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Article: Territories of the United States
- Article from:
- West's Encyclopedia of American Law
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TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES
Portions of the United States that are not within the limits of any state and have not been admitted as states.
The United States holds three territories: American Samoa and Guam in the Pacific Ocean and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea. Although they are governed by the United States, the territories do not have statehood status, and this lesser legal and political status sets them apart from the rest of the United States.
The three U.S. territories are not the only U.S. government land holdings without statehood status. These various lands fall under the broad description of insular political communities affiliated with the United States. ...