List of leaders of dependent territories
This is a list of leaders of dependent territories. A dependent territory is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a sovereign state yet remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area.[1] This latter condition distinguishes a dependent territory from an autonomous region or administrative division, which forms an integral part of the 'parent' state.
The majority of the world's dependent territories are legacies of nineteenth and twentieth century colonial empires.[2] This list divides the world's inhabited dependent territories roughly into half: those which are dependencies of Commonwealth nations, formerly members of the British Empire and all of which have Queen Elizabeth II as head of state; and the remainder. Governors, managers or wardens of uninhabited dependent territories are excluded.
Leaders of dependent Commonwealth territories
State | Government | Head of state UK | Head of government |
---|---|---|---|
Anguilla | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor Christina Scott | Chief Minister Victor Banks |
Bermuda | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor Ginny Ferson (acting) | Premier Michael Dunkley |
British Virgin Islands | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor John Duncan | Premier Orlando Smith |
Cayman Islands | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor Helen Kilpatrick | Premier Alden McLaughlin |
Christmas Island | Non-self-governing dependency | Queen Elizabeth II of Australia, represented by Administrator Barry Haase | |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Non-self-governing dependency | Queen Elizabeth II of Australia, represented by Administrator Barry Haase | |
Cook Islands | Parliamentary democracy in free-association with New Zealand | Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand, represented by Queen's Representative (not otherwise styled) Tom Marsters | Prime Minister Henry Puna |
Falkland Islands | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor Colin Roberts | Chief Executive Barry Rowland |
Gibraltar | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor Edward Davis | Chief Minister Fabian Picardo |
Guernsey | Crown dependency | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (as Duke of Normandy), represented by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Ian Corder | Bailiff Sir Richard Collas President Gavin St Pier |
Jersey | Crown dependency | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (as Duke of Normandy), represented by Lieutenant-Governor Sir John McColl | Bailiff Michael Birt Chief Minister Ian Gorst |
Isle of Man | Crown dependency | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (as Lord of Mann), represented by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Richard Gozney | Chief Minister Allan Bell |
Montserrat | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor Elizabeth Carriere | Premier Donaldson Romeo |
Niue | Parliamentary democracy in free-association with New Zealand | Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand, represented by High Commissioner Ross Ardern | Premier Toke Talagi |
Norfolk Island | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of Australia, represented by Administrator Gary Hardgrave | self-government abolished in 2015 |
Pitcairn Islands | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor Jonathan Sinclair | Mayor Shawn Christian |
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | Non-self-governing dependency | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor Lisa Phillips | |
Tokelau | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand, represented by Administrator Jonathan Kings | Head of Government Afega Gaualofa |
Turks and Caicos Islands | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by Governor John Freeman | Premier Rufus Ewing |
Leaders of dependent non-Commonwealth territories
State | Government | Head of state | Head of territory | Head of government |
---|---|---|---|---|
Åland Islands | Gubernatorial democracy | President Sauli Niinistö of Finland, represented by Governor Peter Lindbäck | Premier Katrin Sjögren | |
American Samoa | Gubernatorial democracy | President Barack Obama of the United States | Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga | |
Aruba | Parliamentary democracy | King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, represented by Governor Fredis Refunjol | Prime Minister Mike Eman | |
Curaçao | Parliamentary democracy | King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, represented by Governor Lucille George-Wout | Prime Minister Ben Whiteman | |
Faroe Islands | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, represented by High Commissioner Dan Michael Knudsen | Prime Minister Aksel V. Johannesen | |
French Polynesia | Presidential democracy | President François Hollande of France, represented by High Commissioner René Bidal | President Édouard Fritch | |
Greenland | Parliamentary democracy | Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, represented by High Commissioner Mikaela Engell | Prime Minister Kim Kielsen | |
Guam | Gubernatorial democracy | President Barack Obama of the United States | Governor Eddie Calvo | |
New Caledonia | Parliamentary democracy | President François Hollande of France, represented by High Commissioner Thierry Lataste | President of the Government Philippe Germain | |
Northern Mariana Islands | Gubernatorial democracy | President Barack Obama of the United States | Governor Ralph Torres | |
Puerto Rico | Democratic State in free-association with United States | President Barack Obama of the United States | Governor Alejandro García Padilla | |
Sint Maarten | Parliamentary democracy | King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, represented by Governor Eugene Holiday | Prime Minister William Marlin | |
U.S. Virgin Islands | Gubernatorial democracy | President Barack Obama of the United States | Governor Kenneth Mapp | |
Wallis and Futuna | Presidential democracy | President François Hollande of France, represented by Administrator-Superior Michel Aubouin | President of the Territorial Assembly Mikaele Kulimoetoke |
See also
- Colonial governors by year
- List of state leaders by year
- Administrative division
- List of current vice-regal representatives of Elizabeth II
References
- ↑ United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514
- ↑ Armstrong, H. W., and R. Read. 2000. “Comparing the Economic Performance of Dependent Territories and Sovereign Microstates”. Economic Development and Cultural Change 48 (2). 285–306. doi:10.1086/452459.