unincorporated territory

An unincorporated territory is a region or area that is under the jurisdiction of a country but does not have the same level of self-governance or status as a state or full province. In the United States, for example, unincorporated territories are areas like Puerto Rico or Guam, which are governed by federal law but do not have all the rights and privileges of U.S. states. Residents may have U.S. citizenship but lack voting representation in Congress, and local laws can be determined by agreements with the federal government.