<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions directly overseen by the United States (U.S.) federal government . Unlike U.S. states and Indian tribes that have sovereignty alongside the federal government, only one territory has sovereignty . The territories are classified by whether they are "incorporated" (i.e., part of the U.S. proper) and whether they have an "organized" government through an Organic Act passed by the U.S. Congress . </P> <P> The U.S. has sixteen territories in the Caribbean Sea, the south Pacific Ocean, and the western portion of the north Pacific Ocean . Five of them are permanently inhabited and are classified as unincorporated territories . The other eleven are small islands, atolls, and reefs with no native or permanent population . Of those eleven, only one is classified as an incorporated territory . </P> <P> Historically, territories were created to govern newly acquired land while the borders of the U.S. were still evolving . Most territories eventually attained statehood . Other territories administered by the U.S. eventually became independent countries, such as the Philippines, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau . Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau gained independence under the Compact of Free Association (COFA), which gives the U.S. full authority over aid and defense in exchange for continuing access to U.S. health care, government services such as the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Postal Service, and the right for COFA citizens to work freely in the U.S. and vice versa . </P>

Where are the territories of the united states