An overseas territory is a territory belonging by settlement, conquest or annexation to the British, Australian or New Zealand Crown.

There are 14 British overseas territories, which are: British Indian Ocean Territory, Gibraltar, Bermuda, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory, St Helena and its dependencies (Ascension and Tristan da Cunha), Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Anguilla, the Pitcairn Group of Islands, and the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus.

There are seven Australian external territories, two New Zealand dependent territories and two New Zealand associated states.

Hong Kong, a former overseas territory held by Britain on a long lease, was handed back to China on 1 July 1997, in a ceremony attended by The Prince of Wales.

In British overseas territories, The Queen is represented by Governors, or in some cases by Commissioners, Administrators or Residents, who are responsible to the British Government for the government of the countries concerned.

The United Kingdom is responsible for the security of the overseas territories and for their foreign affairs and defence-related matters. Most overseas territories have their own elected government.