A

Territorial evolution of the British Empire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Animated map showing growth and decline of the British Empire
The territorial evolution of the British Empire is considered to have begun

with the foundation of the English colonial empire in the late 16th century.
Since then, many territories around the world have been under the control of
the British Empire or its predecessor states.
When the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed in 1707 by the union of the
Kingdom of Scotland with the Kingdom of England, the latter country's
colonial possessions passed to the new state. Similarly, when Great Britain
was united with the Kingdom of Ireland in 1801 to form the United Kingdom,
control over its colonial possessions passed to the latter state. Collectively,
these territories are referred to as the British Empire. Upon much of Ireland
gaining independence in 1922 as the Irish Free State, the other territories of
the Empire remained under the control of the United Kingdom.
From 1714 to 1837 the British throne was held by a series of kings who were
also the rulers of the German state of Hanover. However, this was purely a
personal union, with Hanover maintaining its political independence
otherwise, and so it is not usually considered to have formed part of the
British Empire.
The nature of the territories (and peoples) ruled as part of the British Empire
varied enormously. In legal terms the territories included those formally under
the sovereignty of the British monarch (who held the additional title of
Empress (or Emperor) of India from 1876 to 1947); various "foreign"
territories controlled as protectorates; territories transferred to British
administration under the authority of the League of Nations or the United
Nations; and miscellaneous other territories, such as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.
No uniform system of government was ever applied to any of these.
A number of countries ("dominions") within the British Empire gained
independence in stages during the earlier part of the 20th century. Much of
the rest of the Empire was dismantled in the twenty years following the end
of the Second World War, starting with the independence of India and
Pakistan in 1947, and ending with the hand over of Hong Kong to China in
1997.
Many of the former territories of the British Empire are members of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Fifteen of these (known, with the United Kingdom,
as the 16 "Commonwealth realms") retain the British monarch (currently
Queen Elizabeth II) as Head of State. The British monarch is also "Head of the
Commonwealth", but this is a purely symbolic and personal title; members of
the Commonwealth (including the Commonwealth realms) are fully sovereign
states.
Contents
1 Governance
1.1 Colonies
1.1.1 Crown Colony
1.1.2 Charter colony
1.1.3 Proprietary colony
1.1.4 Chartered company
1.2 Protectorates and protected states
1.3 Dominions
1.4 Mandates
1.5 British Raj
2 Remaining territories
3 List
3.1 Legend
3.1.1 Colour-coding
3.2 Africa
3.3 North America
3.4 Central America and the Caribbean
3.5 South America
3.6 Asia
3.7 Europe
3.8 Antarctic Region
3.9 Atlantic
3.10 Indian Ocean
3.11 Australasia and the Pacific
4 Treaties and Acts of Parliament, etc.
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Governance
The British Empire refers to the colonial possessions and territories under the
control of the Crown. Although the Crown claimed absolute sovereignty over
them, they were never formally part of the United Kingdom. In addition to the
areas formally under the sovereignty of the British monarch, various "foreign"
territories controlled as protectorates; territories transferred to British
administration under the authority of the League of Nations or the United
Nations; and miscellaneous other territories, such as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.
The natures of the administration of the Empire changed both by time and
place, and there was no uniform system of government in the Empire.[1][2]
An anachronous map of British and, prior to the Acts of Union 1707, English
imperial possessions
Colonies
Colonies were territories that were intended to be places of permanent

settlement, providing land for their settlers. The Crown claimed absolute
sovereignty over them, although they were not formally part of the United
Kingdom itself. Generally their law was the common law of England together
with whatever British Acts of Parliament were also applied to them. Over
time, a number of colonies were granted "responsible government", making
them largely self-governing.
Crown Colony
Main article: Crown colony
A Crown colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later
the British Empire, which were directly controlled by the Crown.[3][4]
Government in the colonies represented an extension of the English

government. Crown colonies were ruled by a governor appointed by the
monarch. By the middle of the 19th century, the sovereign appointed royal
governors on the advice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. This
became the main method of creating and governing colonies.[5] Most crown
colonies, especially the white settler colonies had a bicameral legislature,
consisting of an upper house usually called Legislative council, which
members were appointed and served a similar purpose as the British House
of Lords. There also existed lower houses which were usually named
Legislative Assembly or House of Assembly. The lower house was usually
elected, but suffrage was restricted to free white men only, usually with
property ownership restrictions. Since land ownership was widespread, most
white men could vote.[6] The governor also often had an Executive Council
which had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not
responsible to the colonial lower house. They held a consultative position,
however, and did not serve in administrative offices as cabinet ministers do.
Members of the Executive Council were not necessarily members of the lower
house but were usually members of the upper house.[7] Later as the white
colonies gained more internal responsible government, the lower house
began to supersede the (usually unelected) upper house as the colonial
legislature, and the position of Premier emerged.[8]
The British Empire in 1897, marked in traditional pink.
Charter colony
Main article: Charter colony
Charter colony is one of the three classes of colonial government established

in the 17th century English colonies in North America. In a charter colony, the
King granted a charter to the colonial government establishing the rules
under which the colony was to be governed and charter colonies elected their
own governors based on rules spelled out in the charter or other colonial
legislation.[9]
Proprietary colony
Main article: Proprietary colony
A number of colonies in the 16th and 17th centuries were granted to a

particular individual; these are known as proprietary colonies. Proprietary
colonies in America were governed by a lord proprietor, who, holding
authority by virtue of a royal charter, usually exercised that authority almost
as an independent sovereign. Eventually these were converted to crown
colonies.[10][11]
Chartered company
Main article: Chartered company
A chartered company is an association formed by investors or shareholders

for the purpose of trade, exploration and colonisation. Chartered companies
were usually formed, incorporated and legitimised under a royal charter. This
document set out the terms under which the company could trade; defined
its boundaries of influence, and described its rights and responsibilities.
Groups of investors formed companies to underwrite and profit from the
exploration of Africa, India, Asia, the Caribbean and North America, under the
patronage of the state. Some companies such as the East India Company
ruled large colonial possessions (especially in India).[12][13]
Protectorates and protected states
Main article: Protectorate
A protectorate is a territory which is not formally annexed but in which, by

treaty, grant or other lawful means, the Crown has power and jurisdiction. A
protectorate differs from a "protected state". A protected state is a territory
under a ruler which enjoys Her Britannic Majesty's protection, over whose
foreign affairs she exercises control, but in respect of whose internal affairs
she does not exercise jurisdiction.[2]
Dominions
Main article: Dominion
Dominions were semi-independent polities that were nominally under the

Crown, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning
in the later part of the 19th century.[14][15] The dominions had been
previously crown colonies, and some of the colonies had been united to form
dominions such as Union of South Africa and Commonwealth of Australia.
Dominion status was formally defined in the Balfour Declaration of 1926,
which recognised these countries as "autonomous Communities within the
British Empire", thus acknowledging them as political equals of the United
Kingdom; the Statute of Westminster 1931 converted this status into legal
reality, making them essentially independent members of what was then
called the British Commonwealth. Initially, the Dominions conducted their
own trade policy, some limited foreign relations and had autonomous armed
forces, although the British government claimed and exercised the exclusive
power to declare wars. However, after the passage of the Statute of
Westminster the language of dependency on the Crown of the United
Kingdom ceased, where the Crown itself was no longer referred to as the
Crown of any place in particular but simply as "the Crown". Arthur Berriedale
Keith, in Speeches and Documents on the British Dominions 1918-1931,
stated that "the Dominions are sovereign international States in the sense
that the King in respect of each of His Dominions (Newfoundland excepted) is
such a State in the eyes of international law". After then, those countries that
were previously referred to as "Dominions" became Commonwealth realms
where the sovereign reigns no longer as the British monarch, but as monarch
of each nation in its own right, and are considered equal to the UK and one
another. [16]
Mandates
Main article: League of Nations mandate
Mandates were forms of territory created after the end of the First World War.
A number of German colonies and protectorates were held as mandates by
the United Kingdom, and its dominions of Australia, New Zealand, and the
Union of South Africa. In theory these territories were governed on behalf of
the League of Nations for the benefit of their inhabitants. Most became
converted to United Nations Trust Territories in 1946.[17]

British Raj
Main article: British Raj
The British Raj, also called the Indian Empire, was the imperial political
structure in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947, comprising
British India (a Crown colony: presidencies and provinces directly governed by
the British Crown through the Viceroy and Governor-General of India) and
Princely States, governed by Indian rulers, under the suzerainty of the British
Crown exercised through the Viceroy and Governor-General of India.[18]
Remaining territories
The Rise and Fall of the British Empire, graph starting in 1861
Within twenty years of the partition and independence in 1947 of British India
(considered to be the most important colonial possession), most of the
Empire's territories had achieved full independence. Today only 14 former
colonies (since 2002 known as "British Overseas Territories") remain under
British rule; the term "colonies" is no longer used to describe these.
Almost all of the British Overseas Territories are islands (or groups of islands)
with a small population; some are in very remote areas of the world. Of the
territories with a permanent population, all have at least some degree of
internal self-government, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for
defence and external relations.
The fourteen British Overseas Territories are:
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 South Sandwich Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
List
Legend
!!
Crown dependency
Kingdom
Turks and Caicos Flag
Part of United
::
Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, and Commonwealth realm
and Caicos Flag
Overseas territories
IMP Currency pegged to the GBP
CYP
Turks
Pound sterling derived currency
!T!
Common law legal system to various extent [X]
parliamentary system
Westminster style
abc English as a dominant or an official language /\\/

on the left
Rule of road drive
Colour-coding
Colour
Description
present-day members of the Commonwealth
present-day British Overseas Territories (Remains of the British Empire)
crown dependencies
Africa
Name of territory
Dates Status
Comments
Basutoland 1868 protectorate

1871 annexed to Cape Colony
1884 colony
1965 self-governing colony
1966 independent as Lesotho
Bechuanaland Protectorate
18841965 protectorate
19651966 self-governing protectorate

1966 independent as Botswana
Bight of Benin
1861 united with Bight of Biafra

Bight of Biafra
1861 united with Bight of Benin

Bights of Biafra and Benin
British Bechuanaland
(see also under "Bechuanaland")
18851895 crown colony
1895 incorporated into Cape Colony

North West provinces of South Africa
Now a part of the Northern Cape and
British Cameroons 19161919 occupation

19191946 League of Nations mandated territory
19461961 United Nations Trust Territory
1961 northern part merged into Nigeria, southern part into the Republic of
Cameroon
British East Africa 18881895 territory leased to the Imperial British East
Africa Company by the Sultan of Zanzibar
territory included ex BEAC territory and the
strip of Sultan of Zanizbar's dominions on the coast of Kenya which fell within
the sphere of British influence

1920 became the Colony & Protectorate of Kenya lands of Sultan of
Zanzibar on coast administered with the Colony as one unit
British Somaliland 18841960 protectorate
1960 independent as State of Somaliland
after 5 days merged with the
Trust Territory of Somaliland as Somali Republic, in 1991 independent as
Somaliland (unrecognised)
Cape Colony
18061910 colony
of South Africa as the "Cape of Good Hope"
became a province of the Union
Egypt 18011803 occupation

18821914 occupation
1922 independent
Bioko 18271855 leased territory
Island leased from Spain so that Royal
Navy could undertake anti-slavery operations on West Coast of Africa. Main
settlement was Port Clarence now known as Malabo
Gambia Colony and Protectorate
18161965 colony
declared over hinterland of Gambia River 1894
Protectorate
1965 Independent
Gold Coast
18741957 colony
1957 independent as Ghana

Kenya, Colony & Protectorate of 19201963 colony
British East Africa
Previously part of
1963 independent
Lagos Protectorate 18871906 protectorate, governed from the Lagos
Colony
1906 incorporated into the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria
Southern Nigeria Protectorate 19001906 protectorate, created from Niger
Coast Protectorate and territories of the Royal Niger Company
1906 incorporated the Colony & Protectorate of Lagos to be the Colony &
Protectorate of Southern Nigeria
Libya, regions of Cyrenicia & Tripolitania only 19421946 UK Military

administration in Cyrenicia & Tripolitania
19461951 Italian forces expelled, UN trusteeship of Cyrenicia & Tripolitania,
administered by UK
Fezzan region administered by France under
trusteeship
1951 Independent as the Kingdom of Libya
Natal 18561910 colony
1910 became a province of the Union of South Africa
province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Niger Districts
Now part of the
18851899 protectorate under the Royal Niger Company
1900 became part of Northern Nigeria

Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
19141954
Created from the
Colony & Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and the Protectorate of Northern
Nigeria
1954 Became the self-governing Federation of Nigeria
Federation of Nigeria
19541960 autonomous federation
the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
formed from
1960 independent
Northern Nigeria
Southern Nigeria
19001914 protectorate governed by the Colony of
1914 merged with Protectorate of Southern Nigeria to form the Colony and
Protectorate of Nigeria
Nyasaland
known as the Nyassaland Districts until 1893, and then British Central Africa
until 1907 18911964 protectorate
1964 independent as Malawi
Orange River Colony
19001910 colony
1907 granted responsible government

1910 became a province of the Union of South Africa as the "Orange Free
State"
Rhodesia
now divided between Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Matabeleland
Company
18881894 protectorate under British South Africa
1894 united with Mashonaland as South Zambesia in 1894

- Mashonaland
18891894 protectorate under BSAC
1894 united with Matabeleland as South Zambesia in 1894

- South Zambesia 18941895 protectorate under BSAC
1895 united with North Zambesia as Rhodesia
- Rhodesia
1901 Mashonaland and Matabeleland united as Southern Rhodesia

- Northern Rhodesia
amalgamation of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and NorthEastern Rhodesia
19531963 part of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
1964 independent as Zambia
- Southern Rhodesia

19531963 part of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Rhodesia
19651970 unilaterally declared independent, with Elizabeth II
as head of state
not internationally recognised
19701979 republic
not internationally recognised
-Zimbabwe-Rhodesia
1979 interim state
19791980 colony
1980 independent as Zimbabwe
Sierra Leone
Company
17871808 Freed slave colony organised by Sierra Leone
18211850 part of British West Africa

18661888 part of British West Africa
18881895 colony
18961961 colony and protectorate
1961 independent
South Africa 19101961 dominion
formed by the federation of the Cape,
Orange River, Natal, and Transvaal colonies
1961
and 1994
republic
Not a member of the Commonwealth between 1961
Sudan
("Anglo-Egyptian Sudan")
18991952 condominium with Egypt
19521956 self-rule
1956 independent
Swaziland
19671968 autonomous
1968 independent
Tangier
1661 ceded to England by Portugal
1684 abandoned by England

German East Africa
19161922 occupation
Tanganyika Territory
19221946 mandate
19461961 United Nations Trust Territory under Britain

1961 independent
Merged with Zanzibar in 1964 to form Tanzania
Tati Concessions Land
18721893 concession
1893 detached from Matabeleland

18931911 under protectorate of Bechuanaland
1911 annexed to Bechuanaland
Transvaal
18771884 colony
18841900 independent as South African Republic

19001906 colony
1910 part of Union of South Africa
now divided between the provinces of
Gauteng/Limpopo/North West/Mpumalanga, South Africa
Uganda
18901893 occupied by British East Africa Company
18931894 provisional protectorate

19051962 colony
1962 self-government
1962 independent
Walvis Bay
17951878 occupation
1884 part of Cape Colony
Zanzibar
1963 independent
Zululand
now part of Namibia
merged with Tanganyika in 1964 to form Tanzania
1897 incorporation into Natal

South Africa
now part of the province of KwaZulu-Natal,
North America
Name of territory
Assiniboia
Dates Status
Comments
18121836 colony
1836 reverted to control of the Hudson's Bay Company

province of Manitoba, Canada
Avalon
16231637 palatinate
1637 incorporated into Newfoundland
Now part of the
Bristol's Hope
16181631 colony
1631 abandoned and later as Newfoundland

British Columbia
1871
18581871 colony
province of Canada
Canada, Dominion of
dominion (18671931)
formed by the federation
of the provinces of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia
:: [X] abc
Queen Elizabeth II first monarch to be titled Queen of Canada (Ascended to

the Throne of Canada in 1952)
1982 New Constitution updating Canada's relationship with the United
Kingdom
Several Provinces and Territories have joined since Confederation.
Canada, Province of
18411867 colony
Formed by the
amalgamation of the provinces of Lower and Upper Canada
1867 joined the Dominion of Canada and divided into the provinces of
Ontario and Quebec
Now the southern halves of Ontario and Quebec,
Canada
Cape Breton Island
1763 incorporated into Nova Scotia
under French sovereignty
1784 colony
Previously
separated from Nova Scotia
1820 re-incorporated into Nova Scotia

Carolina
1663 proprietary colony
1729 formally divided into Crown colonies of North & South Carolina
North Carolina
1729 Crown colony
1776 declared independent as the State of North Carolina

1783 sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain
South Carolina
1729 Crown colony
1776 declared independent as the State of South Carolina

Connecticut 1636 colony
later incorporated the unchartered New
Haven Colony (1638-1665) and Saybrook Colony (1635-1644)
1776 declared independent as the State of Connecticut
Cuper's Cove
16101621 colony
1621 abandoned and later as Newfoundland

East Florida 17631783 colony
1783 returned to Spanish sovereignty
United States
Georgia
Now part of the state of Florida,
1755 crown colony

1776 declared independent as the state of Georgia
Massachusetts Bay
1629 colony
1691 United with Plymouth Colony

Lower Canada
17911841 province (colony)
the province of Quebec, Canada
Now the southern half of
1841 merged with Upper Canada to form the Province of Canada

Reestablished within the Dominion of Canada as the province of Quebec in 1867
New Brunswick
1784 colony
Separated from Nova Scotia
1867 became a province of Canada

New Hampshire
1641 became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony
1679 separate colony

1686 became a province of Dominion of New England
1691 separate colony
1776 declared independent as the state of New Hampshire
New Jersey 1664-1673 Proprietary Colony Formed from portions of New

Netherland and New Sweden
1673-1702
Divided into separate colonies of East and West Jersey
1702 Royal colony
East & West Jersey re-unified
1776 declared independent as the state of New Jersey

New York
1664-1685
Netherland
1685-1776
Proprietary colony formed after conquest of New
Royal Province
1776 declared independent as the state of New York

Newfoundland
14971583 claimed by England
15831818 colony
19071934 dominion
19341949 Commission of Government
in name only
Labrador"
North-Western Territory
Self-rule suspended, "Dominion"
Now known as "Newfoundland and
18591870
1870 incorporated into the Northwest Territories of Canada

Now divided
between the Canadian provinces and territories of Northwest Territories,
Yukon, Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia
Nova Scotia 16211632 Scottish colony
16541670 English occupation
1713 colony
1848 granted responsible government
Prince Edward Island
known as New Ireland until 1769, and as St. John's Island until 1799
1748 occupation
1744
17581763 occupation
17631769 part of Nova Scotia
17691873 colony
Quebec
17631791 province (colony) Quebec and Ontario, in Canada,
and (until 1783) the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and
Minnesota, in the United States
1791 divided into the provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada
Renews
16101623 colony
Newfoundland
abandoned and later became part of
Rupert's Land
16701870 possession of Hudson's Bay Company
Nominally included territory that is now part of the Canadian territories
and provinces of Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and (until 1818) parts of the US states of North
Dakota and Minnesota
1870 incorporated into Canada
South Falkland
16231626 colony
part of Newfoundland
Stikine Territory
18621863
and Yukon, Canada
Upper Canada
abandoned and later became
Now divided between British Columbia
Ontario, Canada
1841 merged with Lower Canada to form the Province of Canada

Reestablished within the Dominion of Canada as the province of Ontario in 1867
Vancouver Island
1866 merged into the colony of British Columbia

of British Columbia, Canada
Virginia
1607 Proprietary colony
1624 crown colony

1776 declared independent as the state of Virginia
Now part of the province
1783 Sovereignty formally relinquished by Great Britain

West Florida 17631783 colony
1783 Southern part returned to Spanish sovereignty; sovereignty of northern
part formally relinquished by Great Britain
Now part of the states of
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, United States
Central America and the Caribbean
Name of territory
Anguilla
Dates Status
Comments
16501696 colony under St. Christopher
16961816 part of colony of Leeward Islands

18161832 part of colony of St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British
Virgin Islands
18321871 part of colony of Leeward Islands as colony of St. Christopher,
Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
18711882 part of the presidency of Saint Christopher (within the Leeward
Islands)
18821956 part of the presidency of Saint Christopher and Nevis (within the
Leeward Islands)
19561967 part of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
19671969 unilaterally declared independence as Republic of Anguilla
19691980 part of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
19832002 dependent territory
2002
British Overseas Territory
Antigua
(incl. Barbuda from 1860)
16321671 colony

18161832 part of colony of Antigua-Barbuda-Montserrat

18321833 colony
18711956 presidency within the Leeward Islands
19561958 colony
19581962 province of West Indies Federation
19621967 colony
19671981 associated state
1981 independent as Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua-Barbuda-Montserrat
18161832 colony
1832 dissolved
Bahamas
1684 occupied by Spain

19691973 commonwealth
1973 independent
Barbados
16241627 claimed by England

16521663 colony
18331885 part of colony of Windward Islands
18851958 colony
19621966 colony
1966 independent
Barbuda
16281832 colony
16321671 dependency of Antigua

18321833 colony
1860 annexed to Antigua
19761980 autonomous
1980 unilateral declaration of independence
1981 independent as part of Antigua and Barbuda
Bay Islands 16431780 crown colony
1780 occupied by Spain for a month
17801860 crown colony subordinated to Jamaica
1860 ceded to Honduras
Belize see under "British Honduras"
British Honduras
16651742 settlement
17421840 settlement subordinated to Jamaica

18401862 colony subordinated to Jamaica
18621884 crown colony subordinated to Jamaica
19541964 autonomy
1973 renamed "Belize"
1981 independent
British Virgin Islands
16661672 occupation
16721713 part of colony of Leeward Islands as part of Antigua
17131816 crown colony part of colony of Leeward Islands

Virgin Islands
18321871 part of colony of Leeward Islands as colony of St. Christopher,
Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
19561960 part of territory of Leeward Islands
19601967 colony
2002
Cayman Islands
16701958 colony part of Jamaica

2002
Dominica
-
17631778 occupation
1778 ceded to France

17841871 colony
19401958 colony within the Windward Islands
19621967 colony
1978
independent
Grenada
17621763 occupation
17631779 part of colony of South Caribbean Islands

1779 occupied by France
17831802 part of colony of South Caribbean Islands
18021833 colony
18331958 part of Windward Islands
19621967 colony
1974 independent
Jamaica
16551670 occupation
16701953 colony
1962 independent
Leeward Islands
16711816 colony
18331871 colony
18711956 federal colony
Comprised the presidencies of Antigua (incl.
Barbuda), Dominica (to 1939), Montserrat, Nevis, Saint Kitts (incl. Anguilla,
and combined with Nevis in 1883), and the Virgin Islands
19561960 territory
1960 dissolved
Montserrat
16321667 colony part of Antigua

18321833 colony part of Antigua

19561958 colony
19621982 colony
2002
Mosquito Coast
1861 incorporated into Nicaragua & Honduras
Nevis 16281671 colony subordinated to Barbados
17011704 part of colony of Leeward Islands under Antigua
Virgin Islands
18331871 part of Leeward Islands as colony of St. Christopher, Nevis,
Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
1883 amalgamated with Saint Kitts to form the presidency of Saint
Christopher and Nevis (within the Leeward Islands)
Redonda
18721981 part of Antigua
1981
dependency
St. Christopher
(Saint Kitts) 16231666 colony

17011704 part of colony of Leeward Islands under Antigua
Virgin Islands
18331871 part of Leeward Islands as colony of St. Christopher, Nevis,
Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands
1882 amalgamated with Nevis to form the presidency of Saint ChristopherNevis (within the Leeward Islands)
St. Christopher and Nevis
Islands
18821958 presidency within the Leeward
19581962 part of province of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla of West

Indies Federation
19621967 part of colony of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
19671980 part of associated state of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
1983 independent
St. John
18011802 occupation
18071815 occupation
St. Lucia
::
Now part of the United States Virgin Islands
16051640 settlement
1640 abandoned
16641667 occupation
17621763 occupation
17811783 occupation
17941795 occupation
17961802 occupation
18031838 colony
18381958 crown colony part of colony of Windward Islands
1979 independent
Saint Martin 16901699 occupation
18011802 occupation
St. Thomas 18011802 occupation
18071815 occupation
Now part of the United States Virgin Islands
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 16271636 claimed

1672 claimed
17621763 occupation
17631776 colony
19621969 colony
1979 independent
South Caribbean Islands 17631802 colony
1802 dissolved
Included the present-day countries of Dominica, Grenada,
and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the island of Tobago
Tobago
17641781 colony
1781 colony of France
17931802 occupation
1802 colony of France
1889 amalgamated with Trinidad
Tortuga
16311635 colony
1635 French possession Now part of Haiti

Trinidad
18021888 colony
1889 amalgamated with Tobago as "Trinidad and Tobago"

Trinidad and Tobago
18891958 colony

1962 independent
Turks and Caicos Islands 17991848 colony part of Bahamas
18481874 colony
18741959 colony part of Jamaica
19621982 colony
2002
Virgin Islands see under "British Virgin Islands"

West Indies Federation
19581962 federation of colonies
1962 dissolution Included the present-day countries of Antigua and

Barbuda, Barbados; Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St.
Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, and the
British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and Turks
and Caicos Islands
Windward Islands
18331956 colony
19561960 territory
1960 dissolution Included the present-day countries of Barbados (to 1885),
Grenada, Dominica (from 1940), St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, and (until 1889) the island of Tobago
South America
Name of territory
Berbice
Dates Status
Comments
17811782 subordinated to Barbados

17961802 occupied
1802 restored to the Netherlands
18031814 occupied
18141831 colony
1831 united with Demerara-Essequibo to form British Guiana
Guyana
Now part of
British Guiana
18311961 colony
Formed by the merger of the
colonies of Berbice and Demerara-Essequibo
19611966 self-rule
1966 independent as Guyana
Demerara
1782 French occupation

17961802 occupied
1802 restored to Netherlands
18031814 occupied
1814 merged with Essequibo to form Demerara-Essequibo
Demerara-Essequibo
18141831 colony
the separate colonies of Demerara and Essequibo
1831 united with Berbice to form British Guiana
Formed by the merger of
Essequibo
1782 French occupation

17961802 occupied
1802 restored to the Netherlands
18031814 occupied
1814 merged with Demerara to form Demerara-Essequibo
Oyapoc
1620 settlement
Now in Guyana
Pomeroon
16661667 occupied
1689 occupation
1689 incorporated into Essequibo
Willoughby
Now in Guyana
16521688 settlement
1688 Dutch occupation
Now Paramaribo, in Suriname
Asia
Name of territory
Dates Status
Comments
Aden 1839 colony subordinate to Bombay Presidency British India

1932 separate province of British India
1937 separate crown colony
1963 part of Federation of South Arabia
Afghanistan 18391842 protectorate
1879 protectorate
1919 independent
Assam
18741905 province of British India
19051912 incorporated into the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam
Bahrain
1880 protectorate
19611971 autonomous
Now a state of the Republic of India
1971 independent
Invited to join the Trucial States, but declined
Baluchistan 18771896 province

1947 part of Pakistan
Now part of Balochistan and the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas, in Pakistan
Bantam
16031609 station
16091617 factory
16171621 presidency
1621 expelled by the Dutch
16301634 subordinated to Surat
16341652 presidency
16521682 subordinated to Surat
1682 expelled by the Dutch
Now in Indonesia
Bencoolen
(Fort York)
16851760 fort subordinated to Madras
17601785 presidency
17851825 subordinated to Bengal Presidency
1825 part of Netherlands East Indies Now Bengkulu, in Indonesia
Bengal
("Fort William")
16341658 factories
16581681 subordinated to Madras

16811682 agency
16821694 presidency of Coromandel and Bengal Settlements
16941698 subordinated to Madras
16981700 presidency of Coromandel and Bengal Settlements
17001774 presidency
17741905 presidency of British India
19051912 partitioned between [West] Bengal and Eastern Bengal and

Assam
19121937 presidency of British India
1947 divided between India (West Bengal) and Pakistan (East Bengal) Now
Bangladesh, and part of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand, in India
Brunei
1888 protectorate
1967 protected state

1984 Independent
Burma
18241852 Arakan, Tenasserim
18521886 Lower Burma

18851886 Upper Burma
1886 Lower & Upper Burma United as province of British India
1937 Separate Crown Colony
1948 independent
Eastern Bengal and Assam
Established upon the partition of Bengal (1905)
1912 partition reversed Split between the re-established province of Assam
and the re-constituted presidency of Bengal
Ceylon
1795 Ceded by the Dutch and subordinated to the Madras
presidency of British India
1798 Separate Crown colony
1948 independent
Hong Kong
Now the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
1841 Hong Kong Island occupied
1843 Crown colony

1860 Kowloon & Stonecutters Island ceded by China
1898 New Territories leased from China for 99 years
1997 Returned to China as a
special administrative region

Kuwait
1899 Protectorate
1961 Independent
Indian Empire (British Raj)
1613 Company rule in India
1858 Crown rule over the Indian Princely states, the Presidencies and
provinces of British India
1947 Independent as India & Pakistan after partition
Manila and Cavite 17621764 Occupation
Mandatory Iraq
19201932 League of Nations Mandate never passed,
replaced by Anglo-Iraqi treaty with the Kingdom of Iraq
Java 18111816 territory of the East India Company
Netherlands
Malaya
restored to the
1824 transferred following Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
18241867 territory of British East India Company

18671946 Straits Settlements, crown colony
18951946 Federated Malay States, protectorate
18851946 Johor, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
19091946 Kedah, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
19091946 Kelantan, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
19091946 Perlis, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
19091946 Terengganu, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
19421945 Japanese occupation
19461948 Malayan Union
19481957 Federation of Malaya
19571963 independent state
1963
Joined with North Borneo and Sarawak to form independent
state of Malaysia
North Borneo
1946 crown colony
Labuan to British N. Borneo on 15 July 1946
1963 Joined Malaysia

Palestine
Gaza Strip
1920 mandate
1948 independence
Now known as Israel, the West Bank, and
Now known as Israel
Pulo Condore Island/Cn o

Company
1702 possession of British East India
1705 abandoned Now Cn o, in Vietnam

Sarawak
1888 protectorate
1946 Crown Colony

1963 Joined Malaysia
Straits Settlements
18261858 possession under British East India
Company
Now divided between Malacca and Penang, in Malaysia, and
Singapore
18581867 subordinated to British India
1942 occupied by Japan
Qatar 19161971 Protectorate
1971 Independent
Invited to join the Trucial States, but declined
Surat 16121658 factory

16581668 presidency
16681685 possession under British East India Company
16851703 subordinated to Bombay
1703 incorporated into Bombay
Singapore
Now in India
1824 purchased
1824 Part of Straits Settlements (as residency of the Presidency of Bengal

1867 Part of Straits Settlements (crown colony)
1946 crown colony
1963 Part of Malaysia

1965
Independence
Transjordan 1920 part of Palestine Mandate
Now known as Jordan
1923 formally separated from Palestine

1928 emirate independent, except military and finance control
1946 formal independence
Trucial States
1892 protectorate
1971 formation of Federation of Arab Emirates

Arab Emirates
Weihaiwei
Now part of the United
18981930 leased from China
1930 returned to China
Now part of the People's Republic of China
West Bengal
("Bengal") 19051912 province of British India Established by the
partition of Bengal. Abolished with the reversal of the partition and the
creation of the new province of Bihar and Orissa.
Europe
Name of territory
Dates Status
Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Alderney
Comments
1960 to present
Sovereign Base Areas
11981204 lordship
1204 fiefdom
1205 fiefdom
12061279 fiefdom
1279 briefly occupied by France
12791660 part of bailiwick of Guernsey
16601825 seigneurie
1825 subordinated to Guernsey
Cyprus
1878 administration while nominally remaining part of the
Ottoman Empire
1914 annexation
1925 crown colony
1960 independent
Two sovereign base areas remain under British
sovereignty; see under "Akrotiri and Dhekelia"
Dunkirk
16581662 town and surrounding hinterland
1662 incorporated into France

England
927
kingdom formed
1282 Conquest of principality of Gwynedd (last remaining independent

Welsh principality)
1536 incorporation of Principality of Wales and Marcher Lordships into
England
1603 personal union with Scotland
1649 republic as the Commonwealth of England. Scotland and Ireland united
with England
1660 End of Republic. Scotland independent again but in personal union with
England
1707 political union with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain
Treaty of Union 1706 and Acts of Union 1707
Gibraltar
1704 Captured by Britain
1713 colony
Ceded by Spain Treaty of Utrecht 1713

2002
British Overseas Territory Gibraltar :: GIP !T! abc [X]
Sovereignty claimed by Spain
Great Britain, Kingdom of 1707 formed by union of the kingdoms of England
and Scotland
1801 union of Great Britain with Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland
Guernsey
(incl. islands of Brechou, Herm, Jethou, and Sark)
12041205 fiefdom
11981204 lordship
12061279 fiefdom
12791940 bailiwick
19401945 occupied by Germany
1945
bailiwick
Heligoland
18071814 occupied
18141890 colony
1890 incorporated into Germany
19451952 occupied
Ionian Islands
18091815 occupied
18151864 United States of Ionian Islands, under British protection

1864 incorporated into Greece
Ireland
1172 lordship
Papal Bull Laudabiliter 1155
1541 kingdom subordinated to the English (later British) Crown

1801 merged with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom
1800
Irish Free State
Irish Treaty 1921
1922 Independence from the United Kingdom
1949 Declared a Republic

Isle of Man
Act of Union
12661290 fiefdom under Scotland

13331504 fiefdom
15041594 lordship
15941610 direct crown rule
16101649 lordship
16491660 commonwealth and protectorate
16601765 lordship
Anglo-
17651827 possession
1827
crown dependency
Jersey
1204 fiefdom subordinated to Guernsey

12791380 bailiwick subordinated to Guernsey
14871940 bailiwick
19401945 occupied by Germany
1945
bailiwick
Malta 18001813 protectorate

1964 independent
Minorca
17081713 occupied
1713 ceded to Britain

17141756 colony
17981802 colony
1802 restored to Spain
United Kingdom
1801 formed by the union of the kingdoms of Great
Britain and Ireland
1922 secession of the Irish Free State

1927 formal name changed from "United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland" to "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"
Antarctic Region
(territories south of 60 S)
Name of territory
Dates Status
Comments
British Antarctic Territory 19621982 colony

2002
overseas territory BAT Flag :: !T! GBP abc
Enderby Land
19301933 claimed
1933 transferred to Australia

Graham Land
Now part of the Australian Antarctic Territory
1832 annexed
19081962 dependency of Falkland Islands

1962
part of the British Antarctic Territory
South Orkney
18211908 claimed
19081962 dependency of the Falkland Islands

1962
South Shetland
18191908 claimed

1962
Victoria Land
18411933 claimed
Now part of the Australian Antarctic Territory
Atlantic
(islands in the Atlantic Ocean)

Name of territory
Dates Status
Comments
Ascension Island
18151922 possession
19222009 dependency of St. Helena

2009
part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Bermuda
16121684 colony

2002
overseas territory Bermuda Flag :: !T! abc /\\/
Falkland Islands
1766 West Falkland settled
1774 settlement withdrawn

17741833 claimed
1833 settlement re-established
18921908 colony
19081962 colony
1962 The Falkland Islands Dependencies of South Shetland, South Orkney,
and Graham Land are established as the separate colony of British Antarctic
Territory
19621982 colony
2002
overseas territory Falkland Islands Flag :: !T! FKK abc /\\/
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

(formerly known as "St. Helena and its Dependencies")
Helena claimed
16731815 possession of the East India Company
18211834 possession of British East India Company
15881673 St

2002
overseas territory St. Helena Flag :: !T! SHP abc /\\/
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
17751908 claimed

2002
overseas territory South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands :: !T! GBP abc
Tristan da Cunha
(18161938)
dependency of the Cape Colony
19382009 dependency of St. Helena

2009
part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Indian Ocean
(islands in the Indian Ocean)

Name of territory
Dates Status
Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Andaman Islands
Comments
1789 British take possession of the
1848 British take possession of the Nicobar Islands

1947 became part of India upon its independence Now a union territory of
India
Ashmore Island
1878 annexed

and Cartier Islands
Cartier Island
Now administered as part of the Ashmore
19091931) annexed

and Cartier Islands
Now administered as part of the Ashmore
British Indian Ocean Territory
18101814 occupied
1814 ceded to the United Kingdom by the Treaty of Paris

18141903 part of the colony of Seychelles
19031965 part of colony of Mauritius
19651982 colony
1976 the Aldabra Group, the Des Roches islands, and the Farquhar
Group/Des Roches are restored to the Seychelles
2002
GBP abc
overseas territory British Indian Ocean Territory flag :: !T!
Christmas Island
1888 annexed
18891890 leased
19001942 dependency of the colony of Straits Settlement
19451946 military administration
19461958 dependency of the colony of Singapore
1958 crown colony
Cocos Islands
1825;
18261831 settlement
18311857 fiefdom
18781886 part of Ceylon
18861942 part of the colony of the Straits Settlements
19421946 part of Ceylon
19461955 dependency of the colony of Singapore
(Keeling) Islands
Now the Australian territory of Cocos
Dansborg
18011802 occupied
18081815 occupied
1845 purchased and incorporated into British India
state, India
Frederiksnagore
Now in Tamil Nadu
18011802 occupied
18081815 occupied
1845 purchased and incorporated into British India
Bengal state, India
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
and McDonald Islands
Now in West
18331947 claimed
Now the Australian territory of Heard Island
Madagascar 19421946 occupied

Maldives
19531954 republic
(19591963)
See also the United Suvadive Republic
1965 independence !T! /\\/

Mauritius
1809 occupation of Rodrigues
18101968 colony
1814 formal cession by the Treaty of Paris
1965 the Chagos Archipelago is transferred to the British Indian Ocean
Territory
1968 independence
Runion
!T! abc /\\/
18101815 occupied
19421946 occupied
Seychelles
17941810 occupied
18101814 colony subordinated to Mauritius

1814 formal cession by the Treaty of Paris
18141903 colony
19751976 self-rule
1976 independence
!T! abc /\\/
Australasia and the Pacific

Name of territory
Australia
Dates Status
Comments
19011942 dominion
1942 adopted the Statute of Westminster into domestic law

[X] /\\/
Baker Island 18861934 claimed
Bonin Islands
:: !T! abc
Now a territory of the United States
18271876 claimed
1876 annexed by Japan

British New Guinea
18861906 colony
Cook Islands
Now part of Papua New Guinea
18911900 federation
1900 annexed by New Zealand
Coral Sea Islands
Fiji
1879
part of Queensland
18741877 colony
18771952 colony administered as part of the British Western Pacific

Territories
19521970 colony
1970 independent
!T! abc /\\/
Friendly Islands
(Tonga)
18891900 tripartite protectorate
19001952 protectorate administered as part of the British Western Pacific

Territories
1970 independent
!T! abc /\\/
Gilbert and Ellice Islands 18921916 protectorate

19161975 crown colony administered as part of the British Western Pacific
Territories
1975 the Gilbert and Ellice Islands are split into the two separate colonies of
the Gilbert Islands and Tuvalu
Gilbert Islands
19751976 crown colony administered as part of the
British Western Pacific Territories
19761979 colony
1979 independent as "Kiribati" !T! abc /\\/
Howland Island
States
18861935 claimed
Jarvis Island 18891935 annexed

Lord Howe Island
Now a territory of the United States
17881834 claimed
18341855 settlement
Macquarie Island
Now a territory of the United
Now part of New South Wales
18101890 part of the colony of New South Wales
1890
part of Tasmania
Nauru
Territories
19141920 administered as part of the British Western Pacific
19201921 League of Nations mandate administered as part of the British

Western Pacific Territories
19211942 League of Nations mandate
19451947 League of Nations mandate
19471968 United Nations Trust Territory
1968 independent
!T! abc /\\/
New Hebrides
18781887 neutral territory

18871906 joint naval commission
19061976 condominium with France, administered as part of the British
Western Pacific Territories
19761980 condominium
1980 independent as "Vanuatu"
New South Wales
1901
!T! abc
17881900 colony
state of Australia
New Zealand
17691788 claimed
17881835 part of New South Wales

1835 declared independence
18411907 colony
19071947 Dominion of New Zealand
1947 adopted the Statute of Westminster into domestic law
[X] /\\/
:: !T! abc
Niue 18891900 tripartite protectorate

Territories
1901 annexed to New Zealand (as part of the Cook Islands)
Norfolk Island
18441856 part of Van Diemen's Land (later Tasmania)

18561897 subordinated to New South Wales
1897 dependency of New South Wales
Palmyra Atoll
1889 annexed
1898 annexed by the United States

Pitcairn Islands
18871898 colony
18981970 colony administered as part of the British Western Pacific
Territories
19701982 colony
2002
overseas territory Pitcairn Islands Flag :: !T! abc /\\/
Queensland 18241859 part of the colony of New South Wales

18591900 colony
1901
state of Australia
Samoan Islands
Sandwich Islands
1794 10 February 1843 protectorate
10 February 1843 31 July 1843

Solomon Islands
ceded to Britain

Territories
Territories
19731976 autonomy
1975 renamed from "British Solomon Islands" to "Solomon Islands"
1978 independent
South Australia
:: !T! abc [X] /\\/

17881836 part of the colony of New South Wales
1901
state of Australia
Tasmania
(Van Diemen's Land)
18251900 colony
1856 renamed as "Tasmania"
Tokelau
(Union Islands)

Territories
19161949 part of colony of Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Zealand
transferred to New
1949 transferred to New Zealand

Torres Strait Islands
1879
part of Queensland
Tuvalu
19751976 colony administered as part of the British Western
Pacific Territories
19761978 colony
1978 independent
Victoria
:: !T! abc [X] /\\/
18391851 part of colony of New South Wales
18511900 colony
1901
state of Australia
Western Australia 17911829 King George Sound settled

18291832 Swan River Colony
18321900 colony
1901
state of Australia
Treaties and Acts of Parliament, etc.
This is a listing of the more important treaties, Acts of Parliament, and other
legal instruments and events affecting the nature and territorial extent of the
British Empire.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Effective date
1536/1542
of England
Name of treaty, etc.
Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542
Territorial effect
Wales annexed to the Kingdom
1707 Acts of Union 1707 Scotland and England unite as the Kingdom of
Great Britain
1713 Treaty of Utrecht Spain cedes Gibraltar to Britain. France cedes
Newfoundland, Hudson Bay and Acadie to Britain.
1763 Treaty of Paris
France cedes all its territories in America to Britain
except Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islands.
1776 Declaration of Independence of the United States The Thirteen
Colonies (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia) assert independence
1783 Second Treaty of Paris
Great Britain formally recognises the
independence of the United States. End of the American Revolution.
1788
New South Wales is established by settlement as a penal colony
1791 Constitution Act

The Province of Quebec is divided in two sections
Upper Canada (now Ontario) and Lower Canada (now Quebec).
1801 Act of Union 1800 Ireland unites with Great Britain to form the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
1814 Third Treaty of Paris
France cedes the Seychelles to Britain and
Malta officially becomes a colony
1840 Treaty of Waitangi New Zealand becomes a British colony
1867 British North America Act 1867 (known in Canada as the Constitution
Act, 1867) The Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia
federate as the Dominion of Canada
1870
Canada
Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory are annexed to
1871
British Columbia becomes a province of Canada
1876 proclamation under the Royal Titles Act 1876
Queen Victoria
adopts the title "Empress of India"

1899
Joint British-Egyptian condominium established over Sudan
1901 proclamation under the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act

(1900)
The Commonwealth of Australia is formed by the federation of
the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia,
Western Australia, and Tasmania
1910 proclamation under the South Africa Act 1909
Union of South
Africa formed by the federation of the colonies of the Cape of Good Hope,
Natal, Transvaal, and the Orange River Colony
1914 Cyprus (Annexation) Order in Council 1914
Cyprus formally annexed
1920 Kenya (Annexation) Order in Council 1920

Protectorate is annexed as the Colony of Kenya
Most of the East Africa
1922 Anglo-Irish Treaty

Kingdom
The Irish Free State is separated from the United
Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence

independent
Egypt becomes
1931 Statute of Westminster

Canada, the Irish Free State, and the Union
of South Africa obtain effective sovereignty
1934
dominion
Financial difficulties result in Newfoundland losing its status as a
1942
Australia adopts the Statute of Westminster, backdated to 1939
1947
New Zealand adopts the Statute of Westminster
Indian Independence Act 1947 British India is partitioned into the

independent dominions of India and Pakistan
1948
King George VI relinquishes the title "Emperor of India"
1949
Newfoundland becomes a province of Canada
1960 Nigeria Independence Act 1960 The colony and protectorate of Nigeria
become independent
1962 Jamaica Independence Act 1962
1983
Jamaica becomes independent
The status of "colony" is renamed "dependent territory"
1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration (1984) and the Hong Kong Act 1985
Hong Kong is transferred to the People's Republic of China

2002
Territory"
The status of "dependent territory" is renamed "British Overseas
See also
List of British Empire-related topics

List of countries that gained independence from the United Kingdom
Scottish colonization of the Americas
Impact of Western European colonialism and colonisation
Imperialism
Colonialism
Decolonisation
References
Ferguson, Niall (2004). Empire, The rise and demise of the British world order
and the lessons for global power. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02328-2.
The Statesman's Yearbook 1967-1968
U.S. Library of Congress - Glossary of terms.
Compact Oxford English Dictionary - "Crown colony".
Jenks, p. 70.
Cooke (1993) vol 1 part 4
Armstrong, Frederick H. (1985). Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology
(Revised ed.). Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 39.
Christopher Moore (2011-07-27). 1867: How the Fathers Made a Deal.
McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 978-1-55199-483-3.
Putney, Albert H. (1908). "Popular Law Library Vol 1 Introduction To The Study
Of Law Legal History". Cree Publishing Company. Retrieved September 3,
2010.
Roper (2007)
Elson, Henry William, History of the United States of America, The MacMillan
Company, New York, 1904. Chapter IV
Ferguson, Niall, 2003. EmpireHow Britain Made the Modern World, Allan
Lane, London, United Kingdom.
http://www.bartleby.com/65/ch/chartere.html Chartered companies
Merriam Webster's Dictionary (based on Collegiate vol., 11th ed.) 2006.
Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Hillmer, Norman (2001). "Commonwealth". Toronto: Canadian Encyclopedia.
"...the Dominions (a term applied to Canada in 1867 and used from 1907 to
1948 to describe the empire's other self-governing members)"
Marshall, Sir Peter (September 2001). "The Balfour Formula and the Evolution
of the Commonwealth". The Round Table. 90 (361): 54153.
doi:10.1080/00358530120082823.
Peace Treaties and International Law in European History, From the Late
Middle Ages to World War One
Interpretation Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c. 63), s. 18.
External links
UK Overseas Territories
World Statesmen
[show]
vte
Territories of the British Empire and the United Kingdom
[show]
vte
Territorial evolution of the world

Categories:
British EmpireColonialismTerritorial evolution
Navigation menu
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Article
Talk
Read
Edit
View history
Search
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here

Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Afrikaans
Deutsch
Espaol
Bahasa Indonesia
Polski
Suomi
Edit links
This page was last modified on 27 December 2016, at 12:28.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki

A

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

A

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Territorial evolution of the British Empire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The territorial evolution of the British Empire is considered to have begun

A number of countries ("dominions") within the British Empire gained

Colonies were territories that were intended to be places of permanent

Government in the colonies represented an extension of the English

Charter colony is one of the three classes of colonial government established

A number of colonies in the 16th and 17th centuries were granted to a

A chartered company is an association formed by investors or shareholders

A protectorate is a territory which is not formally annexed but in which, by

Dominions were semi-independent polities that were nominally under the

converted to United Nations Trust Territories in 1946.[17]

The fourteen British Overseas Territories are:

British Virgin Islands

Turks and Caicos Flag

Pound sterling derived currency

abc English as a dominant or an official language /\\/

Rule of road drive

Basutoland 1868 protectorate

19651966 self-governing protectorate

1861 united with Bight of Biafra

1861 united with Bight of Benin

18851895 crown colony

1895 incorporated into Cape Colony

Now a part of the Northern Cape and

British Cameroons 19161919 occupation

the sphere of British influence

became a province of the Union

Egypt 18011803 occupation

1957 independent as Ghana

Libya, regions of Cyrenicia & Tripolitania only 19421946 UK Military

Now part of the

18851899 protectorate under the Royal Niger Company

1900 became part of Northern Nigeria

19001914 protectorate governed by the Colony of

1907 granted responsible government

now divided between Zambia and Zimbabwe

18881894 protectorate under British South Africa

1894 united with Mashonaland as South Zambesia in 1894

18891894 protectorate under BSAC

1894 united with Matabeleland as South Zambesia in 1894

18951901 protectorate under BSAC

1901 Mashonaland and Matabeleland united as Southern Rhodesia

19011923 protectorate under BSAC

19231953 self-governing colony

not internationally recognised

1979 interim state

17871808 Freed slave colony organised by Sierra Leone

18081821 crown colony

18211850 part of British West Africa

Not a member of the Commonwealth between 1961

18991952 condominium with Egypt

1661 ceded to England by Portugal

1684 abandoned by England

19461961 United Nations Trust Territory under Britain

Merged with Zanzibar in 1964 to form Tanzania

Tati Concessions Land

1893 detached from Matabeleland

18841900 independent as South African Republic

18901893 occupied by British East Africa Company

18931894 provisional protectorate

now part of Namibia

merged with Tanganyika in 1964 to form Tanzania