered insular areas:

=== Incorporated organized territories ===
''None''

=== Incorporated unorganized territory ===
One (uninhabited)

* [[Palmyra Atoll]] – U.S. Territory of Palmyra Island (mostly owned by the Federal Government and [[The Nature Conservancy]]; administered by the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]])

=== Unincorporated organized territories ===
[[File:Capitolio de Puerto Rico (28755163211) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Capitol of Puerto Rico, the largest insular area]]

Four (inhabited)

* {{flag|Guam}} (organized under the [[Guam Organic Act of 1950]])
* {{flag|Northern Mariana Islands}} ([[Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|Commonwealth]], organized under the 1975 Covenant)
* {{flag|Puerto Rico}} (Commonwealth, organized under the 1900 [[Foraker Act]])
* {{flag|U.S. Virgin Islands}} (organized under the 1954 [[Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands]])

=== Unincorporated unorganized territories ===
[[File:Wake Island Lagoon Paradise by Matthew Piatkowski.jpg|thumb|Wake Island lagoon]]

One (inhabited)

* {{flag|American Samoa}} (self-governing even though officially unorganized and under the authority of the [[United States Department of the Interior|U.S. Department of the Interior]])

Six (uninhabited)

* [[Baker Island]] (administered as a [[National Wildlife Refuge]])
* [[Howland Island]] (administered as a [[National Wildlife Refuge]])
* [[Jarvis Island]] (administered as a [[National Wildlife Refuge]])
* [[Johnston Atoll]] (administered as a [[National Wildlife Refuge]])
* [[Kingman Reef]] (administered as a [[National Wildlife Refuge]])
* {{flag|Midway Atoll|local}} (administered as a [[National Wildlife Refuge]])

Two (uninhabited, disputed)

* [[Navassa Island]] (administered as a [[National Wildlife Refuge]]; claimed by [[Haiti]])
* {{flag|Wake Island|local}} (administered by the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]]; claimed by the [[Marshall Islands]])

=== Claimed territories ===
Two (uninhabited, disputed)

* [[Bajo Nuevo Bank]] (disputed with Colombia; administered by Colombia)
* [[Serranilla Bank]] (disputed with Colombia and Honduras; administered by Colombia)

=== Freely associated states ===
{{Main|Compact of Free Association}}

Three sovereign UN member states which were all formerly in the U.S. administered [[United Nations trust territories|United Nations Trust Territory]] and are currently in [[associated state|free association]] with the United States. The U.S. provides national defense, funding, and access to social services.

* {{flag|Marshall Islands}} 
* {{flag|Micronesia}} 
* {{flag|Palau}}

After achieving independence from the [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]], these states are no longer under U.S. sovereignty and thus not considered part of the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://immigrationforum.org/article/foreign-in-a-domestic-sense-u-s-territories-and-insular-areas/ |title="Foreign in a Domestic Sense": U.S. Territories and "Insular Areas" |date=12 April 2021 |access-date=2021-08-30 |archive-date=2021-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819131540/https://immigrationforum.org/article/foreign-in-a-domestic-sense-u-s-territories-and-insular-areas/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some programs in these states are administered by the U.S. [[Office of Insular Affairs]], along with other federal entities such as the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]].

==Former insular areas==
* {{flagicon|Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands}} [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]] (1947–1994): U.N. trust territory administered by the U.S.; included the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
* {{flagicon|Philippines}} [[Philippines]]: [[United States Military Government of the Philippine Islands|military government, 1899–1902]]; [[Insular Government of the Philippine Islands|insular government, 1902–1935]]; [[Commonwealth of the Philippines|commonwealth government, 1935–1942 and 1945–1946]] (islands under [[Japanese occupation of the Philippines|Japanese occupation, 1942–1945]] and [[Second Philippine Republic|puppet state, 1943–1945]]); granted independence on July 4, 1946, by the [[Treaty of Manila (1946)|Treaty of Manila]].
* {{flagicon|Hawaii}} [[Hawaii]]: [[Republic of Hawaii|republican government, 1898–1900]]; [[Territory of Hawaii|territorial government, 1900–1959]]; became the State of Hawaii and the incorporated, unorganized territory of Palmyra Atoll on August 21, 1959.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/palmyraatoll|title=Palmyra Atoll|access-date=December 30, 2023|author=United States Department of Interior|date=11 June 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/acquisitionprocess|title=Acquisition Process of Insular Areas|access-date=December 30, 2023|author=United States Department of Interior|date=12 June 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Swan Islands, Honduras|Swan Islands]] (1863–1972): claimed by the U.S. under the [[Guano Islands Act]]; sovereignty ceded to [[Honduras]] in a 1972 treaty.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/disputedislands|title=Formerly Disputed Islands|access-date=December 30, 2023|author=United States Department of the Interior|date=12 June 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Quita Sueño Bank]], [[Roncador Bank]] and [[Serrana Bank]]: claimed by the U.S. under the [[Guano Islands Act]]; claims relinquished in the Vásquez-Saccio Treaty with Colombia in 1972.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201307/volume-1307-I-21801-English.pdf|title=The Vásquez-Saccio Treaty of 1972}}</ref>
* [[Caroline Island]], [[Kirimati]], [[Flint Island]], [[Malden Island]], [[Starbuck Island]], [[Vostok Island]], [[Birnie Island]], [[Gardner Island]], [[Orona]], [[McKean Island]], [[Manra]], [[Rawaki]], [[Canton Island]] and [[Enderbury Island]]: claimed by the U.S. under the [[Guano Islands Act]]; claims ceded to [[Kiribati]].
* [[Funafuti]], [[Nukufetau]], [[Nukulaelae]] and [[Niulakita]]: claimed by the U.S. under the [[Guano Islands Act]]; claims ceded to [[Tuvalu]].
* [[Pukapuka]], [[Manihiki]], [[Penrhyn atoll|Penrhyn]] and [[Rakahanga]]: claimed by the U.S. under the [[Guano Islands Act]]; claims ceded to the [[Cook Islands]].
* [[Atafu]], [[Fakaofo]] and [[Nukunonu]]: claimed by the U.S. under the [[Guano Islands Act]]; claims ceded to [[Tokelau]].

== See also ==
* [[Dependent territory]]
* [[Insular Cases]]
* [[List of states and territories of the United States]]
* [[Protectorate]]
* [[Territorial evolution of the United States]]
* [[Territories of the United States on stamps]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Insular areas of the United States}}
* [https://www.doi.gov/oia Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs]
* [https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/politicatypes Department of the Interior Definitions of Insular Area Political Organizations]
* [https://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/02/rubin.htm Rubin, Richard, "The Lost Islands"], ''[[The Atlantic Monthly]]'', February 2001
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131014000647/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/GARM/Ch7GARM.pdf Chapter 7: Puerto Rico and the Outlying Areas], U.S. Census Bureau, Geographic Areas Reference Manual

{{Terms for types of country subdivisions}}
{{United States political divisions|state=expanded}}
{{United States topics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Insular area (U.S.)}}
[[Category:Dependent territories]]
[[Category:Insular areas of the United States| ]]
[[Category:Types of administrative division]]