US Territories — Geography and Status Worksheet
Analyzes the five major US territories: their locations, capitals, acquisition history, and how territorial status differs from statehood. For Grade 8.
20 questions · Matching · Multiple choice · Fill in the blank · Short answer · Analysis
The five major US territories — Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands — are home to more than four million people who live under US jurisdiction outside the fifty states. This worksheet guides Grade 8 students through the geography, acquisition history, and legal status of each territory, demanding the analytical thinking the C3 Framework expects at this level. Students will distinguish between incorporated and unincorporated territories, compare citizenship rights across territories, and trace how the United States expanded its presence into the Caribbean and Pacific. Use this sheet as a capstone activity after direct instruction on US expansion, the Spanish-American War, and the structure of territorial governance.
US Territories — Geography and Status Worksheet — Grade 8
Complete each section carefully, using what you have studied about US territories and the academic vocabulary of geography and civics.
Remember
- A US territory is a region under federal jurisdiction that is not a state and lacks full voting representation in Congress.
- Unincorporated territories receive only fundamental constitutional rights; the full Constitution does not apply automatically.
- Residents of territories who are US citizens may not vote in presidential elections unless they establish residency in a state.
Part A — Match each territory to its capital city
Write the letter of the matching capital city next to each territory in the left column.
Choose from
- A. Pago Pago
- B. Charlotte Amalie
- C. San Juan
- D. Hagatna
- 1.
Puerto Rico
- 2.
American Samoa
- 3.
US Virgin Islands
- 4.
Guam
Part B — Choose the best answer for each question
Circle the letter of the best answer for each question.
- 5.
Which treaty transferred Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States in 1898?
- A.Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
- B.Treaty of Paris
- C.Adams-Onis Treaty
- D.Treaty of Versailles
- 6.
From which nation did the United States purchase the Virgin Islands in 1917?
- A.France
- B.Spain
- C.Great Britain
- D.Denmark
- 7.
Residents of which territory hold the status of US nationals rather than US citizens?
- A.Puerto Rico
- B.Guam
- C.American Samoa
- D.Northern Mariana Islands
- 8.
Which of the following best explains why territory residents cannot vote in presidential elections?
- A.The Constitution ties the Electoral College to states, which territories are not.
- B.Congress has passed laws barring territory residents from all federal elections.
- C.Territory residents are not US citizens and therefore lack voting rights entirely.
- D.Federal law requires a minimum population threshold that no territory has reached.
- 9.
Which territory is unorganized, meaning Congress has not enacted an Organic Act to establish its civilian government?
- A.Guam
- B.Puerto Rico
- C.American Samoa
- D.Northern Mariana Islands
- 10.
What was the primary strategic reason the United States sought control of Guam after the Spanish-American War?
- A.Its large population provided labor for US Pacific trade operations.
- B.Its location in the western Pacific made it a valuable naval base.
- C.It held significant gold deposits discovered during the 1890s.
- D.Its natural harbor was the largest commercial port in the Pacific.
Part C — Fill in the blank to complete each statement
Write the correct term in each blank to complete the statement accurately.
- 11.
Puerto Rico and Guam both became US territories in ____ after Spain ceded them through the Treaty of Paris.
- 12.
The United States acquired the Virgin Islands from Denmark for ____ million dollars, completing the transfer on March 31, 1917.
- 13.
American Samoa residents are classified as US ____ rather than citizens, unlike residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.
- 14.
An unincorporated territory is one where Congress has determined that not all provisions of the US ____ apply automatically.
- 15.
Residents of US territories do not vote in presidential elections because territories are not represented in the ____.
- 16.
The Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are both located in the western ____ Ocean, making them strategically important military outposts.
Part D — Write two to three sentences to answer each question
Answer each question in two to three complete sentences, using the academic vocabulary of civics and geography.
- 17.
Explain the difference between an incorporated and an unincorporated territory, and describe why this distinction matters for residents.
- 18.
Compare American Samoa residents' citizenship status to that of Puerto Rico residents, and explain how this difference shapes their rights.
- 19.
Explain one reason why Congress has not granted statehood to Puerto Rico despite several referendums in which voters approved statehood.
- 20.
Analyze how US control of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands has shaped American military strategy in the Pacific since World War II.
Answer key
Part A — Match each territory to its capital city
- 1.San Juan
- 2.Pago Pago
- 3.Charlotte Amalie
- 4.Hagatna
Part B — Choose the best answer for each question
- 5.Treaty of Paris
- 6.Denmark
- 7.American Samoa
- 8.The Constitution ties the Electoral College to states, which territories are not.
- 9.American Samoa
- 10.Its location in the western Pacific made it a valuable naval base.
Part C — Fill in the blank to complete each statement
- 11.1898
- 12.25
- 13.nationals
- 14.Constitution
- 15.Electoral College
- 16.Pacific
Part D — Write two to three sentences to answer each question
- 17.Example: An incorporated territory is one where the full US Constitution applies by default, while in an unincorporated territory only fundamental constitutional rights are guaranteed. All five major US territories are unincorporated, meaning Congress determines which laws extend to them rather than having the full Constitution apply automatically. This distinction matters because residents may lack certain legal protections that citizens living in states receive without question.
- 18.Example: Puerto Rico residents are US citizens by birth under the Jones Act of 1917, while American Samoa residents hold the status of US nationals, a classification that falls short of full citizenship. A Puerto Rican citizen who moves to any US state can immediately vote in federal elections, whereas an American Samoa national must complete the naturalization process to obtain those same voting rights. This gap means American Samoa residents exercise fewer political rights than residents of any other major US territory.
- 19.Example: Statehood requires an act of Congress, and Congress retains the authority to admit or decline any territory regardless of a referendum result. Although Puerto Rican voters have approved statehood in recent referendums, Congress has not passed the necessary legislation, partly because of debates over federal funding obligations and the political implications of adding new congressional seats. This demonstrates that a territory's own vote for statehood does not compel Congress to act.
- 20.Example: Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands lie in the western Pacific within rapid-response range of East Asia, giving the United States a permanent military presence thousands of miles from the continental US. During World War II, Japan occupied both island groups, and their recapture at great cost demonstrated their critical value for controlling Pacific sea lanes. Since 1945, the US has maintained major installations on Guam — including Andersen Air Force Base — which allow American forces to deter adversaries and project power across the Pacific region.
What this sheet teaches
- Identify the five major US territories and locate them by ocean region and capital city.
- Distinguish between incorporated and unincorporated territories and explain the legal consequences.
- Analyze how the political status of a territory shapes the rights and representation of its residents.
Notes for the adult
- Students often assume all US territory residents are citizens; clarify that American Samoa residents hold national, not citizen, status.
- Correct the misconception using the Insular Cases, which established that the Constitution does not fully apply in unincorporated territories.
- A student is ready to move on when they can explain without prompting why territory residents lack Electoral College representation.
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