British Antilles, four British Overseas Territories. British overseas territories: list

The UK government is seeking to end financial secrecy offshore, but this is actively resisted by the authorities of overseas territories, in particular Bermuda.

The list of British Overseas Territories includes Bermuda, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, British Antarctic Territory and British territory V Indian Ocean, the Bahamas Turks and Caicos Islands, as well as a number of islands in the Pacific Ocean and the South Atlantic, Gibraltar on the Iberian Peninsula and enclaves in Cyprus.

Ahead of British Prime Minister Theresa May's meeting with the leaders of the ten overseas territories on 8 February, Bermuda's finance minister, Bob Richards, lashed out at proposed legislation to create public registers with open information about the owners of offshore companies.

According to Richards, the UK itself is a "tax haven", so it should first understand the domestic regulation of this issue, and then demand the same from overseas territories.

Current UK law allows citizens of other countries to live in the United Kingdom without paying tax on income received abroad.

“There are more billionaires in London than in any other city in the world. Do you think they like fine weather? Of course they are here because of the tax climate. We are dealing with double standards,” said Richards. He added that the tax system in Bermuda is more transparent than in countries that actively enforce financial cleanliness, and popular claims that there are “financial cleanliness” problems in small islands are unfounded, writes The Guardian.

But from April 2017, non-residents will lose some of the benefits and will not be able to enjoy tax holidays for an indefinite period: now those who have spent 15 of the last 20 years in the United Kingdom will be subject to taxes on inheritance, capital gains and income from assets around the world.

A cross-party group of 88 members of parliament led by Margaret Hodge is fighting for an amendment that would oblige overseas authorities to follow the UK's lead and make public registers of offshore company owners by 2020. This, of course, causes dissatisfaction with the authorities in Bermuda. "There is such a thing as personal information, — at least, it exists on our island. Private life inviolable. The state does not have the right to know something about the private business of any person, ”says Richards.

This information is available upon request from foreign governments, but is hidden from the general public. Richards said that Bermuda would oppose the initiative to open registries. According to him, the register is necessary to protect the international reputation of the government, and not for general access to the affairs of businessmen. It is worth noting that Bermudian companies practically did not appear in the Panama Papers.

The authorities of Bermuda note that they do not consider the disclosure of information mandatory, since the secrecy of such data is still respected in American states Delaware, Wyoming and Nevada.

“We cannot accept a standard that our main trading partner does not meet. We can lose a lot of companies and are not ready to go for it, ”Richards commented.

Bermuda is one of the most prosperous of the 14 British Overseas Territories and currently chairs the Overseas Territories Association. The capital Bermuda Hamilton is one of the three world centers of the insurance business along with London and New York. The financial crisis has led to the exodus of the most qualified employees and to the reduction of income from financial services, and the Territory's economy has just begun to recover.

According to Oxfam, U.S. multinationals such as Google recorded $80 billion in Bermuda revenue in 2012, more than the combined profits of companies in Japan, China, Germany and France.

Bermuda Prime Minister Michael Dunkley also arrived in London for a series of briefings with British ministers. “We want to make sure that we are not forgotten, because the government now has to deal with many different issues,” Dunkley said. According to him, the main issue on the agenda was the exit of the UK from the EU.

The Overseas Territories are determined to negotiate changing terms, but are also prepared to declare their independence if the terms turn out to be unfavorable.

The last referendum on independence from the United Kingdom was held in Bermuda in 1995. Dunkley and Richards have repeatedly stressed that Hodge's proposed amendment is contrary to the interests of Bermuda and its passage could lead to a new referendum, although residents are now "satisfied with their constitutional status."

With the exception of Gibraltar and small military bases in Cyprus, residents of overseas territories (about 250 thousand people) are not considered EU citizens and therefore could not vote in the referendum. Citizens of the United Kingdom can now travel within the EU without a visa. But the White Paper says that territorial relations will also change, which does not suit representatives of overseas territories. “Travel without borders is important to us as Bermudians travel a lot,” Dunkley added. Tourism provides about 60% of the islands' GDP, so free entry for EU citizens is also important for Bermuda (although the United States provides the main flow of tourists). The Prime Minister of the British Virgin Islands, Orlando Smith, also spoke about the undesirability of introducing a visa regime. writes The Financial Times.

Representatives of the Falkland Islands said that any agreement with the EU should guarantee the absence of quotas for fishing and the duty-free export of fish, squid, lamb and mutton. Falkland spokesman Michael Poole said the EU accounts for more than 90% of the islands' exports, and trade ties with South American countries remain weak despite a significant improvement in relations with Argentina. Poole noted that he could not assess whether it would be possible to replace European exports by signing similar agreements with Brazil, Uruguay and other countries.

The actions of the British authorities were largely influenced by the so-called "Panama Archive", the documents of which showed that thousands of offshore companies were used to hide the proceeds of fraud, political corruption and tax evasion.

Unlike most offshore zones, Bermuda keeps government records of the owners of companies registered here.

The fight against offshore jurisdictions intensified after the release of the Panama Papers in May 2016. The documents revealed evidence of the involvement of dozens of political leaders in fraudulent schemes for money laundering and tax evasion.

In November, Europol announced the discovery of about 3.5 thousand possible links between data from the Panama Papers database and Europol investigations into cases of organized crime. In particular, 116 links with participants in Islamist terrorism were found, united by a single Europol investigation under the code word "Hydra".

On February 10, the founders of the Panamanian firm Mossack Fonseca, Ramon Fonseca and Jurgen Mossack, were arrested in Panama and later charged with money laundering.

Overseas territories of Great Britain are the most popular offshore jurisdiction for Russians. The most attractive for entrepreneurs from Russia were British Virgin and Bahamas.

Russia is among the top countries in the list in terms of the number of owners and beneficiaries of offshore companies. She is in fifth place with 6,285 Russians mentioned in the Panama Papers. This type of business was most popular among residents of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. These three jurisdictions account for nearly 79,000 owners and beneficiaries of offshore companies. In fourth place is the United States with 7,325 individuals and legal entities from the United States owning offshore companies outside their native country.

Among the detected persons in the ICIJ database appear mainly businessmen. So, there is data on the full namesake of the main shareholder of USM Holdings, Alisher Usmanov, who is associated with several companies in the British Virgin Islands. Mentioned in the database are the namesakes of the brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, as well as the son of Arkady Igor Rotenberg. According to the materials, they are associated with companies in the British Virgin Islands. A complete coincidence of the first and last name is also found in the case of the shareholder of Alfa Group German Khan. The owner of this name and surname is the beneficiary of three offshore companies: two in the British Virgin Islands and one in the Seychelles.

Introduction

British Overseas Territories British overseas territories) - fourteen territories that are under the sovereignty of Great Britain, but are not part of it.

The name "British Overseas Territories" was introduced in 2002 by the British Overseas Territories Act and replaced the term "British Dependent Territories". British Dependent Territories) contained in the British Nationality Act 1981. Prior to this, the territories were called colonies or crown colonies. The British Overseas Territories may also be referred to as "British Overseas Territories", or simply "Overseas Territories" when appropriate from the context.

The islands of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are also under the sovereignty of the British Crown, but have somewhat different constitutional relations with Great Britain, and are consistently classified as Crown Dependencies. Crown dependencies) rather than overseas territories. Overseas territories and crown lands should be distinguished from the Commonwealth of Nations (eng. Commonwealth of Nations), a voluntary union of former British colonies, and more recently, some other countries, such as Mozambique, which joined the Commonwealth for financial and political reasons.

In a historical context, the colonies that were part of Great Britain should be distinguished from the protectorates, which, while under British control, nominally retained their independence. They should also not be confused with dominions, independent states that had equal status with Great Britain in the British Empire and, after the 1931 Statute of Westminster, in the British Commonwealth of Nations. Crown colonies, such as Hong Kong, differed from other colonies in that they were governed directly by the Crown and did not have the autonomy that was in self-governing colonies, such as Bermuda.

The total population of the territories is about 260 thousand people, the area is 3100 km². In addition, the UK claims a part of the Antarctic Territory (British Antarctic Territory) with an area of ​​&&&&&&&&01724900.&&&&&01 724 900 km², but, according to the Antarctic Treaty, signed and ratified by the UK, these territories cannot be in the possession of individual states.

1. History

The first British colonies in the New World were settlements of British subjects in lands hitherto outside the domain of the British Crown. The first such colony was Newfoundland, where British fishermen founded seasonal settlements in the 16th century. In 1607, the settlement of Jamestown appeared, the first permanent colony in Virginia (a term used for all of North America). In 1609, a second colony was founded in Bermuda by shipwrecked settlers, which, after the loss of the American colonies in 1783, became the oldest existing British colony (the English colonies became known as British in 1707, after the union of England and Scotland and the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain).

The final list of territories that received crown colony status:

Trinidad and Tobago - in 1797

Dominica - in 1805

Saint Lucia - in 1814

The growth of the British Empire in the 19th century, which peaked in the 1920s, led to the fact that Great Britain annexed more than a quarter of the land, including territories in Asia and Africa, which had a significant local population, and held not for colonization, but for commercial or strategic reasons. In the late 19th century, the large settlement colonies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa became self-governing and independent in all matters except foreign policy, defense, and trade. The scattered self-governing colonies united to form federations: Canada in 1867 and the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. These and other large self-governing colonies were called dominions in the 1920s and gained full independence by the 1931 Statute of Westminster. The Empire was renamed the British Commonwealth, which became known as the Commonwealth of Nations in 1949. Most of the British colonies in Africa, Asia and the West Indies gained independence. Some former colonies became Commonwealth realms, retaining the British monarch as head of state, others became republics but recognized Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth.

In the 1980s, Britain lost its last mainland colonies - Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in Africa in 1980, and British Honduras (now Belize) in Central America in 1981. The last major colony was Hong Kong, which had a population of over 5 million people. Unlike other territories, Hong Kong from an administrative point of view consisted of two parts:

Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula were permanently annexed by Britain through the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Peking in 1860.

The territory of mainland China, the so-called New Territories, was leased by Britain for 99 years, starting in 1898, to accommodate the growing population of Hong Kong.

As 1997 approached, the UK and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, according to which the whole of Hong Kong in 1997 became a "special administrative region» PRC, under numerous conditions that were supposed to guarantee the preservation of the capitalist economy of Hong Kong and the way of life formed during the British Raj for at least 50 years after its transfer. The transfer of all of Hong Kong was dictated by the fact that its infrastructure was largely connected with the province of Guangdong, and the British territories proper could not exist without Chinese supplies.

After the return of Hong Kong to China, the remaining colonial possessions of Great Britain were mainly small island territories with a negligible population, as well as the uninhabited British Antarctic Territory. These territories did not gain independence for various reasons, in particular:

Lack of local support for independence.

A small population that makes it problematic for the territory to function as an independent state.

Dependence on economic assistance from the UK.

The need for a British military presence to protect against neighboring states.

Lack of economic and political prerequisites for independence.

Some territories are not inhabited and are used for scientific or military purposes.

In 2002, the British Parliament passed the British Overseas Territories Act. He changed the name "dependent territories" to " overseas territories”and restored full British citizenship for their residents (with the exception of the territory of military bases in Cyprus).

Currently, British Overseas Territories exist in all regions of the world - in the Caribbean ( North America), Falkland Islands ( South America), Saint Helena in Africa, Pitcairn in Oceania, Gibraltar in Europe, the British Indian Ocean Territory in Asia, and the South Sandwich Islands in Antarctica.

2. List of territories

3. Management

3.1. head of state

The head of state in the Overseas Territories is the British monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II) as head of the UK, and not under the laws of the individual territories. In each territory, the queen appoints her representatives to exercise executive power. In territories with a permanent population, on the recommendation of the British government, the Queen appoints a governor, usually a senior retired officer, or a civil servant. In territories without a permanent population, a commissioner is usually appointed. In overseas territories having dependent possessions, the governor may appoint an administrator to represent him in the dependent territory.

The governor is the de facto head of state. He is usually responsible for appointing the head of government and other civil servants. The Governor is also responsible for liaison with the UK government and has representational functions. The commissioner has the same powers as the governor, but also performs the functions of the head of government.

3.2. Administration

All Overseas Territories have their own governmental system and local laws. Their structure correlates with size and political development colonies.

3.3. Legislative system

Each Overseas Territory has its own legislation, independent of UK law. The legislative system is generally based on English common law, with some local differences. Each territory has its own attorney general and judiciary. In smaller areas, the UK appoints a judge or lawyer who handles court cases.

Such a system is especially important in cases involving serious crimes and where it is impossible to find an unbiased jury, for example, on sparsely populated islands. An example of UK intervention in a specific trial is the 2004 Pitcairn Island rape investigation.

4. Relations with the UK

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for overseeing the interests of all Overseas Territories, except for bases in Cyprus, which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence. The Department of Overseas Territories is headed by the Minister for Overseas Territories, currently the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Meg Mann.

self-determination

UK and Territories Responsibility

Democratic autonomy

Providing help and support

The governments of the Overseas Territories with indigenous populations (except Bermuda) have their offices in London. The territories are also represented by the London-based United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA).

Financial assistance is provided through the Department International Development. Currently, only Montserrat and Saint Helena receive budgetary assistance. In addition, there are several special funds, for example:

The Good Government Fund, for the development of government management

The Economic Diversification Program Budget, the purpose of which is to diversify the economy of the territories

5. External relations

Foreign affairs of the Overseas Territories are handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In addition, some areas have neighboring countries diplomatic representatives dealing with immigration foreign economic issues. A number of Caribbean territories are members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community. None of the overseas territories is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, although they take part in the Commonwealth Games.

Gibraltar is the only overseas territory that is part of the European Union, but it is not an independent member and is not part of Customs Union. The rest of the overseas territories are not members. European Union, and most EU laws do not apply to them. Certain parts of EU law apply to them as members of the Association of Overseas Countries and Territories. OCT Association), but in practice they are rarely used by local courts. On the same basis, Structural Funds are provided to the Overseas Territories for rehabilitation projects.

Since the return of full British citizenship to most residents of the Overseas Territories (mainly by virtue of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002), subjects of these territories have parallel EU citizenship, giving them the right to move freely within the territory of all EU member states.

Several states have territorial claims against Great Britain, affecting the following overseas territories:

British Antarctic Territory - not recognized by the international community (see Antarctic Treaty), in addition, part of the territory is disputed by Chile and Argentina.

British Indian Ocean Territory - claimed by Mauritius and the Seychelles

Falkland Islands - disputed by Argentina

Gibraltar - claimed by Spain

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - disputed by Argentina

Military bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia - disputed by Cyprus

6. Citizenship

None of the Overseas Territories has its own citizenship and all citizens are classified as British Overseas Territories citizens. British Overseas Territories citizens, BOTC). However, the territories are self-governing in matters of migration, so obtaining BOTC status does not automatically give the right to stay in other territories, as this depends on the migration laws of a particular territory. An Overseas Territory can grant resident status. Belonger status), giving the right to reside. Persons who do not have British Overseas Territories citizenship can acquire this status for the purpose of residing in a particular territory, and thereafter, if they wish, undergo naturalization and acquire citizenship.

Historically, most of the inhabitants of the former British Empire had British citizenship, which, as a rule, was lost after the territory gained independence. Since 1949, British subjects in Great Britain and the remaining Crown Colonies have been referred to as citizens of Great Britain and the Colonies. citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies). However, changes made to the Citizenship and Immigration Act between 1962 and 1983 led to the creation in January 1983 of a separate citizenship of the British Dependent Territories (eng. British Dependent Territories citizenship), and thus most of the population of the overseas territories were deprived of full British citizenship. This was done mainly to prevent mass immigration of Hong Kong residents to the UK ahead of its handover to the PRC in 1997. An exception was made for the Falkland Islands, which had been attacked by Argentina the year before. Due to disagreements with Spain, full British citizenship was soon returned to the people of Gibraltar.

In 2002, the British Overseas Territories Act replaced British Dependent Territories citizenship with British Overseas Territories citizenship and restored full British citizenship to all its holders, with the exception of the population of military bases in Cyprus. Thanks to this, the inhabitants of the territories again received the right to live in the UK.

At the same time, British citizens do not have an automatic right to settle in any of the Overseas Territories. In some of them, immigration is prohibited and all arrivals must obtain a residence permit from the territorial government. Visits to Ascension Island and the British Indian Ocean Territory are not permitted (except for official visits) as these territories are used as military bases.

7. Armed Forces

The United Kingdom is responsible for the defense of the Overseas Territories. Many Overseas Territories are military bases of Great Britain and its allies.

Ascension Island (administratively Saint Helena) is an RAF and RAF base formerly known as R.A.F. Ascension Island.

Bermuda - after the declaration of independence, the United States became the main base of the British Navy in the Western Hemisphere. The islands have an admiralty, shipyards and a squadron. A significant military garrison was established to protect them, and Bermuda was viewed by the British government not as a colony, but as a military base - the "Gibraltar of the West". During World War II, Canadian and American military bases were established in Bermuda, which also existed during the Cold War. Since 1995, the military presence in Bermuda has been reduced to a territorial battalion (Eng. Bermuda Regime).

British Indian Ocean Territory - on the island of Diego Garcia there is a large naval and air base leased by the United States until 2016 with the possibility of extending or renegotiating the terms of the agreement until 2036.

Falkland Islands - on the islands there is a British military group (Eng. British forces on the Falklands), which includes the ground forces, aviation and navy.

Gibraltar - there is a British naval base, an air base and shipyards, also used by NATO, as well as a garrison (Eng. Royal Gibraltar Regiment).

The Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases in Cyprus are a strategic British military base in the eastern Mediterranean.

8. Symbols and emblems

Each Overseas Territory has its own flag and coat of arms granted by the British monarch. Traditionally, flags follow the design of the blue stern ensign. blue ensign), with the flag of Great Britain in the roof and the coat of arms of the territory. The exception is:

Bermuda - English merchant flag Red Ensign)

British Antarctic Territory - English naval ensign, eng. white ensign)

British Indian Ocean Territory - a blue stern ensign with wavy lines symbolizing the sea).

Gibraltar - a flag with its own coat of arms (flag of the city of Gibraltar). The coat of arms of Gibraltar is the only one that existed before the arrival of the British colonial administration.

The bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus are the only British overseas territory that does not have its own flag. In them, as well as on Ascension Island, the flag of Great Britain is used.

9. Gallery

Sandy Ground, Anguilla.

Saint George, Bermuda.

View military base in Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

Plateau, Falkland Islands.

Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar.

Volcano Soufrière, Montserrat.

Adamstown, Pitcairn.

Jamestown, Saint Helena.

cumberland bay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos.

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The overseas territories of England - the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the islands of Anguilla and Montserrat in the Caribbean - are part of the Lesser Antilles, many of which were discovered by Christopher Columbus. The world of beaches, picturesque bays and tropical jungles, monuments of colonial architecture, pirate caves and mysterious legends associated with them.

BRITNS OF THE CARIBBEAN

The term "British Overseas Territories" was coined in 2002.

It replaced the obsolete in the XXI century. the concept of "British Dependent Territories", contained in the British Nationality Act 1981. Before that, the same territories were called colonies or crown colonies. Gone to the archive british history the words "dependents" and "colonies". A landmark amendment, although, in fact, it did not introduce anything fundamentally new to the position of the former colonies.

The British Overseas Territories are 14 small regions. Four of them are called the British Antilles. In addition to the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat, this island community also includes the Terke and Caicos Islands of the Bahamas. On portolans (portolans) maps of the 15th century. Antilia is a large, elongated, rectangular island in Atlantic Ocean west of the Iberian Peninsula. An island that never existed... The Portolans did not take into account the curvature of the earth's surface, AND THEY SEEKED THAT Antilia is located somewhere 700 nautical miles from Europe, roughly speaking, "opposite" Portugal, which is hinted at by the name "island" . That is why its imaginary outlines were so similar to the map of Portugal. Antilia first appeared on the Pizzigani map in 1367, next to it there are three more hypothetical islands, the last time - in 1508 on the map of Johannes Ruysch, although the discovery of the New World by Columbus (1492) has already taken place. The same region of the ocean was later named the Caribbean Sea, after the Caribbean Indians. Since Columbus believed that he had arrived in India, this whole area became known as the West Indies, while the islands were generally called the Antilles, although each of them, as well as their archipelago groups, had their own specific name. By the way, Columbus planned to make a stop at Antilia on his way to Asia. In the XVI century. Antilia is gradually disappearing from the maps and the "earth apple" globe. But the term Antilles took root and entrenched. In the concept of the island West Indies, it is customary to include the Antilles (Large and Small) and the Bahamas. The Caribbean Sea washes only the Antilles. So we say "Antilles", we mean - the islands caribbean.

There is one more geographical term which must be kept in mind. when it comes to the British Antilles. They are either leeward or windward. Leeward (partly) are the British Virgin and Cayman Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat windward. This is determined by their location in relation to the vector of the northeast trade wind, although even Brockhaus and Efron noted that "there is no unanimity in this nomenclature." There is none even now. In their geological genesis, the British Antilles differ from each other. The Virgin Islands and their British part (most of which belongs to the United States) are of mixed, shelf, volcanic and coral origin. The Cayman Islands are located at the junction between the North American and Caribbean lithospheric plates, tremors of the earth's crust are often felt here, although, most often, not very strong ones. Anguilla coral island, Montserrat Of Volcanic Origin. Coral reefs and atolls, noticeable and very small, can be found near almost all of the British Antilles.

The British Antilles are part of the Lesser Antilles group and the so-called island arc of the Caribbean. Poets call this chain of islands the "Caribbean necklace", geologists - ledges above the sea surface of the underwater mountain range of the Caribbean lithospheric plate, with the addition of a coral component.

WESTIND STORIES

There are no two identical islands, with all that they have in common, being and developing in the same region. On the example of the British Antilles, this pattern is very clear.

The Virgin Islands were discovered by Columbus in 1493. A chain of low mountainous islands and rocks reminded him of people walking one after another, and he called the archipelago the Islands of Eleven Thousand Virgins (abbreviated as las Virgenes). In the time of Columbus, a Catholic church legend was popular about that. what Saint Ursula and 11,000 virgins with her did in the 4th century. pilgrimage to Rome, and on the way back they were killed by pagans. In the XII century. near Cologne, an abandoned grave was discovered, and on it was the inscription "Ursula and the 11 martyrs." How did 11 martyrs become 11,000? - History is silent about this At the end of the 17th century. these islands pass to England and the USA. the name is reinterpreted as the Virgin Islands, in honor of the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I. The Cayman Islands were also discovered by Columbus, in 1503, during his fourth expedition to the New World, and named after seeing many turtles on the shore. Turtle Islands. The name Cayman Islands, which replaced the Turtle Islands, is again a misunderstanding. Spanish conquistadors, who arrived here in 1523, mistook iguanas for caimans. On the contrary, the name Anguilla accurately reflects specific features of this island: it is narrow, elongated and somewhat sinuous, in its outline it resembles an eel (anguilla). The island of Montserrat was discovered by Columbus in 1493 and named after the monastery of Montserrat in Catalonia. The last period of the history of this island is associated with a great natural disaster. On June 25, 1995, the Soufriere Hills volcano began to erupt. After 300 years of "sleep", he demolished Plymouth, the capital of the island, completely, and two years later, two-thirds of the inhabitants of the island left him. Last eruption Soufrière Hills happened in 2010, it is included in the list of one of the most dangerous volcanoes Earth. But Montserrat remains beautiful" Emerald Isle”, as the Irish called it in memory of their homeland, who settled on it in the 17th-18th centuries.

Historians date traces of the first period of development of the islands around the 1st century BC. BC e. These traces are cave drawings, which are quite numerous in the British Virgin Islands, were left by the Arawak Indians, immigrants from the basin of the South American Orinoco River. In the XV century. the peaceful Arawaks were almost driven out by the warlike Caribs. The Arawaks, and also secretly, the Caribs, the Siboneans, were what Columbus called the original inhabitants of these islands. The history of the conquest, which began in the 16th century, touched almost all the islands now called the British Antilles. The conquistadors, obsessed with the search for gold, treated the Indians as just an annoying hindrance in this. By the end of the XVI century. the indigenous Indian population of the islands was practically exterminated. The Indians were replaced by pirates who found safe havens in the bays and caves of the islands. Economic development, which is also the colonization of the islands, begins in the second half of the 17th century. The role of Spain in the development of the Lesser Antilles is declining, and the Spaniards here are replaced by rival colonists from France and Britain, they bring black African slaves to the islands. History has firmly linked the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat with Great Britain since the 18th century.

Today's fame of the British Antilles is associated primarily with their resorts. It brings a tangible material result, about 90% of the income of the islands comes from tourism, with the exception of Montserrat (in the state in which it is now). white sand beaches, yachting, windsurfing, cricket, golf, carnivals - the holiday of life on these islands is guaranteed. Plus political stability, English charm and romantic flair of pirate legends.

CURIOUS FACTS

■ The Cayman Trench between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica is the deepest part of the Caribbean Sea ( maximum depth- 6.4 km).

■ The third largest island in the British Virgin Islands, Virgin Gorda, was the base of "Black Sam" Ballamy, one of the Caribbean's most famous pirates in the early 18th century. He took Negroes into his gang, which in the era of slavery was considered a great eccentricity. In 1982, the sunken gallion of Black Sam was raised from the bottom of Cape Cod. On it, according to rumors, 4.5 tons of treasures were found.

■ Proper English etiquette is maintained in the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands. In beachwear, being somewhere other than the beach is absolutely unacceptable, although in shorts and a shirt with short sleeves, but strictly classic, nothing is possible. For profanity in a public place, you can get such a fine that you will generally be speechless. In the evening, ladies must appear in restaurants only in evening dresses. Men, due to the climate, are not required to wear a tuxedo and tie, but a light suit and a snow-white shirt, albeit with an unbuttoned collar, are a must.

■ The legends of Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands say that it was he who was the prototype of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.

ATTRACTIONS

■ Anguilla: Valley - Wallblake House (1787). former planter's house in the form of a ship, now Catholic Church, Marjorie Hodge Manor, marine park StoneyTround;
■ Montserrat: Soufriere Hills volcano.

■ BVI, Fr. Tortola, Road Town: Fort Recovery 1640), Fort George (XVII century), Fort Burt (built by filibusters in the middle of the XVII century, by 1776 rebuilt by the British, rebuilt in 1874 again, to prison), Post Office (XVIII century), Anglican Church St. Philips (1840). the building of the old Governor's residence Old Government House (Public Museum). People's Museum; near Road Town - ruins of Fort Dungeon (1794) at Poquewood Pound Zion Hill Chapel (1834) at Saupers Hole, Hopt Shoe Shell Museum in Carrot Bay (collection of sea shells, fishing boats and tackle, the historic sloop Vigilent (XVIII century), Mount Halti National Park with the ruins of a sugar plantation and windmill(XVIII century), Ssij Mautin National Park (forest of mahogany, white cedars and kapk trees), ecological reserve Shark Bay,

■ Cayman Islands: Grand Cayman - in Georgetown: 18th century colonial architecture, National Museum Cayman Islands, its building is more than 150 years old, in the past it has been a court, a prison, a ballroom and a temple. Maritime Museum treasures. National Gallery, Pirate's Caves near Bodden Township; in the eastern part of the island Botanical Garden Elizabeth II; Little Cayman - hiking trail Mastic Trail, Cayman Brac - Christopher Columbus Park with Pirate Caves, Parrot National Park.

Atlas. The whole world is in your hands #138

British Overseas Territories of Spain, British Overseas Territories of France
(Eng. British overseas territories) - fourteen territories under the sovereignty of Great Britain, but not part of it.

The name "British Overseas Territories" was introduced in 2002 by the British Overseas Territories Act and replaced the term " British dependencies”(Eng. British-Dependent Territories), contained in the British Nationality Act 1981. Prior to this, the territories were called colonies or crown colonies. in relation to the British Overseas Territories, the name " British Overseas Territories", or simply " Overseas Territories", when the ownership is clear from the context.

The Isles of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are also under the sovereignty of the British Crown, but have somewhat different constitutional relations with Great Britain, and are consistently classified as Crown dependencies rather than overseas territories. Overseas territories and crown lands should be distinguished from the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary union of former British colonies, and more recently, some other countries, such as Mozambique, which joined the Commonwealth for financial and political reasons.

In a historical context, the colonies that were part of Great Britain should be distinguished from the protectorates, which, while under British control, nominally retained their independence. They should also not be confused with dominions, independent states that had equal status with Great Britain in the British Empire and, after the 1931 Statute of Westminster, in the British Commonwealth of Nations. Crown colonies, such as Hong Kong, differed from other colonies in that they were governed directly by the Crown and did not have the autonomy that was in self-governing colonies, such as Bermuda.

The total population of the territories is about 230 thousand people (permanent population), the area is 18,131 km². In addition, the UK claims a portion of the Antarctic Territory (British Antarctic Territory) with an area of ​​0. Expression error: unexpected number 1,709,400 km², but, according to the Antarctic Treaty, signed and ratified by Great Britain, territorial claims in this region are frozen.

• 1. History
• 2 List of territories
• 3 Management
  • 3.1 Head of territory
  • 3.2 Administration
  • 3.3 Legislative system
• 4 Relations with the UK
• 5 Foreign relations
• 6 Citizenship
• 7 Armed Forces
• 8 Symbols and emblems
• 9 Gallery
• 10 See also

Story

The first British colonies in the New World were settlements of British subjects in lands hitherto outside the domain of the British Crown. The first such colony was Newfoundland, where British fishermen founded seasonal settlements in the 16th century.

In 1607, the settlement of Jamestown appeared, the first permanent colony in Virginia (a term used for all of North America). 1609 in Bermuda shipwrecked a second colony was founded by settlers, which, after the loss of the American colonies in 1783, became the oldest existing British colony (the English colonies became known as British in 1707, after the union of England and Scotland and the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain).

The final list of territories that received crown colony status:

• Trinidad and Tobago - in 1797
• Dominica - in 1805
• Saint Lucia - in 1814

The growth of the British Empire in the 19th century, which peaked in the 1920s, resulted in Great Britain annexing over a quarter of the land, including territories in Asia and Africa that had significant local populations and were held not for colonization, but for commercial or strategic reasons. . At the end of the 19th century, the large settlement colonies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa became self-governing and independent in all matters except foreign policy, defense and trade. The scattered self-governing colonies united to form federations: Canada in 1867 and the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. These and other large self-governing colonies were called dominions in the 1920s and gained full independence by the 1931 Statute of Westminster. The Empire was renamed the British Commonwealth, which became known as the Commonwealth of Nations in 1949. Most of the British colonies in Africa, Asia and the West Indies gained independence. Some former colonies became Commonwealth realms, retaining the British monarch as head of state, others became republics but recognized Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth.

City of Saint George in Bermuda. The colony was founded in 1609 by shipwrecked settlers from the flagship of the Virginia Company. In 1612, the privilege of the company was extended to Bermuda, and since that time they have been an English (since 1707 - British) colony. After Virginia's independence, it is the oldest British colony, and the city of St. George is the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the New World.

In the 1980s, Britain lost its last mainland colonies - Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in Africa in 1980, and British Honduras (now Belize) in Central America in 1981. The last major colony was Hong Kong, which had a population of over 5 million people. unlike other territories, Hong Kong from an administrative point of view consisted of two parts:

• Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula were permanently annexed by Britain through the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Peking in 1860.
• The territory of mainland China, the so-called New Territories, was leased by Britain for 99 years, starting in 1898, to accommodate the growing population of Hong Kong.

As 1997 approached, the UK and the PRC signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration establishing all of Hong Kong as a "special administrative region" of the PRC in 1997, under numerous conditions that were to ensure that Hong Kong's capitalist economy and the way of life developed during the British dominion for at least 50 years after its transfer.

The transfer of all of Hong Kong was dictated by the fact that its infrastructure was largely connected with the province of Guangdong, and the British territories proper could not exist without Chinese supplies.

After the return of Hong Kong to China, the remaining British colonial possessions were mostly small island territories with a negligible population, as well as the uninhabited British Antarctic Territory. These territories did not gain independence for various reasons, in particular:

• Lack of local support for independence.
• A small population that makes it problematic for the territory to function as an independent state.
• Dependence on economic assistance from the UK.
• The need for a British military presence to protect against neighboring states.
• Lack of economic and political prerequisites for independence.
• Some territories are not inhabited and are used for scientific or military purposes.

In 2002, the British Parliament passed the British Overseas Territories Act. He changed the name "dependent territories" to "overseas territories" and restored full British citizenship for their inhabitants (with the exception of the territory of military bases in Cyprus).

Currently, British Overseas Territories exist in all regions of the world - in the Caribbean (North America), the Falkland Islands (South America), Saint Helena in Africa, Pitcairn in Oceania, Gibraltar in Europe, Asia and the South Sandwich Islands in Antarctica.

List of territories

Control

Head of Territory

The head of the Overseas Territories is the British monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II) as head of the UK, and not under the laws of individual territories. each territory, the queen appoints her representatives to exercise executive power. In territories with a permanent population, on the recommendation of the British government, the Queen appoints a governor, usually a senior retired officer, or a civil servant. territories without a permanent population usually appoint a commissioner. overseas territories with dependent possessions, the governor may appoint an administrator to represent him in the dependent territory.

The governor is the de facto head of the territory. He is usually responsible for appointing the head of government and other civil servants. The Governor is also responsible for liaison with the UK government and has representational functions. The commissioner has the same powers as the governor, but also performs the functions of the head of government.

Administration

All Overseas Territories have their own governmental system and local laws. Their structure correlates with the size and political development of the colony.

Legislative system

Each Overseas Territory has its own legislation, independent of UK law. The legislative system is generally based on English common law, with some local differences. Each territory has its own attorney general and judiciary. In smaller areas, the UK appoints a judge or a lawyer who deals with court cases.

Such a system is especially important in cases involving serious crimes and where it is impossible to find an unbiased jury, for example, on sparsely populated islands. An example of UK intervention in a specific trial is the 2004 Pitcairn Island rape investigation.

Relations with Great Britain

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for overseeing the interests of all Overseas Territories, except for bases in Cyprus, which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence. The Department of Overseas Territories is headed by the Minister for Overseas Territories, currently the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Meg Mann.

• self-determination
• UK and Territories Responsibility
• Democratic autonomy
• Providing help and support

The governments of the Overseas Territories with indigenous populations (except Bermuda) have their offices in London. The territories are also represented by the London-based United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA).

Financial assistance is provided through the Department of International Development. currently only Montserrat and Saint Helena receive budgetary assistance. In addition, there are several special funds, for example:

• The Good Government Fund, for the development of government administration
• The Economic Diversification Program Budget, which aims to diversify the economy of the territories

Foreign relations

Foreign affairs of the Overseas Territories are handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In addition, some territories have diplomatic representatives in neighboring countries who deal with immigration foreign economic issues. A number of Caribbean territories are members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community. None of the overseas territories is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, although they take part in the Commonwealth Games.

Gibraltar is the only overseas territory that is part of the European Union, but it is not an independent member and is not part of a customs union. The rest of the overseas territories are not members of the European Union and most EU laws do not apply to them. Certain parts of EU law apply to them as members of the Association of Overseas Countries and Territories (eng. OCT Association), but in practice they are rarely applied by local courts. On the same basis, Structural Funds are provided to the Overseas Territories for rehabilitation projects.

Since the return of full British citizenship to most residents of the Overseas Territories (mainly by virtue of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002), subjects of these territories have parallel EU citizenship, giving them the right to move freely within the territory of all EU member states.

Several states have territorial claims against Great Britain, affecting the following overseas territories:

• British Antarctic Territory - not recognized by the international community (see Antarctic Treaty), in addition, part of the territory is disputed by Chile and Argentina.
• British Indian Ocean Territory - claimed by Mauritius and the Seychelles
• Falkland Islands - disputed by Argentina
• Gibraltar - claimed by Spain
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - disputed by Argentina
• Military bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia - disputed by Cyprus

Citizenship

None of the Overseas Territories has its own citizenship, and all citizens are classified as British Overseas Territories citizens (BOTC). However, the territories are self-governing in matters of migration, so obtaining BOTC status does not automatically give the right to stay in other territories, as this depends on the migration laws of a particular territory. An Overseas Territory may grant Belonger status, which gives the right to reside. Persons who do not have British Overseas Territories citizenship may acquire this status for the purpose of residing in a particular territory, and thereafter, if desired, undergo naturalization and acquire citizenship.

Historically, the majority of the inhabitants of the former British Empire had British citizenship, which, as a rule, was lost after the territory gained independence. Since 1949, British subjects in Great Britain and the remaining crown colonies have been called citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. However, changes made to the Citizenship and Immigration Act between 1962 and 1983 led to the creation in January 1983 of a separate British Dependent Territories citizenship, and thus the majority of the population of the Overseas Territories was deprived of full British citizenship. This was done mainly to prevent mass immigration of Hong Kong residents to the UK ahead of its handover to the PRC in 1997. An exception was made for the Falkland Islands, which had been attacked by Argentina the year before. Due to disagreements with Spain, full British citizenship was soon returned to the people of Gibraltar.

In 2002, the British Overseas Territories Act replaced British Dependent Territories citizenship with British Overseas Territories citizenship and restored full British citizenship to all its holders, with the exception of the population of military bases in Cyprus. Thanks to this, the inhabitants of the territories again received the right to live in the UK.

At the same time, British citizens do not have an automatic right to settle in any of the Overseas Territories. some of them are prohibited from immigration and all arrivals must obtain a residence permit from the territorial government. Visits to Ascension Island and the British Indian Ocean Territory are not permitted (except for official visits) as these territories are used as military bases.

Armed forces

The United Kingdom is responsible for the defense of the Overseas Territories. Many Overseas Territories are military bases of Great Britain and its allies.

• Ascension Island (administratively Saint Helena) is an RAF and RAF base formerly known as RAF Ascension Island.
• Bermuda - after the declaration of independence, the United States became the main base of the British Navy in the Western Hemisphere. The islands have an admiralty, shipyards and a squadron. A significant military garrison was established to protect them, and Bermuda was viewed by the British government not as a colony, but as a military base - the "Gibraltar of the West". During World War II, Canadian and American military bases were established in Bermuda, which also existed during the Cold War. Since 1995, the military presence in Bermuda has been reduced to a territorial battalion (Eng. Bermuda Regiment).
• British Indian Ocean Territory - on the island of Diego Garcia there is a large naval and air base leased by the United States until 2016 with the possibility of extending or renegotiating the terms of the agreement until 2036.
• Falkland Islands - on the islands there is a British military group (eng. British forces on the Falklands), including ground forces, aviation and navy.
• Gibraltar - there is a base of the British Navy, an air base and shipyards, also used by NATO, as well as a garrison (Eng. Royal Gibraltar Regiment).
• The Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases in Cyprus are a strategic British military base in the eastern Mediterranean.

Symbols and emblems

Each Overseas Territory has its own flag and coat of arms granted by the British monarch. Traditionally, the flags follow the design of the Blue Ensign, with the flag of Great Britain in the roof and the coat of arms of the territory.

The exception is:

• Bermuda - English Merchant Ensign (English Red Ensign)
• British Antarctic Territory - English naval ensign, (English White Ensign)
• British Indian Ocean Territory - blue stern ensign with wavy lines to represent the sea.
• Gibraltar - a flag with its own coat of arms (flag of the city of Gibraltar). The coat of arms of Gibraltar is the only one that existed before the arrival of the British colonial administration.

The bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus are the only British overseas territory that does not have its own flag. them, as well as on Ascension Island, the flag of Great Britain is used.

Gallery

Sandy Ground, Anguilla.

Saint George, Bermuda.

View of the military base on Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

Plateau, Falkland Islands.

Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar.

Volcano Soufrière, Montserrat.

Adamstown, Pitcairn.

Jamestown, Saint Helena.

Cumberland Bay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos.

see also

• Dominion
• British Isles (terminology)
• British colonies and dependencies
• crown lands
• Commonwealth realms
• Commonwealth of Nations
• List of dependent territories

British Overseas Territories of Spain, British Overseas Territories of France

British Overseas Territories Information About

The official name of Great Britain sounds proud: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In addition to old England, special territories are included in the Kingdom called overseas: Cayman, Malvinas, Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Antilla, Montserrat, Gibraltar, etc. The Channel Islands and separately standing island Men who are not part of the Kingdom and are not members of the European Union. They have the status of a special, "crown" territory. In addition, there are a number of countries (Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, the Solomon Islands, New Zealand and others) that consider the current queen to be their legitimate monarch. They are called Commonwealth countries.

So, how to visit countries with a special status?

Some features of obtaining an entry document to the "crown" territories

If for a tourist the main purpose of the trip is to visit one of the Channel Islands (Jersey or Guernsey) or the Isle of Man, then the British Consulate must obtain a visa to enter their territory. It is not difficult to do this.

First, you need to prepare the same list of documents as for, but without biometric data. It is not necessary to go through this specific procedure in this case.

Secondly, be patient, because the submitted documents are first considered by the visa officer of the British Consulate, and then transferred to the hands of the representation of the islands, and this takes some time. Thus, the consideration period may double, so it is recommended to prepare and submit a package of documents in advance, preferably three months before the planned date of the trip.

In the event that the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands are included in an additional sightseeing tour while in the UK, then if you have an English visa, you can safely go on a trip. As such, England has no borders with the islands, and all existing flights there are considered internal, but at the border point they may be asked about the purpose of the visit to the "crown" islands. If the visitor proves that the main purpose of his trip is to visit the UK (it is desirable to provide tickets, hotel reservations or other supporting documents), then there should be no problems with entering the territory of the "crown" islands.

If the islands are an intermediate point in the journey, then it is worth issuing a special transit visa.

Features of obtaining a visa to countries that are part of the Commonwealth or overseas territories of the Kingdom

The procedure for issuing and obtaining a visa to any of these countries is similar to that in the case of issuing an entry document to the "crown islands". As a rule, consideration and study of all submitted documents takes place directly by the authorities of the country that is planned to be visited. The term for making a decision can be up to 3 months from the date of submission of documents to the consulate, however, the UK does not bear any responsibility and does not guarantee that a visa will be received on time. In addition, migrants who previously did not have a British visa will have to submit the entire package of documents with copies to the consulate in person. It is worth noting that all certificates included in the package of required documents (a standard list of papers on the basis of the reliability of which a visa to the UK is issued) have legal weight for one month prior to the date of application.

As in the case of visiting the "crown" islands, in order to obtain a visa to one of the countries that are part of the Commonwealth or overseas territories, it is not necessary to undergo biometrics. Before visiting the British Consulate, you will need to book a time and exact date.

There is also good news for travel lovers. To a number of Commonwealth countries and overseas territories, a visa for Russian citizens(for a certain period of stay) is not needed. For example, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis can be visited freely, at the time of arrival in the country. Visas to Granada and Montserrat can be obtained with a letter and 40-50 dollars.

Therefore, when traveling to one of the countries that are members of the Commonwealth, overseas territories or to the "crown" islands, you need to contact professionals who assist in obtaining visas and have full information about the current visa regime for each of these countries.