The term British Overseas Territory was introduced by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, replacing the term British Dependent Territory. Prior to 1 January 1983, the territories were officially referred to as See more

Early colonies, in the sense of English subjects residing in lands hitherto outside the control of the English government, were generally … See more

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is the subject of a territorial dispute with Mauritius, the government of which claims that the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from … See more

Historically the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Colonial Office were responsible for overseeing all British Colonies, but today the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has the responsibility of looking after the interests of … See more

With the exceptions of the British Antarctic Territory and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (which host only officials and research station staff) and the British Indian Ocean Territory (used as a military base), the territories retain permanent civilian … See more

Head of state
The head of state in the overseas territories is the British monarch, currently King Charles III. The monarch appoints a representative in each territory to exercise his or her executive power. In territories with a permanent … See more

Of the eleven territories with a permanent population, all except the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus continue to be listed … See more