British Overseas Territories Facts for Kids

Flags of the British Overseas Territories

A British Overseas Territory is one of fourteen places that belong to the United Kingdom. However, they are not actually part of the UK itself. Think of them as special areas that are connected to the UK but have their own ways of doing things.

Before 1981, these places were called colonies or Crown colonies. You might also hear them called UK overseas territories or just Overseas Territories.

Most British Overseas Territories have their own parliament and government. They can make most of their own laws. But the UK government is still in charge of things like defence (protecting the territory) and foreign affairs (how the territory deals with other countries). Some territories have no people living there, so they don't have their own local government. If a territory's government isn't working well, the UK government can step in and take control.

It's important to know that these territories are different from places like Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man. These three are called Crown dependencies. They are also linked to the British Crown, but the UK government cannot take over their governments without their agreement. The British Overseas Territories are also different from the Commonwealth of Nations, which is a group of countries that used to be part of the British Empire but are now independent.

What are the British Overseas Territories?
How are British Overseas Territories Governed?
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What are the British Overseas Territories?

There are 14 British Overseas Territories around the world. They are located in different oceans and continents. Each one has its own unique features, flag, and coat of arms.

Territory	Location	Population	Capital
Anguilla	Caribbean	12,800	The Valley
Bermuda	North Atlantic Ocean	64,482	Hamilton
British Antarctic Territory	Antarctica	200 staff	Rothera (main base)
British Indian Ocean Territory	Indian Ocean	3,200 military and staff	Diego Garcia (base)
British Virgin Islands	Caribbean	21,730	Road Town
Cayman Islands	Caribbean	46,600	George Town
Falkland Islands	South Atlantic Ocean	2,967	Stanley
Gibraltar	Southern Europe	27,776	Gibraltar
Montserrat	Caribbean	9,000	Plymouth (de facto capital is Brades)
Pitcairn Islands	Pacific Ocean	67	Adamstown
Saint Helena (including Ascension, Tristan da Cunha)	South Atlantic Ocean	6,563	Jamestown
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	South Atlantic Ocean	11-26 staff	King Edward Point/Grytviken
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia	Mediterranean (Cyprus)	15,000 (almost half British military and staff)	Episkopi Cantonment
Turks and Caicos Islands	North Atlantic Ocean	21,500	Cockburn Town

How are British Overseas Territories Governed?

Each Overseas Territory has its own way of being governed. The way they are run often depends on their size and how developed they are.

Who is the Head of State?

The head of state for all British Overseas Territories is the British monarch, who is currently King Charles III. The King chooses a special person, like a Governor or Commissioner, to represent him in each territory. This person helps to carry out the King's powers.

Governors, Commissioners and Administrators of the Overseas Territories
Governor of Anguilla \| Governor of Bermuda \| Commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory \| Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory \| Governor of the British Virgin Islands \| Governor of the Cayman Islands \| Governor of the Falkland Islands \| Governor of Gibraltar \| Governor of Montserrat \| Governor of the Pitcairn Islands \| Governor of Saint Helena \| Civil Commissioner of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands \| Administrator of Tristan da Cunha \| Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Local Government Systems

Here's a look at how different territories are governed:

Territories	How they are governed
British Antarctic Territory South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	These territories have no permanent population. So, they don't have an elected government. A Commissioner and an Administrator manage their affairs.
British Indian Ocean Territory	This territory also has no elected government and no native settled population.
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia	There is no elected government here. British military authorities try to make sure the laws are similar to those in the Republic of Cyprus.
Pitcairn Islands	The Pitcairn Islands have an elected Mayor and Island Council. They can suggest and manage local laws. However, their decisions need to be approved by the Governor. The Governor has a lot of power on behalf of the UK government.
Falkland Islands Saint Helena	These territories have an elected Legislative Council. The Governor is the head of the government. The Governor leads an Executive Council, which includes members from the Legislative Council.
Anguilla British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Montserrat	These larger territories have a bigger Legislative Council with different political parties. Their Executive Council is often called a cabinet. It is led by a Chief Minister (or a Leader of Government Business in the Cayman Islands). The Chief Minister is usually the leader of the main political party. The Governor has less power over local matters. They mostly handle foreign affairs and money issues. The elected government manages most "domestic" concerns.
Gibraltar	Gibraltar has its own Parliament. The government is led by the Chief Minister and is elected by the people. The UK handles defence, external affairs, and internal security. The UK does not manage anything else in Gibraltar.
Bermuda Turks and Caicos Islands	Bermuda is the oldest and most populated of the Overseas Territories. Most of its executive powers are given to the head of government, called the Premier. Its government system is very similar to an independent country in the Commonwealth. The UK government keeps only a few powers, which are handled by the Governor. But even most of these are given to local ministers for daily tasks. Bermuda's Parliament first met in 1620. Bermuda has mostly governed itself since then. The Turks and Caicos Islands also got a new constitution in 2006. Their head of government is also called a Premier. This change gave them much more self-rule.

Legal Systems

Each British Overseas Territory has its own legal system. These systems are separate from the UK's legal system. They are usually based on English common law, but they have special rules for their local situations. Each territory has its own Attorney General and court system. For smaller territories, the UK might send a UK-based lawyer or judge to help with legal cases. This is especially helpful for serious crimes where it might be hard to find a jury who doesn't know the people involved in a small community.