Insular area facts for kids
An insular area is a special term in U.S. law. It refers to lands connected to the United States that are not one of the 50 states or Washington, D.C.. These areas include 14 U.S. territories and three independent countries that have a special agreement with the U.S. called a Compact of Free Association.
Most of these areas are islands. Three U.S. territories are in the Caribbean Sea. Eleven U.S. territories and all three freely associated states are in the Pacific Ocean. The United States Congress is responsible for overseeing these territories. This is stated in the U.S. Constitution.
Over time, U.S. Supreme Court decisions created two types of territories. "Incorporated territories" are where the full U.S. Constitution applies. "Unincorporated territories" have only basic protections. Today, only Palmyra Atoll is an incorporated territory, and it has no people living there.
A U.S. territory is "organized" when Congress passes a special law for it. Many territories have their own constitutions and elected leaders. They have some control over their own local governments. American Samoa is unique; it is "unorganized" but still manages its own affairs.
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A Look at Their History
The United States began acquiring insular areas in the mid-1800s. Islands like Baker, Howland, and Navassa were claimed starting in 1857. After the Spanish–American War in 1898, the U.S. gained Puerto Rico and Guam. Palmyra Atoll and Hawaii also became part of the U.S. that same year. American Samoa joined in 1899.
Later, in 1917, during World War I, the U.S. bought the Danish West Indies from Denmark. These islands are now known as the United States Virgin Islands. After World War II ended in 1945, the Northern Mariana Islands became a U.S. territory. They had previously been under Spanish and then Japanese control.
Some areas that were once U.S. territories later became independent nations. The Marshall Islands became self-governing in 1979 and fully independent in 1986. The Federated States of Micronesia also gained independence in 1986. Palau became independent in 1994. These three countries now have a special partnership with the U.S. called a Compact of Free Association. The U.S. helps them with defense and economic support.
Key Moments in Time
- 1867: The United States took possession of Midway Atoll.
- 1899: The Treaty of Paris officially transferred Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico from Spain to the U.S.
- 1900: The Foraker Act helped organize Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory. The U.S. also took control of American Samoa.
- 1917: The U.S. bought the Danish West Indies from Denmark, renaming them the United States Virgin Islands.
- 1946: The Philippines gained full independence from the United States.
- 1950: The Guam Organic Act organized Guam as a U.S. territory.
- 1952: Puerto Rico became a Commonwealth of the United States.
- 1978: The Northern Mariana Islands became a U.S. Commonwealth.
- 1986: The Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia became independent nations. They formed a special partnership with the U.S.
- 1994: Palau also became an independent nation with a similar partnership.
- 2022: The U.S. House of Representatives voted on the Puerto Rico Status Act. This act aimed to resolve Puerto Rico's status. However, the Senate did not act on the bill.
Who Are the Citizens?
Most people born in U.S. territories are U.S. citizens. This means they can vote and hold office if they live in any U.S. state or territory.
However, people born in American Samoa are usually U.S. nationals. They are free to live and work anywhere in the U.S. without immigration rules. But they cannot vote or hold office outside of American Samoa. They can become U.S. citizens through their parents or by living in a U.S. state for a period and then applying.
How They Are Represented
The five territories with people living in them have a special representative. These are Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. Each sends a non-voting member to the United States House of Representatives. These members can speak and work on committees, but they cannot vote on final laws.
Taxes in Insular Areas
People living in the five main populated insular areas generally do not pay U.S. federal income tax. However, they do pay other U.S. federal taxes. These include taxes on imports and exports, federal product taxes, and Social Security taxes.
If someone works for the U.S. federal government in these areas, they pay federal income taxes. All residents also pay federal payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare. Income from uninhabited Pacific insular areas is fully taxable for U.S. residents.
Puerto Rico is part of the main U.S. customs area. This means goods moving between Puerto Rico and the U.S. are treated like domestic goods. Other insular areas are outside this customs area, so different rules apply to trade.
Nations with Special Ties: Freely Associated States
The term "insular area" also includes some independent countries. These nations have a special agreement with the U.S. called a Compact of Free Association. They are not U.S. territories and are fully independent countries.
However, the U.S. helps these nations with their defense. It also provides them with funding and access to some social services. The people living in these countries are not U.S. citizens or nationals.
Current U.S. Insular Areas
The following islands or island groups are considered U.S. insular areas:
Territories with Full U.S. Laws
These territories are where the full U.S. Constitution applies.
Incorporated Organized Territories
- None currently exist.
Incorporated Unorganized Territory
- Palmyra Atoll – This uninhabited island is mostly owned by the U.S. Federal Government. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages it.
Self-Governing U.S. Territories
These territories have their own local governments and are organized by U.S. laws.
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Unincorporated Organized Territories
Guam (organized under the Guam Organic Act of 1950)
Northern Mariana Islands (Commonwealth, organized under a 1975 agreement)
Puerto Rico (Commonwealth, organized under the 1900 Foraker Act)
U.S. Virgin Islands (organized under the 1954 Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands)
Other U.S. Territories
These territories are not fully organized by specific U.S. laws, or they are uninhabited.
Unincorporated Unorganized Territories
American Samoa (This territory governs itself, even though it is officially unorganized and under the U.S. Department of the Interior)
- Six uninhabited islands:
- Baker Island (managed as a National Wildlife Refuge)
- Howland Island (managed as a National Wildlife Refuge)
- Jarvis Island (managed as a National Wildlife Refuge)
- Johnston Atoll (managed as a National Wildlife Refuge)
- Kingman Reef (managed as a National Wildlife Refuge)
Midway Atoll (managed as a National Wildlife Refuge)
- Two uninhabited islands with disputed claims:
- Navassa Island (managed as a National Wildlife Refuge; also claimed by Haiti)
Wake Island (managed by the U.S. Air Force; also claimed by the Marshall Islands)
Islands with Disputed Claims
These are uninhabited islands that the U.S. claims, but other countries also claim them.
- Bajo Nuevo Bank (disputed with Colombia and Jamaica; Colombia manages it)
- Serranilla Bank (disputed with Colombia and Jamaica; Colombia manages it)
Independent Nations with U.S. Partnership
These are three independent countries that were once part of a U.S.-administered United Nations Trust Territory. They now have a special partnership with the U.S.
These countries are no longer under U.S. control. They are not considered part of the United States. The U.S. helps them with defense and other programs.
Past U.S. Insular Areas
Some areas were once U.S. insular areas but are no longer.
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (1947–1994): This was a U.N. trust territory managed by the U.S. It included the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Philippines: The U.S. governed the Philippines from 1899 until 1946, when it became an independent nation.
Hawaii: Hawaii was a U.S. territory from 1900 until 1959, when it became the 50th U.S. state.- Swan Islands (1863–1972): The U.S. claimed these islands but gave sovereignty to Honduras in 1972.
- Other islands: The U.S. also claimed several other small islands under the Guano Islands Act. These claims were later given to countries like Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, and Tokelau.
See also
In Spanish: Área insular de Estados Unidos para niños
