Overseas Territories Trivia Quiz

Answer: New Zealand

Tokelau is a group of three small islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They were a British territory from 1889 to 1925. It has also been known as Union Islands and was part of the Gilbert and Ellice colony for a few years. The population is around 1,445. Most people emigrate to New Zealand, due to lack of employment.

They speak Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), Samoan and English. Scientist say these islands will dissappear in the 21st century, due to global warming raising the sea levels.

Answer: France

Reunion is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. It has been a French territory since 1946. There is a military base on that island, which is very important to France due to its strategic location. The economy relies mostly on tourism, since it is a hiker's paradise.

The population is around 600,000. There's also an active volcano called Piton de la Fournaise which erupted on January 5th, 2002. The official language is of course French and French Creole is widely spoken, as it is in most of France's overseas territories.

Answer: Netherlands

Aruba is located in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela. It has been a Dutch territory since 1636, but became an autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986. The population is around 70,000. Aruba is mostly known for its beautiful beaches, which makes tourism the main source of economy. It is also an important transit point for narcotics bound to the USA and Europe.

Answer: Australia

The Coral Sea Islands are located in the Coral Sea/Oceania, northeast of Australia. It has been an Australian territory since 1969 and it is completely uninhabited, except for five persons who are part of the staff at a meteorological station on Willis island.

Answer: UK

Montserrat is located in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico. Has been a UK territory since 1960. Most famous for its volcano, Soufriere, had a huge and destructive eruption on July 18th, 1995 that caused half the population to leave the island. Before that, the island used to be a popular tourist destination.

The population is around 4,500 (it used to be 11,000 until 1995). The capital, Plymouth, has been abandoned and the only safe place in the island is the northern part. The official language is English.

Answer: USA

Puerto Rico is also located in the Caribbean Sea, east of Hispaniola. It has been a US territory since 1898. Before that, it was a Spanish colony since the 1400s, so it is a nice mix of American and Spanish culture. The population is four million. The official languages are Spanish and English. It is home to several US military bases.

Answer: UK

Bermuda consists of a group of 360 small coral islands located in the Atlantic Ocean, east of North Carolina, USA. It has been a UK colony since 1620, which makes it the older UK overseas territory. The population around 63,500 and the official language is English. Portuguese is also widely spoken. Famous for the nearby Bermuda Triangle. Also it is a popular tourist destination.

Answer: Norway

Svalbard (aka Spitzbergen) is a group of nine islands located between the Arctic Ocean and Barents Sea, to the north of Norway. It has been administered by Norway since 1920. The population is around 2,300. There are no official languages, but Norwegian and Russian are widely spoken. Known for its numerous glaciers, it's also the focus of tension between Norway and Russia, due to maritime boundaries.

Answer: Denmark

Greenland is located between the Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean, northeast of Canada. It's been a Danish territory since 1953 but accquired self-government in 1978. The economy relies mostly on fish exports. There are no official languages here either, but Danish, Greenlandic and Eskimo dialects are widely spoken.

The population is around 56,300, most of them living in the southern coast of the island as most of the northern part is covered in ice.

Answer: UK

Gibraltar borders on the Strait of Gibraltar, to the south of Spain. It has been a UK territory since 1830 and it is a source of friction between Spain and UK. The population is of 27,600 and the official language is English, although Spanish is widely spoken. The economy relies mostly on banking. Hope you enjoyed the quiz and thanks for playing!