View source for Territorial evolution of the British Empire

{{Short description|none}}
[[File:The British Empire.png|thumb|upright=1.8|{{centre|The territories that were, at one time, part of the British Empire. The United Kingdom and its accompanying British Overseas Territories are underlined in red.}}]]
[[File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|thumb|The [[flag of the United Kingdom]].]]
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}

The '''territorial evolution of the British Empire''' is considered to have begun with the foundation of the [[English overseas possessions|English colonial empire]] in the late 16th century. Since then, many territories around the world have been under the control of the United Kingdom or its predecessor states.
When the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] was formed in 1707 by the union of the Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] and [[Kingdom of England|England]], the latter country's colonial possessions passed to the new state. Similarly, when Great Britain was united with the [[Kingdom of Ireland]] in 1801 to form the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]], control over its colonial possessions passed to the latter state. Collectively, these territories are referred to as the [[British Empire]]. When much of Ireland gained independence in 1922 as the [[Irish Free State]], the other territories of the empire remained under the control of the United Kingdom.

From 1714 to 1837, the British throne was held by a series of kings who were also the rulers of the [[States of the Holy Roman Empire|German state]] of [[Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover]].  However, this was purely a personal union, with Hanover maintaining its political independence otherwise, and so it is not usually considered to have formed part of the British Empire.

The nature of the territories (and peoples) ruled as part of the British Empire varied enormously.  In legal terms the territories included those formally under the sovereignty of the British monarch (who held the additional title of [[Emperor of India|Emperor/Empress of India]] from 1876 to 1947); various "foreign" territories controlled as [[protectorate]]s; territories transferred to British administration under the authority of the [[League of Nations]] or the [[United Nations]]; and miscellaneous other territories, such as the [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]], a [[Condominium (international law)|condominium]] with Egypt.  No uniform system of government was applied to any of these.

Several countries ([[dominion]]s) within the British Empire gained independence in stages during the earlier part of the 20th century.  Much of the rest of the empire was dismantled in the twenty years following the end of the [[Second World War]], starting with the independence of [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] in 1947, and continued until the handover of [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] to the People's Republic of China [[Handover of Hong Kong|in 1997]]. There remain, however, fourteen territories around the world known as the [[British Overseas Territories]] which remain under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom. 

Many of the former territories of the British Empire are members of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].  Fourteen of these (known, with the United Kingdom, as the 15 [[Commonwealth realm]]s) retain the British monarch (currently [[Charles III]]) as head of state. The British monarch is also Head of the Commonwealth, but this is a purely symbolic and personal title; members of the Commonwealth (including the Commonwealth realms) are fully sovereign states.

At its territorial peak in 1920, the British Empire controlled a total area of over {{convert|35,500,000|km2|abbr=on}} or more than 26% of the Earth's land (excluding [[Antarctica]]), the largest empire in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Western-colonialism|title =Western colonialism - European expansion since 1763|website= Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=2021-08-20}}</ref> At this point, the empire's population was over 449 million.<ref>{{cite book|year=1925|chapter=The British Empire—Area and Population|title=Historical Atlas of the British Empire|url=http://www.atlasofbritempire.com/Height_of_Empire.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201161331/http://www.atlasofbritempire.com/Height_of_Empire.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 1, 2010}}</ref> The United Kingdom had about 120 colonies throughout its [[History of the United Kingdom|history]], the most colonies in the world; the [[French colonial empire]] came second with about 80 colonies.<ref>Shillington, Kevin (2005). Encyclopedia of African history. New York: CRC Press, p. 878</ref> 

== Governance ==
The British Empire refers to the possessions, dominions, and dependencies under the control of [[the Crown]]. In addition to the areas formally under the sovereignty of the British monarch, various "foreign" territories were controlled as protectorates; territories transferred to British administration under the authority of the [[League of Nations]] or the [[United Nations]]; and miscellaneous other territories, such as the [[Condominium (international law)|condominium]] of [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]]. The natures of the administration of the Empire changed both by time and place, and there was no uniform system of government in the Empire.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Ferguson |first=Niall |year=2004 |title=Empire, The rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global power |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=0-465-02328-2}}</ref><ref name="SY67"/>

=== Colonies ===
Colonies were territories that were intended to be places of permanent settlement, providing land for their settlers. The Crown claimed absolute sovereignty over them, although they were not formally part of the United Kingdom itself. Generally, their law was the [[English law#Overseas influences|common law of England]] together with whatever [[Act of Parliament (UK)|British Acts of Parliament]] were also applied to them. Over time, a number of colonies were granted "[[responsible government]]", making them largely self-governing.

==== Crown Colony ====
{{Main|Crown colony}}

A Crown colony: a type of colonial administration of the [[English overseas possessions|English]] and later the British Empire, whose legislature and administration was controlled by the Crown.<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/caribbean_islands/cx_glos.html U.S. Library of Congress] – Glossary of terms.</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Crown colony |encyclopedia=Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crown%20colony |access-date=25 May 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Cook Islands Annexation Ceremony.jpg|thumb|[[Lord Ranfurly]] reads the [[Cook Islands]] annexation proclamation to [[Makea Takau Ariki|Queen Makea]] on 7 October 1900.]]
Crown colonies were ruled by a governor appointed by the monarch.  By the middle of the 19th century, the sovereign appointed royal governors on the advice of the [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]]. This became the main method of creating and governing colonies.<ref>[[#refJenks|Jenks]], p. 70.</ref> Most Crown colonies, especially the white settler colonies had a [[bicameral]] legislature, consisting of an upper house usually called the [[Legislative council]], which members were appointed and served a similar purpose as the British [[House of Lords]]. There also existed lower houses which were usually named the [[Legislative Assembly]] or [[House of Assembly]]. The lower house was usually elected, but [[suffrage]] was restricted to free white men only, usually with property ownership restrictions. Since land ownership was widespread, most white men could vote.<ref name="Cooke">Cooke (1993) vol 1 part 4</ref> The governor also often had an [[Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)|Executive Council]] which had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the colonial lower house. They held a consultative position, however, and did not serve in administrative offices as cabinet ministers do. Members of the Executive Council were not necessarily members of the lower house but were usually members of the upper house.<ref>{{cite book|last=Armstrong|first=Frederick H.|title=Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology (Revised ed.)|year=1985|publisher=Dundurn Press|location=Toronto|page=39}}</ref> Later as the white colonies gained more internal [[responsible government]], the lower house began to supersede the (usually unelected) upper house as the colonial legislature, and the position of [[Premier]] emerged.<ref name="Moore">{{cite book| author = Christopher Moore| title = 1867: How the Fathers Made a Deal| date = 2011-07-27| publisher = McClelland & Stewart| isbn = 978-1-55199-483-3 }}</ref>[[File:British Empire 1897.jpg|thumb|350px|right|The British Empire in 1897, marked in traditional pink.]]

==== Charter colony ====
{{Main|Charter colony}}

Charter colony is one of the three classes of [[Colonial government in the Thirteen Colonies|colonial government]] established in the 17th-century [[British America|English colonies in North America]]. In a charter colony, the King granted a [[royal charter]] to the colonial government establishing the rules under which the colony was to be governed and charter colonies elected their own governors based on rules spelled out in the charter or other colonial legislation.<ref>
{{Cite web
  | last = Putney
  | first = Albert H.
  | title =  Popular Law Library Vol 1 Introduction To The Study Of Law Legal History
  | publisher = Cree Publishing Company
  | date = 1908
  | url = http://chestofbooks.com/society/law/Popular-Law-1-Legal-History/Section-81-The-Thirteen-Colonies.html
  | access-date = September 3, 2010}}
</ref>

==== Proprietary colony ====
{{Main|Proprietary colony}}

A number of colonies in the 16th and 17th centuries were granted to a particular individual; these were known as proprietary colonies. Proprietary colonies in America were governed by a [[Lords Proprietor|Lord Proprietor]], who, holding authority by virtue of a royal charter, usually exercised that authority almost as an independent sovereign. Eventually these were converted to Crown colonies.<ref>Roper (2007)</ref><ref>Elson, Henry William, ''History of the United States of America'', The MacMillan Company, New York, 1904. Chapter IV</ref>

==== Chartered company ====
{{Main|Chartered company}}

A chartered company is an association formed by investors or shareholders for the purpose of trade, exploration and colonization. Chartered companies were usually formed, incorporated and legitimized under a [[royal charter]]. This document set out the terms under which the company could trade, defined its boundaries of influence, and described its rights and responsibilities. Groups of investors formed companies to underwrite and profit from the exploration of Africa, India, Asia, the Caribbean and North America, under the patronage of the state. Some companies like the [[East India Company]] (the most famous), the [[Hudson's Bay Company]], and the [[Royal African Company]] ruled large colonial possessions (especially in India), but the Hudson's Bay Company took control of the [[Hudson Bay drainage basin]] in Canada as [[Rupert's Land]], and the Royal African Company started to ship slaves from [[West Africa]] to the [[Americas]] in the [[Atlantic slave trade]].<ref>Ferguson, Niall, 2003. ''Empire—How Britain Made the Modern World'', Allan Lane, London, United Kingdom.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Russo|first=Cam|date=2020-12-22|title=10 Largest Empires in History|url=https://kizaz.com/10-largest-empires-in-history/|access-date=2021-01-05|website=Kizaz|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Protectorates and protected states ===
{{Main|British protectorate}}
[[File:Prempeh-124-palaver-and-submission.jpg|thumb| Following the [[Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War]] in 1896, the British proclaimed a protectorate over the [[Ashanti Kingdom]].]]
A [[protectorate]] is a territory which is not formally annexed but in which, by treaty, grant or other lawful means, the Crown has power and jurisdiction. A protectorate differs from a "protected state". A protected state is a territory under a foreign ruler which enjoys British protection, over whose foreign affairs she exercises control, but in respect of whose internal affairs she does not exercise jurisdiction.<ref name=SY67>The Statesman's Yearbook 1967–1968</ref>

=== Dominions ===
{{Main|Dominion}}

Dominions were [[autonomy|semi-independent]] [[polity|polities]] that were nominally under [[the Crown]], constituting the British Empire and [[Commonwealth of Nations|British Commonwealth]], beginning in the later part of the 19th century.<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/dominion ''Merriam Webster's Dictionary''] (based on Collegiate vol., 11th ed.) 2006. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last = Hillmer|first = Norman|year = 2001|title = Commonwealth|publisher = Canadian Encyclopedia|location = Toronto|url = http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0001798|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050328234643/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0001798|url-status = dead|archive-date = 28 March 2005|quote=...the Dominions (a term applied to Canada in 1867 and used from 1907 to 1948 to describe the empire's other self-governing members)}}</ref> The dominions had been previously Crown colonies, and some of the colonies had been united to form dominions such as [[Union of South Africa]] and [[Commonwealth of Australia]]. The [[Balfour Declaration of 1926]] clarified the status of the dominions, recognizing them as "autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations." The [[Statute of Westminster 1931]] converted this status into legal reality, making them essentially independent members of what was then called the British Commonwealth. Initially, the Dominions conducted their own trade policy, some limited foreign relations, and had autonomous [[armed forces]], although the British government claimed and exercised the exclusive power to declare wars. However, after the passage of the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]], the language of dependency on the Crown of the United Kingdom ceased, and the Crown itself was no longer referred to as the Crown of any place in particular but simply as "the Crown". [[Arthur Berriedale Keith]], in Speeches and Documents on the British Dominions 1918–1931, stated that "the Dominions are sovereign international States in the sense that the King in respect of each of His Dominions (Newfoundland excepted) is such a State in the eyes of international law". After then, those countries that were previously referred to as "Dominions" became [[Commonwealth realm]]s where the sovereign reigns no longer as the British monarch, but as monarch of each nation in its own right, and are considered equal to the United Kingdom and one another.<ref name="The Balfour Formula">{{cite journal |last=Marshall |first=Sir Peter |date=September 2001 |title=The Balfour Formula and the Evolution of the Commonwealth |journal=[[The Round Table Journal|The Round Table]] |volume=90 |issue=361 |pages=541–53 |doi=10.1080/00358530120082823 |s2cid=143421201 }}</ref>

=== Mandates ===
{{Main|League of Nations mandate}}

Mandates were forms of territory created after the end of the [[First World War]]. A number of German colonies and protectorates and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] provinces were held as [[League of Nations mandate|mandates]] by the United Kingdom ([[Tanganyika (territory)|Tanganyika]], [[British Cameroons]], [[British Togoland|Togoland]], [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]] and [[British Mandate for Mesopotamia (legal instrument)|Mesopotamia]]); and its dominions of [[Australia]] ([[Territory of New Guinea|New Guinea]], [[History of Nauru#German protectorate|Nauru]]), [[New Zealand]] ([[Western Samoa Trust Territory|Western Samoa]]), and [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]] ([[South West Africa]]).  These territories were governed on behalf of the [[League of Nations]] for the benefit of their inhabitants.  Most converted to [[United Nations Trust Territories]] in 1946.<ref>[http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0511207069 Peace Treaties and International Law in European History, From the Late Middle Ages to World War One]</ref>

=== Indian Empire ===
{{Main|British Raj}}

The Indian Empire was the imperial political structure in the [[Indian subcontinent]] between 1858 and 1947, comprising British India (a Crown colony: [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|presidencies and provinces]] directly governed by the British Crown through the [[Viceroy and Governor-General of India]]) and [[Princely State]]s, governed by Indian princes, under the [[suzerainty]] of the British Crown exercised through the [[Governor-General of India|Viceroy and Governor-General of India]].<ref name="Interpretation Act 1889">Interpretation Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c.&nbsp;63), s.&nbsp;18.</ref>

==British Overseas territories==
{{Main|British Overseas Territories}}

Within twenty years of the partition and independence in 1947 of [[British Raj|India]] (considered to be the most important colonial possession), most of the Empire's territories had achieved full independence.  Today 14 former colonies (since 2002 known as [[British Overseas Territory|British Overseas Territories]]) remain under British rule; the term "colonies" is no longer officially used to describe these, although some parts of UK legislation still refer to the term "colony" (see for instance the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988, s.255(2), which explicitly reads that "Her Majesty may by Order in Council direct that this Part shall extend (...) to (a) any of the Channel Islands, (b) the Isle of Man, or (c) any colony").

Following the Chagos Archipelago handover agreement, the UK government is also due to introduce legislation to implement the agreement, including amending the British Nationality Act 1981 to reflect that the British Indian Ocean Territory is no longer an overseas territory following Parliament's ratification of the treaty.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10273/|title=2025 treaty on the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago |work=commonslibrary.parliament.uk|date=30 May 2023 |access-date=6 June 2025}}</ref>

Almost all of the British Overseas Territories are islands (or groups of islands) with a small population; some are in very remote areas of the world.  Of the territories with a permanent population, all have at least some degree of internal self-government, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defence and external relations.

The fourteen British Overseas Territories are:
* {{flag|Anguilla}}
* {{flag|Bermuda}}
* {{flag|British Antarctic Territory}}
* {{flag|British Indian Ocean Territory}}
* {{flag|British Virgin Islands}}
* {{flag|Cayman Islands}}
* {{flag|Falkland Islands}}
* {{flag|Gibraltar}}
* {{flag|Montserrat}}
* {{flag|Pitcairn Islands}}
* {{flag|Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha}}
** {{flag|Saint Helena}}
** {{flag|Ascension Island}}
** {{flag|Tristan da Cunha}}
* {{flag|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands}}
* {{flag|Akrotiri and Dhekelia|name=Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia}}
* {{flag|Turks and Caicos Islands}}

==List of territories that were once a part of the British Empire==

===Legend===
{|
|-
! width="5%" | !! width="25%"| !! width="5%"| !! width="20%"|
|-
|'''!±!''' || [[Crown dependency]] || [[File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|30px|United Kingdom Flag]] || Part of the United Kingdom
|-
|''':±:''' || [[Commonwealth realm]], with [[King Charles III]] as [[head of state]] || [[File:Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg|30px|Turks and Caicos Flag]] || [[Overseas territories]]
|-
|'''£[[Isle of Man pound|IMP]]''' || Currency pegged to the [[Pound sterling|GBP]]|| '''[[Cyprus pound|CYP]]''' || [[Pound sterling]] derived currency
|-
|'''!T!''' || [[Common law]] legal system to various extent ||'''[X]'''|| [[Westminster system|Westminster]] style [[parliamentary system]]
|-
|'''abc''' || English as a dominant or an official language||'''/\\/''' || [[Left- and right-hand traffic|Left-hand traffic]]
|}

====Colour-coding====
{| border="0"
!style="text-align:left"|Colour
!style="text-align:left; padding-left: 2em;"|Description
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|style="padding-left: 2em"|Present-day members of the Commonwealth
|-
|style="background-color:#ffcccc"|
|style="padding-left: 2em"|Present-day British Overseas Territories
|-
|style="background-color:#99ccff"|
|style="padding-left: 2em"|Crown dependencies
|}

===Africa===
[[British Africa]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|[[Ashanti (Crown Colony)|Ashanti]]
|1901–1957
|Colony
|Became a part of the dominion of [[Ghana]]
|-
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Basutoland]]
|1868
|Protectorate
|Wanted to join the [[Cape Colony]], but was authorized to join the  [[Colony of Natal]] instead. Eventually was placed under direct authority of the High Commissioner for South Africa.
|-
|1871
|Annexed to [[Cape Colony]]
|
|-
|1884
|Colony
|
|-
|1965
|Self-governing colony
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1966
|Independent as [[Lesotho]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Bechuanaland Protectorate]]
|1884–1965
|Protectorate
|Resident Commissioner assigned 1884, but Protectorate status declared after treaties with several chiefs were signed in 1885
|-
|1965–66
|Self-governing protectorate
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1966
|Independent as [[Botswana]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Bight of Benin]]
|1852–1861
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1861
|United with Bight of Biafra
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Bight of Biafra]]
|1849–1861
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1861
|United with Bight of Benin
|
|-
|Bights of Biafra and Benin
|1861–1891
|Protectorate
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[British Bechuanaland]]<br />''(see also under "Bechuanaland")''
|1885–1895
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1895
|Incorporated into [[Cape Colony]]
|Now a part of the [[Northern Cape Province|Northern Cape]] and [[North West Province (South Africa)|North West]] provinces of South Africa
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[British Cameroons]]
|1916–1919
|Occupation
|
|-
|1919–1946
|[[League of Nations mandate|League of Nations mandated territory]]
|
|-
|1946–1961
|[[United Nations Trust Territory]]
|
|-
|1961
|Northern part merged into Nigeria, southern part into the [[Republic of Cameroon]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[British East Africa]]
|1888–1895
|Territory leased to the [[Imperial British East Africa Company]] (IBEAC) by the [[Sultan of Zanzibar]]
|
|-
|1895–1920
|Protectorate
|Territory included former IBEAC territories and the strip of Sultan of Zanizbar's dominions on the coast of Kenya which fell within the British sphere of influence
|-
|1920
|Became the [[Kenya Colony|Colony and Protectorate of Kenya]]
|Lands of Sultan of Zanzibar on coast administered with the Colony as one unit
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[British Somaliland]]
|1884–1960
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1960
|Independent as  [[State of Somaliland]]
|After 5 days merged with the [[Trust Territory of Somaliland]] as [[Somali Republic]], in 1991 independent as [[Somaliland]] (unrecognised)
|-
|[[Cape Colony]]
|1806–1910
|Colony
|Became a province of the [[Union of South Africa]] as the "Cape of Good Hope"
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Chinde]]
|1891–1923
|Concession
|[[Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1891]] gives Britain a 99-year lease, enabling river steamers to sail to the [[British Central Africa Protectorate]], later [[Nyasaland]] 
|-
|1923
|Returned to [[Portuguese East Africa]]
|Concession abandoned due to erosion, cyclone damage, and development of the port of [[Beira (Mozambique)|Beira]] as a better alternative
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Sultanate of Egypt|Egypt]]
|1801–03
|Occupation
|
|-
|1882–1914
|Occupation
|
|-
|1914–1922
|Protectorate
|
|-
|[[Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence|1922]]
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|[[Bioko]]
|1827–1855
|Leased territory
|Island leased from Spain so that Royal Navy could undertake anti-slavery operations on West Coast of Africa. Main settlement was Port Clarence now known as Malabo
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Gambia Colony and Protectorate]]
|1816–1965
|Colony
|Protectorate declared over hinterland of Gambia River in 1894
|-
|1965
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]]
|1874–1957
|Colony
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1957
|Independent as [[Ghana]]
|Also incorporated [[British Togoland]] by plebiscite
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[British Kenya|Kenya, Colony & Protectorate of]]
|1920–1963
|Colony
|Previously part of [[British East Africa]]
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1963
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Lagos Colony|Lagos Protectorate]]
|1887–1906
|Protectorate, governed from the [[Lagos Colony]]
|
|-
|1906
|Incorporated into the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Southern Nigeria Protectorate]]
|1900–1906
|Protectorate, created from [[Niger Coast Protectorate]] and territories of the [[Royal Niger Company]]
|
|-
|1906
|Incorporated the [[Lagos Colony]] to be the [[Southern Nigeria Protectorate|Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Libya]], regions of [[Emirate of Cyrenaica|Cyrenicia]] & [[Tripolitania]] only
|1942–1946
|[[British Military Administration (Libya)|British Military administration in Cyrenicia & Tripolitania]]
|
|-
|1946–1951
|Italian forces expelled, UN trusteeship of [[Emirate of Cyrenaica|Cyrenicia]] & [[Tripolitania]], administered by Britain
|[[Fezzan-Ghadames (French Administration)|Fezzan]] region administered by France under trusteeship
|-
|1951
|Independent as the [[Kingdom of Libya]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Natal Province|Natal]]
|1843–1910
|Colony
|
|-
|1910
|Became a province of the [[Union of South Africa]]
|Now part of the province of [[KwaZulu-Natal]], South Africa
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Niger Districts]]
|1885–1899
|Protectorate under the [[Royal Niger Company]]
|
|-
|1900
|Became part of [[Northern Nigeria]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria]]
|1914–1954
|
|Created from the Colony & Protectorate of [[Southern Nigeria Protectorate|Southern Nigeria]] and the Protectorate of [[Northern Nigeria]]
|-
|1954
|Became the self-governing [[Federation of Nigeria]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Federation of Nigeria]]
|1954–1960
|Autonomous federation
|Formed from the [[Colonial Nigeria|Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria]]
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1960
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Northern Nigeria]]
|1900–1914
|Protectorate governed by the Colony of [[Southern Nigeria Protectorate|Southern Nigeria]]
|
|-
|1914
|Merged with Protectorate of [[Southern Nigeria Protectorate|Southern Nigeria]] to form the [[Colonial Nigeria|Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria]]
|
|-
|[[Northern Territories of the Gold Coast (British protectorate)|Northern Territories of the Gold Coast]]
|1901–1957
|Protectorate
|Annexed to form part of Her Majesty's dominions as part of the dominion of [[Ghana]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Nyasaland]]<br />''known as the Nyasaland Districts until 1893, and then British Central Africa until 1907''
|1891–1964
|Protectorate
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1964
|Independent as [[Malawi]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Orange River Colony]]
|1900–1910
|Colony
|
|-
|1907
|Granted responsible government
|
|-
|1910
|Became the [[Orange Free State Province|Province of the Orange Free State]] in the [[Union of South Africa]]
|
|-
|[[Rhodesia]]
|1964-1965
|
|Now [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|{{noflag}}[[Matabeleland]]
|1888–1894
|Protectorate under [[British South Africa Company]] (BSAC)
|
|-
|1894
|United with Mashonaland as South Zambezia in 1894
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|{{noflag}}[[Mashonaland]]
|1889–1894
|Protectorate under BSAC
|
|-
|1894
|United with Matabeleland as South Zambezia in 1894
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|{{noflag}}[[Southern Rhodesia#Origin as "Rhodesia"|South Zambezia]]
|1894–95
|Protectorate under BSAC
|
|-
|1895
|United with North Zambezia as [[Rhodesia]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|{{noflag}}[[Rhodesia]]
|1895–1901
|Protectorate under BSAC
|
|-
|1901
|Mashonaland and Matabeleland united as [[Southern Rhodesia]]
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|{{noflag}}[[Northern Rhodesia]]
|1911–1924
|Protectorate under BSAC
|Amalgamation of [[Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia]] and [[North-Eastern Rhodesia]]
|-
|1924–1953
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1953–1963
|Part of [[Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland]]
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1964
|Independent as [[Zambia]]
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|{{noflag}}[[Southern Rhodesia]]
|1901–1923
|Protectorate under BSAC
|
|-
|1923—1953
|[[Self-governing colony]]
|
|-
|1953–1963
|Part of [[Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland]]
|
|-
|1964–65
|Self-governing colony
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Rhodesia]]
|1965–1970
|[[Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence|Unilateral declaration of independence]], with [[Elizabeth II]] as head of state
|Not internationally recognised
|-
|1970–1979
|Republic
|Not internationally recognised
|-
|rowspan="3"|{{noflag}}[[Zimbabwe-Rhodesia]]
|1979
|Interim state
|
|-
|1979–80
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1980
|Independent as [[Zimbabwe]]
|
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate]]
|1787–1808
|Freed slave colony organised by [[Sierra Leone Company]]
|
|-
|1808–1821
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1821–1850
|Part of [[British West Africa|British West African Settlements]]
|
|-
|1850–1866
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1866–1888
|Part of British West African Settlements
|
|-
|1888–1895
|Colony
|
|-
|1896–1961
|Colony and protectorate
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1961
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Union of South Africa|South Africa, Union of]]
|1910–1961
|Dominion
|Formed by the federation of the [[Cape Colony|Cape]], [[Colony of Natal|Natal]], [[Orange River Colony|Orange River]], and [[Transvaal Colony|Transvaal]] colonies
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1961
|Republic
|Not a member of the Commonwealth between 1961 and 1994
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan|Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian]]
|1899–1952
|[[Condominium (international law)|Condominium]] with Egypt
|
|-
|1952–1956
|Self-rule
|
|-
|1956
|Independent as [[Republic of Sudan (1956—1969)|Republic of Sudan]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Swaziland]]
|1902–67
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1967–68
|Protected State
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1968
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[English Tangier|Tangier]]
|''1661''
|''Ceded to England by [[Portugal]]''
|
|-
|''1684''
|''Abandoned by England''
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Tangier International Zone]]
|1924
|Established as condominium between UK, France and Spain (later also Portugal, US, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands)
|
|-
|1940–1945
|Spanish occupation
|
|-
|1956
|Zone dissolved, Tangier returned to Morocco
|
|-
|[[German East Africa]]
|1916–1922
|Occupation
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Tanganyika Territory]]
|1922–1946
|[[League of Nations mandate|League of Nations mandated territory]]
|
|-
|1946–1961
|[[United Nations Trust Territory]] under Britain
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1961
|Independence
|Merged with Zanzibar in 1964 to form [[Tanzania]]
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Tati Concessions Land]]
|1872–1893
|Concession
|
|-
|1893
|Detached from [[Matabeleland]]
|
|-
|1893–1911
|Under protectorate of [[Bechuanaland]]
|
|-
|1911
|Annexed to Bechuanaland
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[British Togoland]]
|1914–1916
|Occupation
|Western half of erstwhile German [[Togoland]] occupied by both British and French forces 1914–16
|-
|1916–1922
|Administered by British only
|
|-
|1922–1946
|[[League of Nations Mandate]] under Britain
|
|-
|1946–1957
|[[United Nations Trust Territory]] under Britain
|
|-
|1957
|Independence
|Merged with [[Ghana]] upon independence after [[plebiscite]]
|-
|[[Togo|(French) Togoland]]
|1914–16
|occupation
|Eastern half of erstwhile German [[Togoland]] occupied by both British and French forces, then after 1916 administered by [[French Togoland|France only]]. In 1922, became LoN Mandate, then UN Trust Territory in 1946, also under France. Now the Republic of [[Togo]] since independence in 1960.
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Transvaal Province|Transvaal]]
|1877–1884
|Colony
|
|-
|1884–1900
|Independent as [[South African Republic]]
|
|-
|1900–1906
|Colony
|
|-
|1906–1910
|Self-governing colony
|
|-
|1910
|Part of [[Union of South Africa]]
|Now divided between the provinces of [[Gauteng]], [[Limpopo Province|Limpopo]], [[Mpumalanga Province|Mpumalanga]] and [[North West Province (South Africa)|North West]] in South Africa
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Uganda Protectorate|Uganda]]
|1890–1893
|Occupied by [[British East Africa Company]]
|
|-
|1893–94
|Provisional protectorate
|
|-
|1894–1962
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1962
|Self-government
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1962
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Walvis Bay]]
|1795–1878
|Occupation
|
|-
|1878–1884
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1884
|Part of [[Cape Colony]]
|Now part of [[Namibia]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Sultanate of Zanzibar|Zanzibar]]
|1890–1963
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1963
|Independence
|Merged with Tanganyika in 1964 to form [[Tanzania]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Zulu Kingdom|Zululand]]
|1887–1897
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1897
|Incorporation into [[Colony of Natal]]
|Now part of the province of [[KwaZulu-Natal]], South Africa
|-
|}

===North America===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Assiniboia]]
|1812–1836
|Colony
|
|-
|1836
|Reverted to control of the Hudson's Bay Company
|Now part of the province of [[Manitoba]], Canada
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Avalon (Newfoundland)|Avalon]]
|1623–1637
|[[County palatine|Palatinate]]
|
|-
|1637
|Incorporated into [[Colony of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Subdivision 1I, Newfoundland and Labrador#Bristol's Hope|Bristol's Hope]]
|1618–1631
|Colony
|
|-
|1631
|Abandoned and later as [[Colony of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[British Columbia]]
|1858–1871
|Colony
|
|-
|1871
|Incorporated into Canada
|
|-
|[[Canada]], Dominion of
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|Dominion (1867–[[Statute of Westminster 1931|1931]])
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|Formed by the federation of the provinces of [[Province of Canada|Canada]], New Brunswick, and [[Nova Scotia]]
| style="background-color:#ccff99"|
* 1982 – [[Constitution Act, 1982]], updating Canada's relationship with the United Kingdom
* Several provinces and territories have joined since Confederation.
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Lower Canada|Canada, Lower]]
|1791–1841
|Province (colony)
|Now the southern half of the province of [[Quebec]], Canada
|-
|1841
|Merged with Upper Canada to form the [[Province of Canada]]
|Re-established within the Dominion of Canada as the province of [[Quebec]] in 1867
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Province of Canada|Canada, Province of]]
|1841–1867
|Colony
|Formed by the amalgamation of the provinces of Lower and Upper Canada
|-
|1867
|Joined the Dominion of Canada as the provinces of Ontario and Quebec
|(Now the southern halves of Ontario and Quebec)
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Upper Canada]]
|1791–1841
|Province (colony)
|Now the southern half of the province of |[[Ontario]], Canada
|-
|1841
|Merged with Lower Canada to form the [[Province of Canada]]
|Re-established within the Dominion of Canada as the province of Ontario in 1867
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Cape Breton Island]]
|1763
|Incorporated into [[Nova Scotia]]
|Previously under French sovereignty
|-
|1784
|Colony
|Separated from [[Nova Scotia]]
|-
|1820
|Re-incorporated into [[Nova Scotia]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Province of Carolina|Carolina]]
|1663
|Proprietary colony
|
|-
|1729
|Formally divided into Crown colonies of [[Province of North Carolina|North]] & [[Province of South Carolina|South Carolina]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Province of North Carolina|Carolina, North]]
|1729
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1776
|Signed unilateral Declaration of Independence as the state of [[North Carolina]]
|
|-
|1783
|Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Province of South Carolina|Carolina, South]]
|1729
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1776
|Declared independent as the state of [[South Carolina]]
|
|-
|1783
|Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Connecticut Colony|Connecticut]]
|1636
|Colony
|Later incorporated the unchartered [[Saybrook Colony]] (1635–44) and [[New Haven Colony]] (1638–65)
|-
|1776
|Declared independent as the state of [[Connecticut]]
|
|-
|1783
|Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Cuper's Cove]]
|1610–1621
|Colony
|
|-
|1621
|Abandoned and later as [[Colony of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[East Florida]]
|1763–1783
|Colony
|
|-
|1783
|Returned to Spanish sovereignty
|Now part of the state of Florida, United States
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Province of Georgia|Georgia]]
|1732
|Proprietary colony
|
|-
|1755
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1776
|Signed unilateral Declaration of Independence as the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|
|-
|1783
|Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Massachusetts Bay Colony|Massachusetts Bay]]
|1629
|Colony
|
|-
|1691
|United with [[Plymouth Colony]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[New Brunswick#British colony|New Brunswick]]
|1784
|Colony
|Separated from Nova Scotia
|-
|1867
|Became a province of Canada
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[Province of New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]
|1641
|Became part of [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]]
|
|-
|1679
|Separate colony
|
|-
|1686
|Became a province of [[Dominion of New England]]
|
|-
|1691
|Separate colony
|
|-
|1776
|Signed unilateral Declaration of Independence as the state of [[New Hampshire]]
|
|-
|1783
|Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Province of New Jersey|New Jersey]]
|1664–1673
|Proprietary Colony
|Formed from portions of [[New Netherland]] and [[New Sweden]]
|-
|1673–1702
|Divided into separate colonies of [[East Jersey|East]] and [[West Jersey]]
|
|-
|1702
|Royal colony
|East & West Jersey re-unified
|-
|1776
|Signed unilateral Declaration of Independence as the state of [[New Jersey]]
|
|-
|1783
|Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Province of New York|New York]]
|1664–1685
|Proprietary colony
|Formed after conquest of [[New Netherland]]
|-
|1685–1776
|Royal Province
|
|-
|1776
|Signed unilateral Declaration of Independence as the state of [[New York (state)|New York]]
|
|-
|1783
|Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[Colony of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]]
|1497–1583
|Claimed by England
|
|-
|1583–1818
|Colony
|
|-
|1818–1907
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1907–1949
|Dominion
|
|-
|1934–1949
|[[Commission of Government]]
|Self-rule suspended, [[de jure]] Dominion by Royal prerogative
|-
|1949
|Became a province of Canada
|Now known as [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[North-Western Territory]]
|1859–1871
|
|
|-
|1870
|Incorporated into the [[Northwest Territories]] of Canada
|Now divided between the Canadian provinces of [[Alberta]], [[British Columbia]] and [[Saskatchewan]] and territories of [[Northwest Territories]], [[Nunavut]] and [[Yukon]]
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Nova Scotia]]
|1621–1632
|Scottish colony
|
|-
|1654–1670
|English occupation
|
|-
|1713
|Colony
|
|-
|1848
|Granted responsible government
|
|-
|1867
|Became a province of Canada
|
|-
|[[Oregon Country]]
|1818–1846
|Condominium with the United States
|Divided 1846 by [[Oregon Treaty]] between United Kingdom and United States. UK received territory north of 49th Parallel (modern [[British Columbia]]), US received land south of 49th Parallel (modern [[Washington (State)]], [[Oregon]], [[Idaho]], and western parts of both [[Montana]] and [[Wyoming]]).
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Prince Edward Island]]<br />''known as [[New Ireland (Canada)|New Ireland]] until 1769, and as St. John's Island until 1799''
|1744–1748
|Occupation
|
|-
|1758–1763
|Occupation
|
|-
|1763–1769
|Part of [[Nova Scotia]]
|
|-
|1769–1873
|Colony
|
|-
|1873
|Became a province of Canada
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[British colony of Quebec|Quebec]]
|1763–1791
|Province (colony)
|Nominally included territory that is now part of the provinces of [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]] in Canada, and (until 1783) the states of [[Illinois]], [[Indiana]], [[Michigan]], [[Minnesota]], [[Ohio]] and [[Wisconsin]] in the United States
|-
|1791
|Divided into the provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada
|
|-
|[[Renews-Cappahayden|Renews]]
|1610–1623
|Colony
|Abandoned and later became part of [[Newfoundland Colony|Newfoundland]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Rupert's Land]]
|1670–1870
|possession of [[Hudson's Bay Company]]
|Nominally included territory that is now part of the Canadian territories and provinces of [[Alberta]], [[Manitoba]], [[Northwest Territories]], [[Nunavut]], [[Ontario]], [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Quebec]], and (until 1818) parts of the US states of [[Minnesota]], [[North Dakota]] and [[South Dakota]]
|-
|1870
|Incorporated into Canada
|
|-
|[[South Falkland]]
|1623–1626
|Colony
|Abandoned and later became part of [[Newfoundland Colony|Newfoundland]]
|-
|[[Stikine Territory]]
|1862–1863
|
|Now divided between British Columbia and Yukon, Canada
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Vancouver Island]]
|1849–1866
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1866
|Merged into the colony of [[British Columbia]]
|Now part of the province of [[British Columbia]], Canada
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Colony of Virginia|Virginia]]
|1607
|Proprietary colony
|
|-
|1624
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1776
|Declared independent as the state of [[Virginia]]
|
|-
|1783
|Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[West Florida]]
|1763–1783
|Colony
|
|-
|1783
|Southern part returned to Spanish sovereignty; sovereignty of northern part formally relinquished by Great Britain
|Now part of the states of Florida, [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Alabama]], United States
|-
|}

===Central America and the Caribbean===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|rowspan="12"|[[Anguilla]]
|1650–1696
|Colony under [[Saint Kitts|St. Christopher]]
|
|-
|1696–1816
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1816–1832
|Part of colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
|
|-
|1832–1871
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]] as colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
|
|-
|1871–1882
|Part of the presidency of [[Saint Kitts|Saint Christopher]] (within the [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]])
|
|-
|1882–1956
|Part of the presidency of [[Saint Christopher and Nevis]] (within the Leeward Islands)
|
|-
|1956–1967
|Part of [[Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla]]
|
|-
|1967–1969
|Unilateral declaration of independence as [[Republic of Anguilla]]
|
|-
|1969–1980
|Part of [[Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla]]
|
|-
|1980–1982
|Self-governing colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-style="background-color:#ffcccc"
|2002–present
|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|{{flagicon|Anguilla}}
|-
|rowspan="12"|[[Antigua]]<br>''(incl. Barbuda from 1860)''
|1632–1671
|Colony
|
|-
|1671–72
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1672–1816
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1816–1832
|Part of colony of [[Antigua-Barbuda-Montserrat]]
|
|-
|1832–33
|Colony
|
|-
|1833–1871
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1871–1956
|Presidency within the [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1956–1958
|Colony
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1967
|Colony
|
|-
|1967–1981
|Associated state
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1981
|Independent as [[Antigua and Barbuda]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|Antigua-Barbuda-Montserrat
|1816–1832
|Colony
|
|-
|1832
|Dissolved
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[Bahamas]]
|1670–1684
|Proprietary colony
|
|-
|1684
|Occupied by Spain
|
|-
|1718–1964
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1964–1969
|Self-government
|
|-
|1969–1973
|Commonwealth
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1973
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="9"|[[Barbados]]
|1624–1627
|Claimed by England
|
|-
|1627–1652
|Proprietary colony
|
|-
|1652–1663
|Colony
|
|-
|1663–1833
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1833–1885
|Part of colony of [[British Windward Islands|Windward Islands]]
|
|-
|1885–1958
|Colony
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1966
|Colony
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1966
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="10"|[[Barbuda]]
|1628–1832
|Colony
|
|-
|1632–1671
|Dependency of Antigua
|
|-
|1671–1816
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1816–1832
|Part of colony of [[Antigua-Barbuda-Montserrat]]
|
|-
|1832–33
|Colony
|
|-
|1833–1860
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1860
|Annexed to Antigua
|
|-
|1976–1980
|Autonomous
|
|-
|1980
|Unilateral declaration of independence{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}
|–
|-
|1981
|Independence as part of Antigua and Barbuda
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Bay Islands Department|Bay Islands]]<ref>"Timeline of British Colonization of the Bay Islands", Bay Islands Voice, 22 March 2013.</ref>
|1643–early 18th century
|Sporadic, short-lived settlements
|
|-
|1742–1748
|Colony of Port Royal (Roatan). Spanish sovereignty recognized in 1748
|
|-
|1749–1782
|Illegal but well-established English settlements. Spanish occupation and expulsion of settlers in 1782
|
|-
|1852–1860
|Colony of the Bay Islands. Surrendered to Honduras in 1860
|
|-
|colspan="4"|Belize – ''see under "British Honduras"''
|-
|rowspan="9"|[[British Honduras]]
|1665–1742
|Settlement
|
|-
|1742–1840
|Settlement subordinated to [[Jamaica]]
|
|-
|1840–1862
|Colony subordinated to Jamaica
|
|-
|1862–1884
|Crown colony subordinated to Jamaica
|
|-
|1884–1954
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1954–1964
|Autonomy
|
|-
|1964–1981
|[[Self-governing colony]]
|
|-
|1973
|Renamed "Belize"
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1981
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="11"|[[British Virgin Islands]]
|1666–1672
|Occupation
|
|-
|1672–1713
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]] as part of [[Antigua]]
|
|-
|1713–1816
|Crown colony part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1816–1832
|Part of colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
|
|-
|1832–1871
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]] as colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
|
|-
|1871–1956
|Presidency within the [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1956–1960
|Part of territory of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1960–1967
|Colony
|
|-
|1967–1982
|Self-governing colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-style="background-color:#ffcccc"
|2002–present
|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|{{flagicon|BVI}}
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Cayman Islands]]
|1670–1958
|Colony; administered from Jamaica
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1982
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-style="background-color:#ffcccc"
|2002–present
|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|{{flagicon|Cayman Islands}}
|-
|rowspan="9" |[[Dominica]]
|1763–1778
|Occupation
|
|-
|1778
|Ceded to France
|
|-
|1784–1871
|Colony
|
|-
|1871–1939
|Presidency within the [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1940–1958
|Colony within the [[British Windward Islands|Windward Islands]]
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1967
|Colony
|
|-
|1967–1978
|Associated state
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1978
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="10"|[[Grenada]]
|1762–63
|Occupation
|
|-
|1763–1779
|Part of colony of South Caribbean Islands
|
|-
|1779
|Occupied by France
|
|-
|1783–1802
|Part of colony of South Caribbean Islands
|
|-
|1802–1833
|Colony
|
|-
|1833–1958
|Part of [[British Windward Islands|Windward Islands]]
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1967
|Colony
|
|-
|1967–1974
|Associated state
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1974
|Independence
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Providence Island colony|Old Providence]]
|1628–1630
|Initial settlement by English colonists
|
|-
|1630–1641
|Chartered colony under the [[Providence Island Company]]
|
|-
|1641
|Captured by Spain, became part of [[New Kingdom of Granada|New Granada]]
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Colony of Jamaica|Jamaica]]
|1655–1670
|Occupation
|
|-
|1670–1953
|Colony
|
|-
|1953–1958
|Self-governing colony
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1962
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|1671–1816
|Colony
|
|-
|1833–1871
|Colony
|
|-
|1871–1956
|Federal colony
|Comprised the presidencies of [[Antigua]] (incl. [[Barbuda]]), [[Dominica]] (to 1939), [[Montserrat]], [[Nevis]], [[Saint Kitts]] (incl. [[Anguilla]], and combined with Nevis in 1883), and the [[British Virgin Islands|Virgin Islands]]
|-
|1956–1960
|Territory
|
|-
|1960
|Dissolved
|
|-
|-
|rowspan="13"|[[Montserrat]]
|1632–1667
|Colony part of [[Antigua]]
|
|-
|1667
|Occupied by France
|
|-
|1668–1782
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1784–1816
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1816–1832
|Part of colony of Antigua-Barbuda-Montserrat
|
|-
|1832–33
|Colony part of Antigua
|
|-
|1833–1871
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1871–1956
|Presidency within the Leeward Islands
|
|-
|1956–1958
|Colony
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1982
|Colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-style="background-color:#ffcccc"
|2002–present
|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|{{flagicon|Montserrat}}
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Mosquito Coast]]
|1668–1786
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1787–1861
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1861
|Incorporated into [[Nicaragua]] and [[Honduras]]
|
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[Nevis]]
|1628–1671
|Colony subordinated to [[Barbados]]
|
|-
|1671–1701
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1701–1704
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]] under [[Antigua]]
|
|-
|1704–1816
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1816–1833
|Part of colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
|
|-
|1833–1871
|Part of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]] as colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
|
|-
|1871–1883
|Presidency within the [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1883
|Amalgamated with Saint Kitts to form the presidency of Saint Christopher and Nevis (within the Leeward Islands)
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Redonda]]
|1860s–1967
|British possession
|
|-
|1967
|Dependency of Antigua
|
|-
|rowspan="11"|[[Saint Kitts|St. Christopher]]<br>''(Saint Kitts)''
|1623–1666
|Colony
|
|-
|1666
|Occupied by France
|
|-
|1671–1701
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1701–1704
|Part of colony of Leeward Islands under [[Antigua]]
|
|-
|1704–1782
|Part of colony of Leeward Islands
|
|-
|1782
|Occupied by France
|
|-
|1783–1816
|Part of colony of Leeward Islands
|
|-
|1816–1833
|Part of colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
|
|-
|1833–1871
|Part of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]] as colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
|
|-
|1871–1882
|Part of colony of [[British Leeward Islands|Leeward Islands]]
|
|-
|1882
|Amalgamated with Nevis to form the presidency of Saint Christopher-Nevis (within the Leeward Islands)
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[St. Christopher and Nevis]]
|1882–1958
|Presidency within the Leeward Islands
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Part of province of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1967
|Part of colony of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
|
|-
|1967–1980
|Part of associated state of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
|
|-
|1980–1983
|Associated state
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1983
|Independence
| :±:
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Saint John, United States Virgin Islands|St. John]]
|1801–02
|Occupation
|
|-
|1807–1815
|Occupation
|Now part of the [[United States Virgin Islands]]
|-
|rowspan="13"|[[St. Lucia]]
|1605–1640
|Settlement
|
|-
|1640
|Abandoned
|
|-
|1664–1667
|Occupation
|
|-
|1762–63
|Occupation
|
|-
|1781–1783
|Occupation
|
|-
|1794–95
|Occupation
|
|-
|1796–1802
|Occupation
|
|-
|1803–1838
|Colony
|
|-
|1838–1958
|Crown colony part of colony of [[British Windward Islands|Windward Islands]]
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1967
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1967–1979
|Associated state
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1979
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Saint Martin (island)|Saint Martin]]
|1690–1699
|Occupation
|
|-
|1801–02
|Occupation
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]]
|1801–02
|Occupation
|
|-
|1807–1815
|Occupation
|Now part of the [[United States Virgin Islands]]
|-
|rowspan="12"|[[St. Vincent and the Grenadines]]
|1627–1636
|Claimed
|
|-
|1672
|Claimed
|
|-
|1762–63
|Occupation
|
|-
|1763–1776
|Colony
|
|-
|1776–1779
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1779
|Occupied by France
|
|-
|1783–1833
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1833–1958
|Part of colony of [[British Windward Islands|Windward Islands]]
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1969
|Colony
|
|-
|1969–1979
|Associated state
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1979
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[South Caribbean Islands]]
|1763–1802
|Colony
|
|-
|1802
|Dissolved
|Included the present-day countries of [[Dominica]], [[Grenada]], and [[St. Vincent and the Grenadines]], and the island of [[Tobago]]
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[Tobago]]
|1762–1764
|Part of colony of [[British Windward Islands|Windward Islands]]
|
|-
|1764–1781
|Colony
|
|-
|1781
|Colony of France
|
|-
|1793–1802
|Occupation
|
|-
|1802
|Colony of France
|
|-
|1803–1833
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1833–1888
|Part of colony of [[British Windward Islands|Windward Islands]]
|
|-
|1889
|Amalgamated with Trinidad
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Tortuga (Haiti)|Tortuga]]
|1631–1635
|Colony
|
|-
|1635
|French possession
|Now part of [[Haiti]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Trinidad]]
|1802–1888
|Colony
|
|-
|1889
|Amalgamated with Tobago as "Trinidad and Tobago"
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Trinidad and Tobago]]
|1889–1958
|Colony
|
|-
|1958–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1962
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[Turks and Caicos Islands]]
|1799–1848
|Colony part of [[Bahamas]]
|
|-
|1848–1874
|Colony
|
|-
|1874–1959
|Colony part of [[Jamaica]]
|
|-
|1959–1962
|Province of [[West Indies Federation]]
|
|-
|1962–1982
|Colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|-style="background-color:#ffcccc"
|2002–present
|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|{{flagicon|Turks and Caicos}}
|-
|colspan="4"|Virgin Islands – ''see under "British Virgin Islands"''
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[West Indies Federation]]
|1958–1962
|Federation of colonies
|
|-
|1962
|Dissolution
|Included the present-day countries of [[Antigua and Barbuda]], [[Barbados]]; [[Dominica]], [[Grenada]], [[Jamaica]], [[Saint Kitts and Nevis|St. Kitts and Nevis]], [[Saint Lucia|St. Lucia]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|St. Vincent and the Grenadines]], and [[Trinidad and Tobago]], and the British Overseas Territories of [[Anguilla]], [[Cayman Islands]], [[Montserrat]], and [[Turks and Caicos Islands]]
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[British Windward Islands|Windward Islands]]
|1833–1956
|Colony
|
|-
|1956–1960
|Territory
|
|-
|1960
|Dissolution
|Included the present-day countries of [[Barbados]] (to 1885), [[Grenada]], [[Dominica]] (from 1940), [[Saint Lucia|St. Lucia]], and [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|St. Vincent and the Grenadines]], and (until 1889) the island of [[Tobago]]
|}

===South America===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[Berbice]]
|1781–82
|Subordinated to [[Barbados]]
|
|-
|1782
|Occupied by France
|
|-
|1796–1802
|Occupied
|
|-
|1802
|Restored to the [[Netherlands]]
|
|-
|1803–1814
|Occupied
|
|-
|1814–1831
|Colony
|
|-
|1831
|United with Demerara-Essequibo to form British Guiana
|Now part of Guyana
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[British Guiana]]
|1831–1961
|Colony
|Formed by the merger of the colonies of Berbice and Demerara-Essequibo
|-
|1961–1966
|Self-rule
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1966
|Independent as Guyana
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[Demerara]]
|1781–82
|Subordinated to Barbados
|
|-
|1782
|French occupation
|
|-
|1796–1802
|Occupied
|
|-
|1802
|Restored to Netherlands
|
|-
|1803–1814
|Occupied
|
|-
|1814
|Merged with Essequibo to form Demerara-Essequibo
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Demerara-Essequibo]]
|1814–1831
|Colony
|Formed by the merger of the separate colonies of Demerara and Essequibo
|-
|1831
|United with Berbice to form British Guiana
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[Essequibo (colony)|Essequibo]]
|1781–82
|Subordinated to Barbados
|
|-
|1782
|French occupation
|
|-
|1796–1802
|Occupied
|
|-
|1802
|Restored to the Netherlands
|
|-
|1803–1814
|Occupied
|
|-
|1814
|Merged with Demerara to form Demerara-Essequibo
|
|-
|[[Oyapoc]]
|1620
|Settlement
|Now in [[Guyana]]
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Pomeroon (colony)|Pomeroon]]
|1666–67
|Occupied
|
|-
|1689
|Occupation
|
|-
|1689
|Incorporated into Essequibo
|Now in [[Guyana]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[History of Suriname#Early European involvement|Willoughby]]
|1652–1688
|Settlement
|
|-
|1688
|Dutch occupation
|Now [[Paramaribo]], in [[Suriname]]
|-
|}

===Asia===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Colony of Aden|Aden]]
|1839
|Colony subordinate to [[Bombay Presidency]] British India
|
|-
|1932
|Separate province of [[British India]]
|
|-
|1937
|Separate Crown colony
|
|-
|1963
|Part of [[Federation of South Arabia]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Emirate of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]
|1879
|Protected state<ref>{{cite journal |last=Onley |first=James |date=2009 |title=The Raj Reconsidered: British India's Infomal Empire and Spheres of Influence in Asia And Africa |journal=Asian Affairs |volume=40 |number=1 |pages=50 |doi=10.1080/03068370802658666}}</ref>
|
|-
|1919
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Assam]]
|1874–1905
|Province of [[British India]]
|
|-
|1905–1912
|Incorporated into the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam
|
|-
|1912–1947
|Province of British India
|Now a state of the [[India|Republic of India]]
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Bahrain]]
|1880
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1961–1971
|Autonomous
|
|-
|1971
|Independence
|Invited to join the [[Trucial States]], but declined
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioners Province)|Baluchistan]]
|1877–1896
|Province
|
|-
|1896–1947
|Province of [[British India]]
|
|-
|1947
|Part of Pakistan
|Now part of [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] and the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]], in [[Pakistan]]
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[Bantam (city)|Bantam]]
|1603–1609
|Station
|
|-
|1609–1617
|[[Factory (trading post)|Factory]]
|
|-
|1617–1621
|Presidency
|
|-
|1621
|Expelled by the Dutch
|
|-
|1630–1634
|Subordinated to [[Surat]]
|
|-
|1634–1652
|Presidency
|
|-
|1652–1682
|Subordinated to Surat
|
|-
|1682
|Expelled by the Dutch
|Now in [[Indonesia]]
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[British Bencoolen|Bencoolen]]<br />''("Fort York", later "Fort Marlborough")''
|1685–1760
|Coastal settlements of southwestern Sumatra, subordinated to [[Madras]]
|
|-
|1760–1785
|Presidency
|
|-
|1785–1825
|Subordinated to [[Bengal Presidency]]
|
|-
|1825
|Part of [[Dutch East Indies]]
|Now [[Bengkulu]], in [[Indonesia]]
|-
|rowspan="12"|[[Bengal]]<br />''("[[Fort William, India|Fort William]]")''
|1634–1658
|Factories
|
|-
|1658–1681
|Subordinated to [[Madras]]
|
|-
|1681–82
|Agency
|
|-
|1682–1694
|Presidency of [[Coromandel Coast|Coromandel]] and Bengal Settlements
|
|-
|1694–1698
|Subordinated to [[Madras]]
|
|-
|1698–1700
|Presidency of Coromandel and Bengal Settlements
|
|-
|1700–1774
|Presidency
|
|-
|1774–1905
|Presidency of [[British India]]
|
|-
|1905–1912
|Partitioned between [West] Bengal and Eastern Bengal and Assam
|
|-
|1912–1937
|Presidency of British India
|
|-
|1937–1947
|Province of British India
|
|-
|1947
|Divided between [[Dominion of India|India]] ([[West Bengal]]) and [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]] ([[East Bengal]])
|Now [[Bangladesh]], and part of [[West Bengal]], Bihar, [[Odisha]], and [[Jharkhand]], in [[India]]
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Brunei]]
|1888
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1967
|Protected state
|
|-style="background:#ccff99"
|1984
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[British rule in Burma|Burma]] (now called Myanmar)
|1824–1852
|[[Rakhine State|Arakan]], [[Tanintharyi Division|Tenasserim]]
|
|-
|1852–1886
|[[Lower Burma]]
|
|-
|1885–1886
|[[Upper Burma]]
|
|-
|1886
|Lower and Upper Burma United as province of [[British India]]
|
|-
|1937
|Separate Crown Colony
|
|-
|1948
|Independence
|Name changed to Myanmar after a military junta in 1989.
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[East Bengal|Eastern Bengal and Assam]]
|1905–1912
|Province of [[British India]]
|Established upon the [[partition of Bengal (1905)]]
|-
|1912
|Partition reversed
|Split between the re-established province of Assam and the re-constituted presidency of Bengal
|-
|rowspan="3" |[[British Ceylon|Ceylon]]
|1795
|Ceded by the Dutch and subordinated to the [[Madras]] presidency of [[British India]]
|
|-
|1798
|Separate Crown colony
|
|-style="background:#ccff99"
|1948
|Independence
|Now the Democratic Socialist Republic of [[Sri Lanka]]
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Dansborg]]
|1801–02
|Occupied
|
|-
|1808–1815
|Occupied
|
|-
|''1845''
|''purchased and incorporated into [[British India]]''
|Now in [[Tamil Nadu]] state, India
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Frederiksnagore]]
|1801–02
|Occupied
|
|-
|1808–1815
|Occupied
|
|-
|''1845''
|''Purchased and incorporated into [[British India]]''
|Now in [[West Bengal]] state, India
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]]
|1841
|''[[Hong Kong Island]] occupied''
|
|-
|1843–1982
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1860
|Kowloon and Stonecutters Island ceded by China
|
|-
|1898
|New Territories leased from China for 99 years
|
|-
|1942–1945
|Occupied by Japan
|
|-
|1945–1946
|Military administration
|
|-
|1983–1997
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|1997
|Handover to China as a [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|special administrative region]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Sheikhdom of Kuwait|Kuwait]]
|1899
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1961
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[British India|Indian Empire (British Raj)]]
|1613
|[[Company rule in India]]
|
|-
|1858
|Crown rule over the [[Princely state|Indian Princely states]], the [[Presidencies and provinces of British India]]
|
|-
|1947
|Independent as [[Dominion of India|India]] & [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]] after [[Partition of India|partition]]
|
|-
|[[British Mandate for Mesopotamia|Mandatory Iraq]]
|1920–1932
|[[League of Nations mandate]] never passed, replaced by [[Anglo-Iraqi treaty]] with the [[Kingdom of Iraq]]
|
|-
|[[French and British interregnum in the Dutch East Indies#British interregnum 1811–1816|Java and the Spice Islands]]
|1811–1816
|Occupied
|restored to the [[Netherlands]]
|-
|rowspan="15"|[[British Malaya|Malaya]]
|1824
|Transferred following [[Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824]]
|
|-
|1824–1867
|Territory of [[British East India Company]]
|
|-
|1867–1946
|[[Straits Settlements]], Crown colony
|
|-
|1895–1946
|[[Federated Malay States]], protectorate
|
|-
|1885–1946
|[[Johor]], protectorate (part of [[Unfederated Malay States]])
|
|-
|1909–1946
|[[Kedah]], protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
|
|-
|1909–1946
|[[Kelantan]], protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
|
|-
|1909–1946
|[[Perlis]], protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
|
|-
|1909–1946
|[[Terengganu]], protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
|
|-
|1942–1945
|[[Japanese occupation of Malaya|Japanese occupation]]
|
|-
|1945–1946
|[[British Military Administration (Malaya)|Military Administration]]
|
|-
|1946–1948
|[[Malayan Union]]
|
|-
|1948–1957
|[[Federation of Malaya]]
|
|-
|1957–1963
|Independent state
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1963
|Annex [[Crown Colony of North Borneo|North Borneo]] and [[Crown Colony of Sarawak|Sarawak]] forming the renamed federation of [[Malaysia]]
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Crown Colony of North Borneo|North Borneo]]
|1882–1946
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1945–1946
|[[British Military Administration (Borneo)|Military administration]]
|Labuan to British N. Borneo on 15 July 1946
|-
|1946–1963
|Crown colony
|Labuan to British N. Borneo on 15 July 1946
|-
|1963
|Self-government
|
|-
|1963
|Annexed by Malaya into [[Malaysia]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]]
|1920
|Mandate
|
|-
|1948
|British mandate dissolved; proposed partition plans never materialized; [[Israel]] established immediately after British withdrawal, with the short-lived [[All-Palestine government]] following six months later, and later the partially recognised [[State of Palestine]]
|ongoing territorial dispute, see [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Côn Sơn Island|Pulo Condore Island]] ([[Côn Đảo]])
|1702
|Possession of [[British East India Company]]
|
|-
|1705
|Abandoned
|Now Côn Đảo, in [[Vietnam]]
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Crown Colony of Sarawak|Sarawak]]
|1888–1946
|Protected States
|
|-
|1945–1946
|[[British Military Administration (Borneo)|Military administration]]
|
|-
|1946–1963
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1963
|Self-government
|
|-
|1963
|Annexed by Malaya into [[Malaysia]]
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Straits Settlements]]
|1826–1858
|Possession under [[British East India Company]]
|Now divided between [[Malacca]] and [[Penang]], in [[Malaysia]], and Singapore
|-
|1858–1867
|Subordinated to [[British India]]
|
|-
|1867–1946
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1942–1945
|Occupied by Japan
|
|-
|1946
|Dissolved
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Qatar]]
|1916–1971
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1971
|Independence
|Invited to join the [[Trucial States]], but declined

|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Surat]]
|1612–1658
|[[Factory (trading post)|Factory]]
|
|-
|1658–1668
|Presidency
|
|-
|1668–1685
|Possession under [[British East India Company]]
|
|-
|1685–1703
|Subordinated to [[Bombay]]
|
|-
|1703
|Incorporated into Bombay
|Now in [[India]]
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[Singapore]]
|1824
|Purchased
|
|-
|1824
|[[Singapore in the Straits Settlements|Part of Straits Settlements]] (as residency of the [[Presidency of Bengal]])
|
|-
|1867–1946
|Part of Straits Settlements (crown colony)
|
|-
|1946–1955
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1955–1959
|self-governing colony
|
|-
|1959–1963
|State of Singapore
|
|-
|1963–1965
|[[Singapore in Malaysia|Part of Malaysia]]
|
|-style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1965
|Independence
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Emirate of Transjordan|Transjordan]]
|1920
|Part of [[Mandate for Palestine|Palestine Mandate]]
|Now known as [[Jordan]]
|-
|1923
|Formally separated from Palestine
|
|-
|1928
|[[Emirate]] independent, except military and finance control
|
|-
|1946
|Formal independence as the [[Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Trucial States]]
|1892
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1971
|Formation of Federation of Arab Emirates
|Now part of the [[United Arab Emirates]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Weihaiwei under British rule|Weihaiwei]]
|1898–1930
|Leased from [[Qing Dynasty|China]]
|
|-
|1930
|Returned to the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]]
|Now part of the [[China|People's Republic of China]]
|-
|[[West Bengal]]<br />("''Bengal''")
|1905–1912
|Province of British India
|Established by the partition of Bengal.  Abolished with the reversal of the partition and the creation of the new province of [[Bihar and Orissa]].
|-
|}

===Europe===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-style="background-color:#ffcccc"
|rowspan="1"|[[Akrotiri and Dhekelia]]
|1960–present
|Sovereign Base Areas
|
|-
|rowspan="10"|[[Alderney]]
|1198–1204
|Lordship
|
|-
|1204
|[[Fiefdom]]
|
|-
|1205
|[[Fiefdom]]
|
|-
|1206–1279
|[[Fiefdom]]
|
|-
|1279
|Briefly occupied by France
|
|-
|1279–1660
|Part of [[bailiwick]] of Guernsey
|
|-
|1660–1825
|[[Manorialism|Seigneurie]]
|
|-
|1825
|Subordinated to [[Guernsey]]
|
|-
|1940–1945
|Occupied by Germany
|
|-
|1945
|Restored to Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Cyprus]]
|1878
|Administration while nominally remaining part of the [[Ottoman Empire]]
|
|-
|1914
|Annexation
|
|-
|1925
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1960
|Independence
|Two sovereign base areas remain under British sovereignty; see under "Akrotiri and Dhekelia"
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Dunkirk]]
|1658–1662
|Town and surrounding hinterland
|
|-
|1662
|Incorporated into France
|
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[Kingdom of England|England]]
|927
|Kingdom formed
|
|-
|1282
|Conquest of principality of Gwynedd (last remaining independent Welsh principality) 
|
|-
|1536
|Annexation of Principality of Wales and Marcher Lordships into England
|
|-
|1603
|Personal union with Scotland
|
|-
|1649
|Republic as the Commonwealth of England. Scotland and Ireland united with England
|
|-
|1660
|End of Republic. Scotland independent again but in personal union with England
|
|-
|1707
|Political union with Scotland to form the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]
|{{flagicon|UK}} [[Treaty of Union]] 1706 and [[Acts of Union 1707]]
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Gibraltar]]
|1704
|Captured by Britain
|
|-
|1713
|Colony
|Ceded by Spain [[Treaty of Utrecht]] 1713
|-
|1983
|Dependent territory
|
|-style="background-color:#ffcccc"
|2002–present
|British Overseas Territory
|{{flagicon|GIB}} Sovereignty claimed by Spain
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain, Kingdom of]]
|1707
|Formed by union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland
|
|-
|1801
|Union of Great Britain with Ireland to form the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[Guernsey]]<br>''(incl. islands of [[Brecqhou]], [[Herm]], [[Jethou]], [[Lihou]], and [[Sark]])''
|1198–1204
|Lordship
|
|-
|1204–1205
|Fiefdom
|
|-
|1206–1279
|Fiefdom
|
|-
|1279–1940
|[[Bailiwick]]
|
|-
|1940–1945
|Occupied by Germany
|
|-style="background-color:#99ccff"
|1945–present
|Bailiwick
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Heligoland]]
|1807–1814
|Occupied
|
|-
|1814–1890
|Colony
|
|-
|1890
|Incorporated into [[German Empire|Germany]]
|
|-
|1945–1952
|Occupied
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[United States of the Ionian Islands]]
|1809–1815
|Occupied
|
|-
|1815–1864
|United States of Ionian Islands, under British protection
|
|-
|1864
|Incorporated into [[Greece]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|Ireland
|1172
|Lordship
|Papal Bull [[Laudabiliter]] 1155
|-
|1541
|Kingdom subordinated to the English (later British) Crown
|
|-
|1801
|Merged with [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] to form the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]
|[[Act of Union 1800]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Irish Free State]]
|1922
|Independence from the United Kingdom
|[[Anglo-Irish Treaty]] 1921
|-
|1949
|Declared a Republic
|
|-
|rowspan="11"|[[Isle of Man]]
|1266–1290
|[[Fiefdom]] under [[Scotland]]
|
|-
|1313–1317
|[[Fiefdom]] under [[Scotland]]
|
|-
|1328–1333
|[[Fiefdom]] under [[Scotland]]
|
|-
|1333–1504
|Fiefdom
|
|-
|1504–1594
|Lordship
|
|-
|1594–1610
|Direct Crown rule
|
|-
|1610–1649
|Lordship
|
|-
|1649–1660
|Commonwealth and protectorate
|
|-
|1660–1765
|Lordship
|
|-
|1765–1827
|Possession
|
|-style="background-color:#99ccff"
|1827–present
|Crown dependency
|
|-
|rowspan="9"|[[Jersey]]
|1204
|[[Fiefdom]] subordinated to [[Guernsey]]
|
|-
|1204–1205
|[[Fiefdom]] subordinated to [[Guernsey]]
|
|-
|1206–1279
|[[Fiefdom]] subordinated to [[Guernsey]]
|
|-
|1279–1380
|[[Bailiwick]] subordinated to Guernsey
|
|-
|1382–1461
|[[Bailiwick]] subordinated to Guernsey
|
|-
|1468–1487
|[[Bailiwick]] subordinated to Guernsey
|
|-
|1487–1940
|Bailiwick
|
|-
|1940–1945
|Occupied by Germany
|
|-style="background-color:#99ccff"
|1945–present
|Bailiwick
|
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[Malta]]
|1800–1813
|[[Malta Protectorate|Protectorate]]
|
|-
|1813–1921
|[[Malta Colony|Crown colony]]
|
|-
|1921–1933
|[[Self-governing colony]]
|
|-
|1933–1947
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1947–1958
|Self-governing colony
|
|-
|1958–1961
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1961–1964
|Self-governing colony
|
|- style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1964
|Independence
|
|-
| rowspan="6" |[[Menorca]]
|1708–1713
|Occupied
|
|-
|1713
|Ceded to Britain
|
|-
|1714–1756
|Colony
|
|-
|1756
|Occupied by France
|
|-
|1798–1802
|Colony
|
|-
|1802
|Restored to Spain
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Rockall]]
|1955
|Annexed as the latest territorial addition to the United Kingdom.
|
|-
|1972
|Made part of [[Scotland]] under [[Island of Rockall Act 1972]].
|{{flagicon|UK}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Sicily]]
|1806–1815
|[[Sicily Protectorate|Protectorate]]
|
|-
|1816
|creation of the [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |[[Scotland]]
|1603
|Personal union with England
|
|-
|1649
|United with England and Ireland as the Commonwealth of England. 
|
|-
|1660
|Independent again but in personal union with England
|
|-
|1707
|Political union with England to form the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]
|{{flagicon|UK}} [[Treaty of Union]] 1706 and [[Acts of Union 1707]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |United Kingdom
|1801
|Formed by the union of the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] and [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]]
|
|- style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1922
|Secession of the [[Irish Free State]]
|
|- style="background-color:#ccff99"
|1927
|Formal name changed from "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland" to "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"
|{{flagicon|UK}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Wales|Wales (Cymru)]]
|1282
|Occupied
|
|-
|1535
|Annexed into England by Act of English Parliament
|
|-
|1999
|Devolved National Assembly established (renamed to [[Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament|Senedd]] (Parliament) in 2020)
|
|-
|}

===Antarctic Region===
(Territories south of 60° S)
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[British Antarctic Territory]]
|1962–1982
|Colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|-style="background-color:#ffcccc"
|2002–present
|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|{{flagicon|British Antarctic Territory}} 
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Enderby Land]]
|1930–1933
|Claimed
|
|-
|1933
|Transferred to Australia
|Now part of the [[Australian Antarctic Territory]]
|-
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Graham Land]]
|1832
|Annexed
|
|-
|1908–1962
|Dependency of [[Falkland Islands]]
|
|-
|1962–present
|Part of the [[British Antarctic Territory]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[South Orkney Islands|South Orkney]]
|1821–1908
|Claimed
|
|-
|1908–1962
|Dependency of the [[Falkland Islands]]
|
|-
|1962–present
|Part of the [[British Antarctic Territory]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[South Shetland]]
|1819–1908
|Claimed
|
|-
|1908–1962
|Dependency of the [[Falkland Islands]]
|
|-
|1962–present
|Part of the [[British Antarctic Territory]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Victoria Land]]
|1841–1933
|Claimed
|
|-
|1933
|Transferred to Australia
|Now part of the [[Australian Antarctic Territory]]
|}

===Atlantic===
(Islands in the Atlantic Ocean)

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Ascension Island]]
|1815–1922
|Possession
|
|-
|1922–2009
|Dependency of St Helena
|
|-
|2009–present
|Part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Bermuda]]
|1612–1684
|Colony
|
|-
|1684–1968
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1968–1982
|Self-governing colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|style="background:#ffcccc"|2002–present
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[File:Flag of Bermuda.svg|30px|Bermuda Flag]]
|-
|rowspan="11"|[[Falkland Islands]]
|''1766''
|''[[West Falkland]] settled''
|
|-
|''1774''
|''Settlement withdrawn''
|
|-
|1774–1833
|Claimed
|
|-
|''1833''
|''Settlement re-established''
|
|-
|1841–1892
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1892–1908
|Colony
|
|-
|1908–1962
|Colony
|
|-
|''1962''
|''The Falkland Islands Dependencies of [[South Shetland]], [[South Orkney Islands|South Orkney]], and [[Graham Land]] are established as the separate colony of [[British Antarctic Territory]]''
|
|-
|1962–1982
|Colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|style="background:#ffcccc"|2002–present
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[File:Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg|30px|Falkland Islands Flag]]
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha]]<br />''(formerly known as "St. Helena and its Dependencies")''
|1588–1673
|[[Saint Helena|St Helena]] claimed
|
|-
|1673–1815
|Possession of the [[East India Company]]
|
|-
|1815–1821
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1821–1834
|Possession of [[British East India Company]]
|
|-
|1834–1982
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|style="background:#ffcccc"|2002–present
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[File:Flag of Saint Helena.svg|30px|St. Helena Flag]]
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands|South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands]]
|1775–1908
|Claimed
|
|-
|1908–1985
|Dependency of the [[Falkland Islands]]
|
|-
|1985–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|style="background:#ffcccc"|2002–present
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[File:Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.svg|30px|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]]
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Tristan da Cunha]]
|(1816–1938)
|Dependency of the [[Cape Colony]]<!-- the Cape Colony became part of Union of South Africa in 1910, but I couldn't find any info on the status of T da C between 1910-1938 -->
|
|-
|1938–2009
|Dependency of St. Helena
|
|-
|2009–present
|Part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
|
|}

===Indian Ocean===
(Islands in the Indian Ocean)

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
|''1789''
|''British take possession of the [[Andaman Islands]]''
|
|-
|''1848''
|''British take possession of the [[Nicobar Islands]]''
|
|-
|1942–1945
|Japanese occupation
|
|-
|''1947''
|''Became part of [[India]] upon its independence''
|Now a union territory of India
|-
|rowspan="2"|Ashmore Island
|1878
|Annexed
|
|-
|1931
|Transferred to Australia
|Now administered as part of the [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|Cartier Island
|1909–1931
|Annexed
|
|-
|1931
|Transferred to Australia
|Now administered as part of the [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands]]
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[British Indian Ocean Territory]]
|1810–1814
|Occupied
|
|-
|''1814''
|''Ceded to the United Kingdom by the [[Treaty of Paris (1814)|Treaty of Paris]]''
|
|-
|1814–1903
|Part of the colony of [[Seychelles]]
|
|-
|1903–1965
|Part of colony of [[British Mauritius|Mauritius]]
|
|-
|1965–1982
|Colony
|
|-
|''1976''
|''The [[Aldabra|Aldabra Group]], the [[Des Roches]] islands, and the [[Farquhar Group]]/[[Des Roches]] are restored to the Seychelles''
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|style="background:#ffcccc"|2002–present
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|style="background:#ffcccc"|[[File:Flag of the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory.svg|30px|British Indian Ocean Territory flag]]
|-
| rowspan="8"| [[Christmas Island]]
|1888
|Annexed
|
|-
|1889–90
|Leased
|
|-
|1900–1942
|Dependency of the colony of [[Straits Settlement]]
|
|-
|1942–1945
|Japanese occupation
|
|-
|1945–46
|Military administration
|
|-
|1946–1958
|Dependency of the colony of Singapore
|
|-
|1958
|Crown colony
|
|-
|''1958''
|''Transferred to Australia''
|
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[Cocos (Keeling) Islands|Cocos Islands]]
|1825; <br />1826–1831
|Settlement
|
|-
|1831–1857
|Fiefdom
|
|-
|1857–1878
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1878–1886
|Part of [[Ceylon]]
|
|-
|1886–1942
|Part of the colony of the [[Straits Settlements]]
|
|-
|1942–1946
|Part of [[Ceylon]]
|
|-
|1946–1955
|Dependency of the Colony of Singapore
|
|-
|''1955''
|''transferred to Australia''
|Now the Australian territory of [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Heard Island and McDonald Islands]]
|1833–1947
|Claimed
|
|-
|''1947''
|''Transferred to Australia''
|Now the Australian territory of [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands]]
|-
|rowspan="4" style="background:#ccff99"|[[Maldives]]
|1796–1953
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1953–54
|Republic
|
|-
|1954–1965
|Protectorate
|See also the [[United Suvadive Republic]] (1959–1963)
|-
|style="background:#ccff99"|''1965''
|style="background:#ccff99"|''Independence''
|style="background:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Mauritius]]
|''1809''
|Occupation of [[Rodrigues (island)|Rodrigues]]
|
|-
|1810–1968
|Colony
|
|-
|''1814''
|''Formal cession by the [[Treaty of Paris (1814)|Treaty of Paris]]''
|
|-
|''1965''
|''The [[Chagos Archipelago]] is transferred to the [[British Indian Ocean Territory]]''
|
|-
|style="background:#ccff99"|''1968''
|style="background:#ccff99"|''Independence''
|style="background:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="8" style="background:#ccff99"|[[Seychelles]]
|1794–1810
|Occupied
|
|-
|1810–1814
|Colony subordinated to [[Mauritius]]
|
|-
|''1814''
|''Formal cession by the [[Treaty of Paris (1814)|Treaty of Paris]]''
|
|-
|1814–1903
|Colony
|
|-
|1903–1970
|Crown colony
|
|-
|1970–1975
|Self-governing colony
|
|-
|1975–76
|Self-rule
|
|-
|style="background:#ccff99"|''1976''
|style="background:#ccff99"|''Independence''
|style="background:#ccff99"|
|-
|}

===Australasia and the Pacific===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!width="300"|Name of territory
!width="100"|Dates
!width="400"|Status
!width="400"|Comments
|-
|rowspan="2" style="background-color:#ccff99"|[[Australia]]
|1901–1942
|Dominion
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1942''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Adopted the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]] into domestic law''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|[[Baker Island]]
|1886–1934
|Claimed
|Now a territory of the United States
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Bonin Islands]]
|1827–1876
|Claimed
|
|-
|''1876''
|''Annexed by Japan''
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[British New Guinea]]
|1884–1886
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1886–1906
|Colony
|
|-
|''1906''
|''Transferred to Australia''
|Now part of [[Papua New Guinea]]
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Cook Islands]]
|1888–1891
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1891–1900
|Federation
|
|-
|1900
|Annexed by [[New Zealand]]
|
|-
|1965
|Self-governance
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Coral Sea Islands]]
|1879–1969
|Part of [[Queensland]], Australia
|
|-
|1969
|Became an [[States and territories of Australia|Australian external territory]]
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Colonial Fiji|Fiji]]
|1874–1877
|Colony
|
|-
|1877–1952
|Colony administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]]
|
|-
|1952–1970
|Colony
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1970''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Independence''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Friendly Islands]]<br />([[Tonga]])
|1889–1900
|Tripartite protectorate
|
|-
|1900–1952
|Protectorate administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]]
|
|-
|1952–1970
|Protectorate
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1970''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Independence''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Gilbert and Ellice Islands]]
|1892–1916
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1916–1975
|Crown colony administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]] until 1971
|
|-
|''1975''
|''The Gilbert and Ellice Islands are split into the two separate colonies of the [[Gilbert Islands]] and Tuvalu'' (formally in 1976)
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Gilbert Islands]]
|1975–76
|Crown colony (with the same Governor of the Tuvalu colony)
|
|-
|1976–1979
|Colony
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1979''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Independent as "[[Kiribati]]"''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|[[Howland Island]]
|1886–1935
|Claimed
|Now a territory of the United States
|-
|[[Jarvis Island]]
|1889–1935
|Annexed
|Now a territory of the United States
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Lord Howe Island]]
|1788–1834
|Claimed
|
|-
|1834–1855
|Settlement
|Now part of [[New South Wales]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Macquarie Island]]
|1810–1890
|Part of the colony of [[New South Wales]]
|
|-
|1890–present
|Part of Tasmania
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[Nauru]]
|-
|1920–1942
|[[League of Nations mandate]] (Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom)
|
|-
|1942–1945
|Japanese occupation (''de jure'' League of Nations mandate)
|
|-
|1945–1947
|League of Nations mandate (Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom)
|
|-
|1947–1968
|[[United Nations Trust Territory]]  (Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom)
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1968''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Independence''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[New Hebrides]]
|1824–1878
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1878–1887
|Neutral territory
|
|-
|1887–1906
|Joint naval commission
|
|-
|1906–1976
|[[Condominium (international law)|Condominium]] with France, administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]]
|
|-
|1976–1980
|Condominium
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1980''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Independent as "Vanuatu"''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[New South Wales]]
|1788–1900
|Colony
|
|-
|1901–present
|State of Australia
|
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[New Zealand]]
|1769–1788
|Claimed
|
|-
|1788–1835
|Part of [[New South Wales]]
|
|-
|''1835''
|''Declared independence''
|
|-
|1835–1840
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1840–41
|Part of New South Wales
|
|-
|1841–1907
|[[Colony of New Zealand|Colony]]
|
|-
|1907–1947
|[[Dominion|Dominion of New Zealand]]
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1947''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Adopted the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]] into domestic law''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Niue]]
|1889–1900
|Tripartite protectorate
|
|-
|1900–01
|Protectorate administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]]
|
|-
|''1901''
|''Annexed to [[New Zealand]] (as part of the [[Cook Islands]])''
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Norfolk Island]]
|1788–1844
|Part of [[New South Wales]]
|
|-
|1844–1856
|Part of [[Van Diemen's Land]] (later Tasmania)
|
|-
|1856–1897
|Subordinated to New South Wales
|
|-
|''1897''
|''Dependency of New South Wales''
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Palmyra Atoll]]
|1889
|Annexed
|
|-
|''1898''
|''Annexed by the United States''
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[Pitcairn Islands]]
|1838–1887
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1887–1898
|Colony
|
|-
|1898–1970
|Colony administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]]
|
|-
|1970–1982
|Colony
|
|-
|1983–2002
|Dependent territory
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ffcccc"|2002–present
|style="background-color:#ffcccc"|[[British Overseas Territory]]
|style="background-color:#ffcccc"|[[File:Flag of the Pitcairn Islands.svg|30px|Pitcairn Islands Flag]]
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Queensland]]
|1824–1859
|Part of the colony of [[New South Wales]]
|
|-
|1859–1900
|Colony
|
|-
|1901–present
|State of Australia
|
|-
|[[Samoan Islands]]
|1889–1900
|Tripartite protectorate
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Hawaiian Islands|Sandwich Islands]]
|1794 – 10 February 1843
|Protectorate
|
|-
|10 February 1843 – 31 July 1843
|Ceded to Britain
|
|-
|rowspan="9"|[[British Solomon Islands|Solomon Islands]]
|1889–1893
|Tripartite protectorate
|
|-
|1893–1942
|Protectorate administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]]
|
|-
|1942–1943
|Japanese occupation
|
|-
|1943–1971
|Protectorate administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]]
|
|-
|1971–1973
|protectorate
|
|-
|1973–1976
|Autonomy
|
|-
|''1975''
|''Renamed from "British Solomon Islands" to "Solomon Islands"''
|
|-
|1976–1978
|Self-government
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1978''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Independence''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="3"|South Australia
|1788–1836
|Part of the colony of [[New South Wales]]
|
|-
|1836–1900
|Province (colony)
|
|-
|1901–present
|State of Australia
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Tasmania]] <br />([[Van Diemen's Land]])
|1803–1825
|Part of [[New South Wales]]
|
|-
|1825–1900
|Colony
|
|-
|''1856''
|''Renamed as "Tasmania"''
|
|-
|1901–present
|State of Australia
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Tokelau]]<br />(Union Islands)
|1889–1898
|Protectorate
|
|-
|1898–1916
|Protectorate administered as part of the [[British Western Pacific Territories]]
|
|-
|1916–1949
|Part of colony of [[Gilbert and Ellice Islands]]
|Transferred to New Zealand
|-
|''1949''
|''Transferred to New Zealand''
|
|-
|[[Torres Strait Islands]]
|1879–present
|Part of [[Queensland]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Tuvalu]]
|1975–76
|Colony administered with the same Governor of [[Gilbert Islands]] colony
|
|-
|1976–1978
|Colony
|
|-
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''1978''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|''Independence''
|style="background-color:#ccff99"|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
|1839–1851
|Part of colony of [[New South Wales]]
|
|-
|1851–1900
|Colony
|
|-
|1901–present
|State of Australia
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|Western Australia
|1791–1829
|[[King George Sound]] settled
|
|-
|1829–1832
|[[Swan River Colony]]
|
|-
|1832–1900
|Colony
|
|-
|1901–present
|State of Australia
|
|-
|}

==Treaties and acts of Parliament, etc.==

This is a listing of the more important [[treaty|treaties]], [[Act of Parliament|acts of Parliament]], and other legal instruments and events affecting the nature and territorial extent of the British Empire.

{{Expand list|date=August 2008}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Effective date
!Name of treaty, etc.
! Territorial effect
|-
|1536/1543
|[[Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542]]
|[[Wales]] annexed to the [[Kingdom of England]]
|-
|1606
|[[First Virginia Charter]]
|Granted the [[Virginia Company]] the right to colonize the modern-day [[East Coast of the United States]], with the [[London Company]] establishing the [[Colony of Virginia]] at [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]] and the [[Plymouth Company]] receiving the right to colonize what would become [[New England Colonies|New England]]
|-
|1613–1753
|[[Covenant Chain]]
|Series of treaties and alliances between [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes such as the [[Iroquois|Iroquois Confederacy]] and [[British America]] 
|-
|1621
|[[Mayflower Compact]]
|Established the legal and constitutional system of the [[Plymouth Colony]]
|-
|1628
|[[Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company]]
|Established the [[Massachusetts Bay Company]] to colonize the region
|-
|1639
|[[Fundamental Orders of Connecticut]]
|Established English towns in the [[Connecticut River|Connecticut River Valley]] as the [[Connecticut Colony]]
|-
|1651–1696
|[[Navigation Acts]]
|Regulated trade between England (and later Great Britain) and its overseas colonies through [[Mercantilism|mercantilist]] policies, prohibiting them each from importing certain commodities to countries outside the British Empire and from producing certain products imported by the other
|-
|1663
|[[Rhode Island Royal Charter]]
|Granted legal recognition to the [[Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations]]
|-
|1664
|[[Articles of Surrender of New Netherland]]
|Annexed the [[Dutch Empire|Dutch colony]] of [[New Netherland]] to England as the [[Province of New York]] 
|-
|1652
|[[1652 Articles of Peace and Friendship]]
|Ceded [[Susquehannock]] land at the mouth of the [[Susquehanna River]] to white settlers from the [[Province of Maryland]]
|-
|1682
|[[Frame of Government of Pennsylvania]]
|Established political and constitutional system of [[Province of Pennsylvania]]
|-
|1669
|[[Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina]]
|Established political and constitutional system of [[Province of Carolina]] 
|-
|1691
|[[Massachusetts Charter]]
|Established the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]]
|-
|1701
|[[Nanfan Treaty]]
|Granted British recognition of Iroquois control of land seized in [[Beaver Wars]] 
|-
|1707
|[[Acts of Union 1707]]
|[[Scotland]] and England unite as the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]
|-
|1713
|[[Treaty of Utrecht]]
|Spain cedes [[Gibraltar]] to Britain. France cedes [[Colony of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]], [[Hudson Bay]] and [[Acadia|Acadie]] to Britain.
|-
|1749–1764
|[[New Hampshire Grants]]
|Allowed for colonization in what would become [[Vermont]]
|-
|1758
|[[Treaty of Easton]]
|Returned [[Ohio Country]] to undisputed Native American control in exchange for assistance in [[French and Indian War]] 
|-
|1763
|[[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]]
|France cedes all its territories in [[Americas|America]] to Britain except [[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]] Islands.
|-
|1763
|[[Royal Proclamation of 1763]]
|Established [[trans-Appalachia]] as an "[[Indian Reserve (1763)|Indian Reserve]]" and prohibited white colonization west of the [[Appalachian Mountains]] 
|-
|1765 
|[[Stamp Act 1765|Stamp Act]]
|Issued [[direct tax]] on [[stamped paper]] in [[British America]], led to the beginning of the American Revolution due to opposition to "[[No taxation without representation|taxation without representation]]"
|-
|1766 
|[[Declaratory Act]]
|Repealed the stamp tax but declared that the [[Parliament of Great Britain]] [[Virtual representation|virtually represented]] colonies and could pass legally biding legislation and taxes on their behalf
|-
|1767–1768
|[[Townshend Acts]]
|Series of legislation introducing taxes on British America
|-
|1768
|[[Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1768)|Treaty of Fort Stanwix]]
|Established [[Line of Property]] dividing the Indian Reserve from the [[Thirteen Colonies]], as well as adding modern-day [[Kentucky]] and [[West Virginia]] to it
|-
|1773
|[[Regulating Act 1773]]
|Reformed [[Company rule in India]]
|-
|1774
|[[Intolerable Acts]]
|Series of laws to punish the Thirteen Colonies for the [[Boston Tea Party]] protest during the [[American Revolution]], major cause of the [[American Revolutionary War]]
|-
|1776
|[[Declaration of Independence of the United States]]
|The [[Thirteen Colonies]] (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia) assert independence
|-
|1783
|[[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Second Treaty of Paris]]
|Great Britain formally recognises the independence of the [[United States]]. End of the [[American Revolution]].
|-
|1784 
|[[Pitt's India Act]]
|Established Crown political control over Company rule in India  
|-
|1788
|
|[[New South Wales]] is established by settlement as a penal colony
|-
|1791
|[[Constitutional Act of 1791|Constitution Act]]
|The [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]] is divided in two sections [[Upper Canada]] (now Ontario) and [[Lower Canada]] (now Quebec).
|-
|1801
|[[Act of Union 1800]]
|Ireland unites with Great Britain to form the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]
|-
|1813 
|[[Charter Act 1813]]
|Renewed the [[East India Company|British East India Company]]'s royal charter but discontinued its commercial monopoly over India with the exception of tea, opium, and trade with China
|-
|1814
|[[Treaty of Paris (1814)|Third Treaty of Paris]]
|France cedes the [[Seychelles]] to Britain and [[Malta Protectorate|Malta]] officially becomes a [[Malta Colony|colony]]
|-
|1835 
|[[Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand]]
|Asserted the sovereign independence of the [[United Tribes of New Zealand]]
|-
|1840
|[[Treaty of Waitangi]]
|[[New Zealand]] becomes a British colony
|-
|1850
|[[Australian Constitutions Act 1850]]
|Separated [[Port Phillip District]] from [[Colony of New South Wales]] to form the [[Colony of Victoria]], and provided for similar processes to occur in [[Van Diemen's Land]] and [[British colonisation of South Australia|South Australia]] 
|-
|1852
|[[New Zealand Constitution Act 1852]]
|Granted [[responsible government]] to the [[Colony of New Zealand]]
|-
|1858 
|[[Government of India Act 1858]]
|Ended [[Company rule in India]] by transferring political authority over the [[presidencies and provinces of British India]] from the [[East India Company|British East India Company]] directly to the [[The Crown|British Crown]], creating the [[British Raj]] 
|-
|1865
|[[Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865]]
|Allowed all colonial legislation to have full effect in the colonies as long as it did not interfere with [[Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom|Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom]] extending to the colony, preventing colonial statutes from being judicially overruled under [[English law]] 
|-
|1867
|[[British North America Act 1867]] ''(known in Canada as the Constitution Act, 1867)''
|The [[Province of Canada]], New Brunswick, and [[Nova Scotia]] federate as [[Canada]]
|-
|1870
|
|[[Rupert's Land]] and the [[North-Western Territory]] are annexed to Canada
|-
|1871
|
|[[British Columbia]] becomes a province of Canada
|-
|1876
|Proclamation under the [[Royal Titles Act 1876]]
|[[Queen Victoria]] adopts the title "Empress of India"
|-
|1899
|
|Joint British-Egyptian condominium established over [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan|Sudan]]
|-
|1901
|Proclamation under the [[Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act]] (1900)
|The [[Commonwealth of Australia]] is formed by the federation of the colonies of [[New South Wales]], Victoria, [[Queensland]], South Australia, Western Australia, and [[Tasmania]]
|-
|1910
|Proclamation under the [[South Africa Act 1909]]
|[[Union of South Africa]] formed by the federation of the colonies of the [[Cape Colony|Cape of Good Hope]], [[Natal Province|Natal]], [[South African Republic|Transvaal]], and the [[Orange River Colony]]
|-
|1912
|[[Government of India Act 1912]]
|Issued political reforms in the aftermath of the [[Partition of Bengal (1905)|partition of Bengal]] 
|-
|1914
|[[Government of Ireland Act 1920]]
|Granted [[Irish Home Rule movement|Irish Home Rule]], with autonomous [[Devolution in the United Kingdom|devolved government]] to take control of [[Ireland]] 
|-
|1914
|[[Suspensory Act 1914]]
|Delayed Irish Home Rule until the end of [[World War I]] 
|-
|1914
|Cyprus (Annexation) Order in Council 1914
|[[Cyprus]] formally annexed
|-
|1916 
|[[Proclamation of the Irish Republic]]
|The [[Irish Volunteers]], [[Irish Citizen Army]], and [[Irish Republican Brotherhood]] proclaim the [[Irish Republic]]. 
|-
|1919
|[[Irish Declaration of Independence]]
|The [[Dáil Éireann]] declares the independence of the [[Irish Republic]], which is not recognized by the British government and begins the [[Irish War of Independence]]. 
|-
|1919
|[[Government of India Act 1919]]
|Granted limited [[responsible government]] for India, including a reformed [[Imperial Legislative Council]] and Provincial Councils
|-
|1920
|Kenya (Annexation) Order in Council 1920
|Most of the [[British East Africa|East Africa Protectorate]] is annexed as the [[Kenya|Colony of Kenya]]
|-
|1920
|[[Government of Ireland Act 1920]]
|[[Partition of Ireland|Partitioned Ireland]] into autonomous regions of [[Southern Ireland (1921–1922)|Southern Ireland]] and [[Northern Ireland]] due to [[Irish War of Independence]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |1922
|[[Anglo-Irish Treaty]]
|Southern Ireland is separated from the United Kingdom as the [[Irish Free State]]
|-
|[[Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence]]
|Egypt becomes independent
|-
|1926
|[[Balfour Declaration of 1926]]
|Declared the [[Dominion|Dominions]] to be "autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status" and established the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]
|-
|1930 
|[[Purna Swaraj]]
|The [[Indian National Congress]] declared the [[Indian subcontinent]]'s right to independence. 
|-
|1931
|[[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]]
|Canada, the Irish Free State, and the [[Union of South Africa]] obtain effective sovereignty
|-
|1934
|
|Financial difficulties result in Newfoundland losing its status as a dominion
|-
|1935
|[[Government of India Act 1935]]
|Permitted limited provincial autonomy and autonomous institutions for India incl. the princely states, as well as separating [[British rule in Burma|Burma]] from India
|-
|1942
|
|Australia adopts the Statute of Westminster, backdated to 1939
|-
|rowspan="2"|1947
|[[New Zealand Constitution Amendment (Request and Consent) Act 1947]]
|New Zealand adopts the Statute of Westminster
|-
|[[Indian Independence Act 1947]]
|[[India]] is partitioned into the independent dominions of India and Pakistan
|-
|1948
|[[The Republic of Ireland Act 1948|Republic of Ireland Act 1948]]
|Abolished the [[Monarchy of Ireland|Irish monarchy]] and replaced it with a democratically elected [[President of Ireland]], severing final constitutional links between the United Kingdom and Ireland 
|-
|1948
|
|King [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] relinquishes the title "Emperor of India"
|-
|1948
|[[Israeli Declaration of Independence]]
|The [[Yishuv|Jewish community]] of [[Mandatory Palestine]] declares independence as the [[Israel|State of Israel]]
|-
|1949 
|[[Ireland Act 1949]]
|British Parliament recognizes the Republic of Ireland Act 1948
|-
|1949
|[[Newfoundland Act]]
|Newfoundland becomes a province of Canada
|-
|1949 
|[[London Declaration]]
|Allowed continued Indian membership in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] after the abolition of the [[Emperor of India|Indian monarchy]]
|-
|1955
|[[Buganda Agreement (1955)]]
|Reestablished [[Mutesa II of Buganda|Mutesa II]] as constitutional monarch of [[Buganda|Kingdom of Buganda]] after the [[Kabaka crisis]]
|-
|1957 
|[[Malayan Declaration of Independence]]
|The [[Federation of Malaya]] declares independence. 
|-
|1957–1958
|[[Lancaster House Conferences (Nigeria)|Lancaster House Agreements (Nigeria)]]
|Negotiated independence of [[Nigeria]] from the British Empire as well as its post-colonial legal and constitutional system
|-
|1960
|[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/8-9/55 Nigeria Independence Act 1960]
|The [[Colonial Nigeria|Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria]] becomes independent
|-
|1960–1963
|[[Lancaster House Conferences (Kenya)|Lancaster House Agreements (Kenya)]]
|Negotiated independence of [[Kenya]] from the British Empire as well as its post-colonial legal and constitutional system
|-
|1961
|[[Ugandan Constitutional Conference|Buganda Agreement (1965)]]
|Negotiated independence of [[Uganda]] from the British Empire as well as its post-colonial legal and constitutional system
|-
|1962
|[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/10-11/40/contents Jamaica Independence Act 1962]
|Jamaica becomes independent
|-
|1963
|[[Malaysia Agreement]]
|Transferred [[North Borneo]], [[Sarawak]], and [[Singapore]] from the British Empire to Malaya, renamed [[Malaysia]] under the agreement
|-
|1965
|[[Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence]]
|Declared independence of [[Rhodesia]] from the British Empire, not recognized by the British government under principle of [[no independence before majority rule]]
|-
|1966
|[[Barbados Independence Act 1966]]
|Declared independence of [[Barbados]] from the British Empire
|-
|1970 
|[[Instruments of Independence]]
|Fiji becomes independent 
|-
|1971
|[[Singapore Declaration]]
|Identified the Commonwealth of Nations as a "voluntary association of independent sovereign states"
|-
|1979 
|[[Lancaster House Agreement]]
|Agreement between [[Zimbabwe Rhodesia]] and the black nationalist groups [[Zimbabwe African National Union|ZANU]] and [[Zimbabwe African People's Union|ZAPU]] ending the [[Rhodesian Bush War]] and temporarily resuming British control in preparation for majority rule and independence as [[Zimbabwe]] 
|-
|1982 
|[[Canada Act 1982]]
|Completed [[patriation]] of [[Constitution of Canada]] by ending British Parliament's authority to make laws and constitutional amendments related to Canada, severing final constitutional links between the two 
|-
|1983
|
|The status of "colony" is renamed "dependent territory"
|-
|1986
|[[Constitution Act 1986]]
|Severed final constitutional links between Britain and [[New Zealand]], including the British Parliament's abilities to make laws related to New Zealand
|-
|1986
|[[Australia Act 1986]]
|Severed final constitutional links between Britain and Australia, including the British Parliament's abilities to make laws related to Australia. 
|-
|1997
|[[Sino-British Joint Declaration]] (1984) and the [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/15 Hong Kong Act 1985]
|Hong Kong is transferred to the People's Republic of China
|-
|2002
|
|The status of "British Dependent Territory" is renamed "British Overseas Territory"
|}

=== Concessions in China ===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Country
!Concession
!Location (modern name)
!Year established
!Year dissolved
!Note
|-
| rowspan="1" |International
|[[Shanghai International Settlement]]
|[[Shanghai]]
|1863
|1945
|Formed from the British and American concessions
|-
| rowspan="1" |International
|[[Beijing Legation Quarter]]
|[[Beijing]]
|1861
|1945
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |International
|[[Kulangsu International Settlement]]
|[[Xiamen]]
|1903
|1945
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|[[New Territories]],{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}} [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]]
|[[Hong Kong]]
|1898
|1997
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|[[Weihaiwei under British rule|Weihaiwei leased territory]]{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
|[[Weihai]]
|1898
|1930
|[[Liugong Island]] remained under British control as a separate territory until 1940
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|[[Liugong Island]]
|[[Weihai]]
|1930
|1940
|Formerly part of [[Weihaiwei under British rule|Weihaiwei leased territory]] since 1898
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|[[British concession of Tianjin]]
|[[Tianjin]]
|1860
|1945
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|British concession of [[Hankou]]
|[[Hankou]]
|1861
|1927
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|[[British Concession of Jiujiang]]
|[[Jiujiang]]
|1861
|1929
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|British concession of [[Zhenjiang]]
|[[Zhenjiang]]
|1861
|1929
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|British concession of [[Shamian Island]], [[Guangzhou]]
|[[Guangzhou]]
|1861
|1945
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|British concession of [[Amoy]]
|[[Xiamen]]
|1852
|1930
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|British concession of Dalian
|[[Dalian]]
|1858
|1860
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|[[British Concession (Shanghai)|British concession of Shanghai]]
|[[Shanghai]]
|1846
|1863
|Merged to form [[Shanghai International Settlement]]
|-
| rowspan="1" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|Trading warehouses at [[Tengchong]] (Tengyue)
|[[Yunnan]]
|Late 19th/early 20th century.
|
|Still standing, with bullet holes. British diplomat [[Augustus Margary]] was murdered here in 1875. Consulate built 1921.
|}
Additionally, there were more concessions were planned but never completed.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Country
!Planned Concession
!Location (modern name)
|-
| rowspan="5" |[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|British concession of [[Yingkou]]
|[[Yingkou]]
|-
|British concession of [[Nanjing|Jiangning]]
|[[Nanjing]]
|-
|British concession of [[Yichang]]
|[[Yichang]]
|-
|British concession of [[Wuhu]]
|[[Wuhu]]
|-
|British concession of [[Wenzhou]]
|[[Wenzhou]]
|}

== Territorial claims in Antarctica ==
*[[The Crown|United Kingdom]] 1908–present
** ''[[Falkland Islands Dependencies]]'' 1908–1962
** [[British Antarctic Territory]] 1962–present
*[[Realm of New Zealand|New Zealand]] 1923–present
** [[Ross Dependency]] 1923–present
*[[Australia]] 1933–present
** [[Australian Antarctic Territory]] 1933–present
*[[South Africa]] 1947-present
** [[Prince Edward Islands]] 1947-present

==See also==
* [[Colonialism]]
* [[Decolonisation]]
* [[Impact of Western European colonialism and colonisation]]
* [[Imperialism]]
* [[List of British Empire-related topics]]
* [[List of countries that gained independence from the United Kingdom]]
* [[British overseas cities]]
* [[Scottish colonization of the Americas]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1013618138315 UK Overseas Territories]

{{Territories of the British Empire}}
{{Territorial evolution of the world}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:British}}
[[Category:British Empire]]
[[Category:Territorial evolution]]