List of the countries and territories formerly ruled or administered by the United Kingdom or part of the British Empire (Doyle, 2018)
- Malta
- Cyprus
- Irish Free State
- Northern Ireland
- Canadian Confederation
- Newfoundland
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Kitts
- Barbados
- Jamaica
- Bahamas
- Grenada
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Dominican Republic
- Guyana
- Windward islands
- Leeward Islands
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Belize
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Federation of West Indies
- Sierra Leone
- Seychelles
- Mauritius
- Chagos
- The Gambia
- Lesotho
- Ghana
- British Somaliland
- Botswana
- Uganda
- Zanzibar
- Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
- Swaziland
- Malawi
- Union of South Africa
- Nigeria
- South West Africa
- British Togoland
- British Cameroon
- Kenya
- Tanganyika
- Southern Rhodesia
- Northern Rhodesia
- Indigenous princes of India
- Negotiated Oman
- Bahrain
- Burma
- Straits Settlements
- Colony of Aden
- Hong Kong
- Kingdom of Sarawak
- British India
- Sikkim
- Aden Protectorate
- Maldives
- Protectorate North Borneo
- Brunei, Muscat, and Oman
- Federated Malay States
- Weihai
- Kuwait
- Johor
- Butane
- Unfederated Malay States
- Qatar
- Mesopotamia
- Palestine
- Vanuatu
- Victoria land
- Cocos islands
- Fiji
- British West Pacific Territories
- Ashmore Islands
- Christmas Islands
- Gilbert and Ellis Islands
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Australian union
- New Zealand
- Young Shetland Islands
- South Orkney Islands
- Graham land
- Cartier islands
- Heard Island
- Macdonald Island
- Nauru island
Territories categorized by region
Asia: Indigenous princes of India, Burma, Hong Kong, Kingdom of Sarawak, British India, Sikkim, Maldives, Protectorate North Borneo, Brunei, Muscat and Oman, Federated Malay States, Weihai, Johor, Butane, Unfederated Malay States
Africa: Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Mauritius, Chagos, Gambia, Lesotho, Ghana, British Somaliland, Botswana, Uganda, Zanzibar, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Swaziland, Malawi, Union of South Africa, Nigeria, Southwest Africa, British Togoland, British Cameroon, Kenya, Tanganyika, Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, Kuwait
Middle East: Negotiated Oman, Bahrain, Straits Settlements, Colony of Aden, Aden Protectorate, Qatar, Mesopotamia, Palestine
Central America: Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts, Barbados, Jamaica, Bahamas, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominican Republic, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Federation of West Indies, Cocos islands
North America: Canadian Confederation, Newfoundland, Victoria land
South America: Guyana
Europe: Malta, Cyprus, Irish Free State, Northern Ireland
Australia and Oceania: Vanuatu, Fiji, British West Pacific Territories, Ashmore Islands, Christmas Islands, Gilbert and Ellis Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Australian union, New Zealand, Young Shetland Islands, South Orkney Islands, Graham land, Cartier Islands, Heard Island, Macdonald Island, Nauru island
Countries under control of the UK
The United Kingdom currently retains sovereignty over 14 territories outside the British Isles. They were granted British Overseas Territories status in 2002 (Levine, 2019). Some of these areas are uninhabited (except for temporary military or scientific personnel). The rest have varying degrees of self-government and depend on the UK for international affairs and defense. In many former parts of the empire, colonial architecture is still preserved: churches, railway stations, government buildings (Stockwell, 2018). British sports (cricket, rugby, golf) spread throughout the empire, and football remains the most popular sport in most countries of the world to this day (Lydon, 2019). In addition, the British system of measures and weights (imperial system) and left-hand traffic remain very popular.
Territories include Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Countries that have conflict or political issues with the UK
British sovereignty over some overseas territories is contested by its neighbors: Spain claims Gibraltar, Argentina claims the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands, and Mauritius and Seychelles claim British territory in the Indian Ocean. In addition, the British Antarctic Territory is subject to conflicting claims between Argentina and Chile. Moreover, many countries do not recognize anyone’s territorial claims in Antarctica at all.
References
Doyle, M. (2018). The British Empire: A historical encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO.
Levine, P. (2019). The British Empire: Sunrise to sunset. Routledge.
Lydon, J. (2019). Imperial emotions: The politics of empathy across the British Empire. Cambridge University Press.
Stockwell, S. (2018). The British end of the British Empire. Cambridge University Press.