| Incorporated Territory |
Index for Incorporated |
Website Links For Incorporated |
Information AboutIncorporated Territory |
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The term "incorporated" in this sense does not refer to the act of creating a civil government entity (e.g. a city or a town). Incorporation as it applies to territories is regarded as a permanent condition. Once incorporated, an incorporated territory can no longer be de-incorporated; that is, it can never be excluded from the jurisdiction of the United States Constitution. History Most of the historic territories of the United States, including all the ones that eventually became U.S. states, were incorporated Organized territories, that is, incorporated territories for which Congress established a local civil government. The distinction between unincorporated territories and incorporated territories did not arise until the 20th Century , following the acquisition by the United States of possessions arising from the Spanish-American War , including the Philippines , Guam , and Puerto Rico . Previously, the United States had acquired territory only through annexation, with all territories being ''de facto'' incorporated territories. The distinction between incorporated and unincorporated territories was clarified in the , and Guano Islands Act .'' In the contemporary sense, the term "unincorporated territory" refers primarily to Insular Area s. There is currently only one incorporated territory, Palmyra Atoll , which is not an organized territory. Conversely, a territory can be Organized without being an incorporated territory, a contemporary example being Puerto Rico . Classification of current U.S. territories Incorporated organized territories none since 1959 Incorporated unorganized territories
Unincorporated organized territories
Unincorporated unorganized territories
Associated State s Classification of former U.S. territories & administered areas Former unincorporated territories of the United States (incomplete)
Areas formerly administered by the United States (incomplete)
Occupation Zones
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