The 11 Trust Territories were territories placed under the United Nations Trusteeship System after World War II, with the goal of guiding them toward self-governance or independence. These territories were primarily former mandates of the League of Nations or lands detached from nations defeated in the war.
Understanding the UN Trusteeship System
Following the dissolution of the League of Nations, the United Nations established the International Trusteeship System to supervise the administration of these territories and promote their advancement toward independence or self-government. This system replaced the League's mandate system, aiming for a more direct and internationally supervised path to decolonization. The United Nations Trusteeship Council played a crucial role in overseeing the administration of these territories by various member states.
The Eleven Trust Territories
Here is a comprehensive list of the 11 Trust Territories, their administering authorities, and their eventual outcomes:
| Trust Territory | Administering Authority | Current Status / Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Cameroons under British administration | United Kingdom | Parts joined Nigeria, while other parts joined Cameroon in 1961. |
| Cameroons under French administration | France | Gained independence as Cameroon in 1960. |
| Nauru | Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom (jointly) | Became an independent republic in 1968. |
| New Guinea | Australia | United with Papua to form Papua New Guinea, achieving independence in 1975. |
| Ruanda-Urundi | Belgium | Gained independence as two separate nations, Rwanda and Burundi, in 1962. |
| Somaliland under Italian administration | Italy (under UN trusteeship) | United with British Somaliland to form Somalia in 1960. |
| Tanganyika | United Kingdom | Gained independence in 1961 and later united with Zanzibar to form Tanzania in 1964. |
| Togoland under British administration | United Kingdom | Voted to join the Gold Coast, which became independent as Ghana in 1957. |
| Togoland under French administration | France | Achieved independence as Togo in 1960. |
| Western Samoa | New Zealand | Became the first Pacific island nation to gain independence in 1962, now known simply as Samoa. |
| Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands | United States | This vast territory eventually gave rise to four distinct political entities: - Federated States of Micronesia (independent in 1986) - Republic of the Marshall Islands (independent in 1986) - Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (became a U.S. commonwealth in 1986) - Republic of Palau (independent in 1994) |
The last Trust Territory to achieve self-governance was the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands with the independence of Palau in 1994, marking the successful completion of the Trusteeship System. For more information, refer to the United Nations on Decolonization.
