Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The United States has **five permanently inhabited, unincorporated territories**—all islands or archipelagos in the Pacific and Caribbean. Each has a unique political status, culture, and relationship to the US.
| Territory | Location | Population (2023 est.) | Status | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | Central Pacific | 1.44M | State (since 1959) | 8 main islands; only state in tropics; tourism, military, agriculture. |
| Puerto Rico | Caribbean (Greater Antilles) | 3.2M | Commonwealth (Estado Libre Asociado) | US citizens; no presidential vote; own tax system; status debated. |
| Guam | Western Pacific (Mariana Islands) | 170k | Organized, unincorporated territory | Strategic US bases (Andersen AFB, Naval Base); Chamorro culture; tourism. |
| US Virgin Islands | Caribbean (Leeward Islands) | 87k | Organized, unincorporated territory | St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix; tourism, rum; purchased from Denmark 1917. |
| American Samoa | South Pacific (Samoa Islands) | 45k | Unorganized, unincorporated territory | **US nationals, not citizens** (unless naturalized); fa'a Samoa (traditional governance); tuna canning. |
The **Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)** is a commonwealth in political union with the US (pop. ~47k, capital Saipan). Often grouped with the five above, making **six** populated insular areas. The prompt listed five; CNMI is the sixth.