Overseas Territories in World Affairs

This book provides an updated analysis of political developments in a sample of overseas territories of France, the United States, China, Denmark, the Netherlands, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain and New Zealand. Ranging from Guam, Diego Garcia or New Caledonia/Kanaky to Greenland/Kalaallit Nunaat, Sakhalin, Kuril or Puerto Rico and other territories located all over the globe, these subnational island jurisdictions deserve attention because they lie at the intersection of many evolving issues such as decolonisation, self-determination, post-colonialism, globalisation, climate change, patterns of innovative governance. Moreover, they offer occasional “hotspots” for analysing international rivalries, conflicts related to illegal migration, disputes pertaining to the delimitation of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and clashes between mainlands and islands. In addition, they provide fascinating case-studies to grasp the interplay of subnational, national and international politics, particularly in the age of the strategic shift towards the Indo-Pacific. Fred Constant reveals the extent to which these invisible dots on the map may matter in contemporary world affairs.