The United States currently possesses 16 territories, although only five of them are permanently inhabited by civilians. The five major inhabited territories are Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The remaining 11 are largely uninhabited islands, atolls, and reefs primarily used for scientific research, military purposes, or as wildlife refuges. These include Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island. Additionally, there are two territories often debated in terms of status: Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank, which are administered by Colombia but claimed by the U.S. In 2026, these territories play a vital role in U.S. maritime strategy and environmental conservation. While people born in most of these territories are U.S. citizens (with American Samoa being the exception, where they are "U.S. Nationals"), they do not have voting representation in Congress or the right to vote in presidential elections, a unique political status that remains a topic of ongoing discussion in American law.