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The fourteen British Overseas Territories (BOT) are territories under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but not part of it. They are those parts of the former British Empire that have not chosen independence or have voted to remain British territories. While each has its own internal leadership, most being self-governing, they share the British monarch (Elizabeth II) as head of state. The name "British Overseas Territory" was introduced by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, replacing the name British Dependent Territory introduced by the British Nationality Act 1981. Prior to 1 January 1983, the territories were officially referred to as British Crown Colonies. With the exceptions of the British Antarctic Territory and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (which host only officials and research station staff) and the British Indian Ocean Territory (used as a military base), the Territories retain permanent civilian populations. Permanent residency for the 7,000 or so civilians living in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia is limited to citizens of the Republic of Cyprus. Collectively, the Territories encompass a population of about 350,000 people and a land area of about . The vast majority of this, , constitutes the British Antarctic Territory.〔() 〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=CIA – The World Factbook 2002 – South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands )〕 The United Kingdom participates in the Antarctic Treaty System and, as part of a mutual agreement, the British Antarctic Territory is recognised by four of the other sovereign nations making claims to Antarctic territory. Although the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are also under the sovereignty of the British Crown, they are in a different constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=States of Guernsey: About Guernsey )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Government – Isle of Man Public Services )〕 The British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are themselves distinct from the Commonwealth realms, a group of 15 independent countries (and the United Kingdom) each having Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch, and from the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary association of 53 countries mostly with historic links to the British Empire (which also includes all Commonwealth realms). The current minister responsible for the Territories is James Duddridge MP, of the Foreign Office. Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas, however, are the responsibility of the Minister for Europe David Lidington MP, while the Falkland Islands are the responsibility of Hugo Swire MP, also of the Foreign Office. == Current overseas territories == The fourteen British Overseas Territories are:〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=. 22 January 1993. CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 1992 via the Libraries of the Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis.〕 | (none permanent) | King Edward Point |- valign="top" | 80px | 40px | Turks and Caicos Islands | Lucayan Archipelago and North Atlantic Ocean | "Beautiful by nature, clean by choice" | | (2006 census estimate)〔 | Cockburn Town |} 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「British Overseas Territories」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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