Visiting the U.S. Territories | Historical Information |
How they came to be US Territories

Is you may already know, the United States has interest and assets in other places across the globe other then the United States. Here is a brief look at the U.S. Territories and how they came to be in our hands. I have also included websites you may visit if you would like to travel to any of these places. Enjoy!

Planning a visit to the American Samoa  American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the US. American Samoa is the Eastern part of Samoa. while the Western part of Samoa is of its own since 1962 and today is called simply Samoa. However the American Samoa has argued this name as it may undermined the culture ties they have to Samoa. Find out more about a visit to American Samoa 

Guam is the western most US soil in the Pacific and a strategic outpost for the US Military since World War II. Also Guam is among the unincorporated territories for the US.

Northern Mariana Islands consists of the 3 main islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota. However Guam is also part of the Mariana Islands. During World War II, America and Japan fought fiercely on the Marianas. At the end of the war the islands were handed over to the UN as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. In 1975 Northern Marians chose to become a part of the American political family. there are 14 islands stretching across 400 miles in the western Pacific Ocean. Marianas Trench is the deepest known ocean in the world at 35,810 feet.

Puerto Rico In 1889 during the Spanish American War, the US was asked to help remove the Spanish from Puerto Rico. With success and the signing of the treaty, Puerto Rico ceded to the United States. 1890 Puerto Rico was the first unincorporated territory for the US. President Roosevelt was the first president to make an official visit outside of the US. He went to Puerto Rico and Panama.

Swains Islands the northernmost island of the American Samoa and the 6th most populated of the same. The islanders raise coconuts, bananas, taro, breadfruit and papaya. the islands is considered an atoll, which is a ringlike coral island and reef that nearly or entirely encloses a lagoon. there is an interesting history of the island in that an American from MA claimed he discovered the island and called it Swains (after himself) At the same time a British captain sold the island to an American named, Jennings. He and his Samoan wife moved there and planted an American Flag. the Toklauan government which is part of New Zealand, would like to claim rights to the island and has threatened to do so as late as the 1990's. To visit the Swains Island, since it is privately owned, requires permission from the Jennings Family.

US Virgin Islands - Well after being on this website you should know quite a bit about the United States Virgin Islands. We have brief history and little known facts relating to the islands of St. Thomas, St Croix and St John.

These are the U.S. Territories. Traveling to them directly from the US only requires a governmental legal document such as your drivers license. You do not need to present a passport. HOWEVER, It has been advised in the past and still today, to bring a passport anyway.

US Passport Information