federal territories
Centrally governed regions
Federal territories are regions under the direct control of a national government rather than a state, province, or other subnational unit.
They typically lack the full self-governance of states: Puerto Rico and Guam are federal territories of the United States.
Some territories eventually become states; others remain in territorial status indefinitely.
The term also applies to capital districts like Washington, D.C., which exist outside any state's jurisdiction.
- direct ruleGovernance without intermediaries
- capitalWealth used for investment
- constitutional provisionsLaws within a founding document
- special statusPrivileged position or recognition
- administrative districtsGoverned territorial units
borderlands · buffer zone · no man's land · independence movements · economic centers · legislative acts · centralized authority · Washington D.C. · national capital · seat of government · cultural landmarks · self-governance · military installations · transportation networks · monument · courthouse · regional divisions · embassy
federal territoriesstates
Modes of being
provinces · member states · sovereign states · cantons · republics
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