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Overseas Territories and Dependencies of the World
An overseas territory or dependency is a region with ties abroad to a sovereign nation—not a completely independent state, but also not a constituent part or administrative subdivision of the parent country.
Their histories vary, but most are tied to either “modern” colonialism from the 1400s onwards, or wars from the 19th and 20th centuries. Many of these regions still depend on their parent country to some capacity for economic, military, and diplomatic affairs.
This graphic by Pranav Gavali maps the overseas territories of various countries, using a variety of sources including WorldAtlas, Statista, and official country releases.
Where are the World’s Overseas Territories and Dependencies?
There are a total of 73 overseas territories listed on the map spread across the world.
It excludes territories claims in Antarctica, which are currently governed by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. As an overseas map, it also excludes territories sharing a border, or that are part of a larger state or province (like Germany’s Heligoland, part of the state of Schleswig-Holstein).
Each region has its own unique present-day status. Some are “autonomous territories” or “constituent countries,” while some are administered almost entirely as part of the parent country.
| Sovereign | Overseas Territory / Dependency | Region |
|---|---|---|
 Australia | Ashmore and Cartier Islands | Indian Ocean |
| Australia | Christmas Island | Indian Ocean |
| Australia | Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Indian Ocean |
| Australia | Coral Sea Islands | Pacific Ocean |
| Australia | Heard & McDonald Islands | Indian Ocean |
| Australia | Norfolk (Read more...) |