The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) are fourteen territories that maintain a constitutional or historically recognised connection with the United Kingdom (UK) and constitute part of its sovereign territory, yet lie outside the British Islands. These territories are remnants of the former British Empire which remained under British sovereignty following decolonisation, albeit with varying constitutional statuses.
The permanently inhabited territories exercise varying degrees of internal self-governance, although the UK retains ultimate constitutional oversight, and authority over defence, foreign relations and internal security. While three of the territories are inhabited primarily by military or scientific personnel, the remainder host substantial civilian populations. All fourteen territories recognise the British monarch as head of state and oversight is primarily exercised by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The total land area of all the BOTs make up 18,015 km (6,956 sq mi), roughly the size of Fiji, which was itself a former British colony.
