From day one the United States has included both states and territories, with the territories treated differently. In 1940, when the Philippines was a U.S. possession, 19 million U.S. nationals ...

The United States currently occupies over 14 territories and commonwealths, five of which are permanently inhabited - Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S ...

While most of these commonwealth countries are independent from the United Kingdom today, King Charles still serves as head of state in the Commonwealth of Nations, which includes some 56 states ...