| United States Protectorates: Past and Present |
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Terms: CAROLINE ISLANDS, GUAM, HAWAII, MARIANA ISLANDS, MARSHALL ISLANDS, PANAMA, PHILIPPINES, PUERTO RICO, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. Click here to print. Click here for the answer key. United States protectorates, or territories, are regions under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States, but they do not have the same status as states. These territories include Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Each territory has a unique cultural heritage and varying degrees of self-governance. Puerto Rico is the most populous U.S. territory, located in the Caribbean. Its residents are U.S. citizens but cannot vote in presidential elections and have limited representation in Congress. Guam, situated in the western Pacific Ocean, is a strategically important military base. Its residents are U.S. citizens, and they elect a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives. The U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, consisting of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, are known for their tourism industry. Like Guam and Puerto Rico, its residents are U.S. citizens with limited congressional representation. American Samoa, in the South Pacific, has a unique status where its residents are U.S. nationals but not citizens, meaning they can live and work in the U.S. but cannot vote in federal elections. The Northern Mariana Islands, also in the Pacific, have a political union with the U.S. and operate under a commonwealth status. These territories have distinct legal and political arrangements but share a common connection to the United States, contributing to its cultural and geographic diversity. |
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