U.S. Territories List

Puerto Rico
Guam
U.S. Virgin Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
American Samoa
Midway Atoll
Palmyra Atoll – Population: 0
Baker Island (unincorporated unorganized territory) – Population:
Howland Island (unincorporated unorganized territory) – Population: 0
Jarvis Island (unincorporated unorganized territory) – Population: 0
Johnston Atoll (unincorporated unorganized territory) – Population: 0
Kingman Reef (unincorporated unorganized territory) – Population: 0
Wake Island (unincorporated unorganized territory) – Population: 0
Navassa Island (unincorporated unorganized territory) – Population: 0

The United States has a total of 16 territories. There are five territories that are inhabited. They are Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the North Mariana Islands.

In unincorporated territories, the U.S. Constitution is only partially applied. Palmyra Atoll is the only incorporated territory of the United States. This is because Palmyra Atoll was acquired by the United States as part of the Hawaiian islands chain. Instead of joining Hawaii in statehood, Palmyra Atoll became an incorporated territory. However, as Palmyra Atoll is uninhabited, its incorporated status is inconsequential.

In addition, territories of the United States can either be organized or unorganized. To be considered an organized territory, U.S. Congress must pass an Organic Act that grants jurisdiction to the territory, in order to govern its own affairs. Unorganized territories have no formal system of local government, and whose governance is the responsibility of the country to which it belongs. Unorganized territories usually host little to no permanent populations.

Everyone born in U.S. territories is an American citizen, with the exception of American Samoa.

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