US Territories Quiz

Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas: capitals, Caribbean or Pacific, and how each became American.

Puerto Rico has more than 20 times the people of any other US territory, the Virgin Islands were bought from Denmark, and American Samoans are US nationals rather than citizens. Test yourself on the five US territories, their capitals and how each became American, then check the full list.

How the US territories quiz works

Questions come in six kinds: the capital of a territory, which territory a capital belongs to, whether a territory is in the Caribbean or the Pacific, which of four places is a US territory (the other three are independent countries), which of two territories had more people in the 2020 Census, and which country the US acquired it from. A few record questions cover the treaty, the purchase and the one incorporated territory. Easy sticks to the five populated territories; Medium and up add the nine small islands and atolls.

The five US territories

Territory	Capital	Region	Population (2020 Census)	US since
Puerto Rico	San Juan	Caribbean	3,285,874	1898 (ceded by Spain in the Treaty of Paris)
Guam	Hagåtña	Pacific	153,836	1898 (ceded by Spain in the Treaty of Paris)
US Virgin Islands	Charlotte Amalie	Caribbean	87,146	1917 (bought from Denmark for $25 million)
American Samoa	Pago Pago	Pacific	49,710	1900 (deeds of cession by Samoan chiefs: Tutuila 1900, Manu'a 1904)
Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan	Pacific	47,329	1975 (the Covenant, a federal law passed in 1975)

Together the four island areas other than Puerto Rico had just under 339,000 people in 2020. Puerto Rico alone had 3.3 million.

The nine small island territories

The Interior Department's Office of Insular Affairs also lists nine small islands and atolls: Navassa Island in the Caribbean, and Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Wake Atoll and Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific. The Census Bureau's 2020 counts cover only the five populated territories. Palmyra Atoll, about 1,000 miles south of Honolulu, is the only incorporated territory: the whole Constitution applies there. Every other territory is unincorporated, where Congress has decided that only parts of it apply.

Easy ones to mix up

Commonwealth or territory? Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands are commonwealths, but they are still unincorporated territories. The name describes a closer relationship with the federal government, set out in a written agreement.
Citizens or nationals? People born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands are US citizens. American Samoans are US nationals.
Palau, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia are not territories. They are independent countries in free association with the United States.
Hagåtña was called Agana until the Chamorro name was restored. Pago Pago is on Tutuila, the largest island of American Samoa.
The Philippines was ceded by Spain in the same 1898 treaty as Guam and Puerto Rico, but it is an independent country today.

Sources

Territory list and status: US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs. Populations: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census (Puerto Rico State Profile and the 2020 Island Areas release). Capitals: Library of Congress state guides and the Office of Insular Affairs. History: the State Department's Office of the Historian (Treaty of Paris, 10 December 1898) and the Office of Insular Affairs. All checked October 2026.

Keep going

The 50 states by region: US States by Region
The states on the borders: States That Border Canada and Mexico Quiz
Countries that are islands: Island Nations Quiz

Frequently asked questions

How many US territories are there?

Five populated territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. The Interior Department lists nine more small islands and atolls, such as Wake and Midway, for 14 in all.

What are the capitals of the US territories?

San Juan (Puerto Rico), Hagåtña (Guam), Charlotte Amalie (US Virgin Islands), Pago Pago (American Samoa) and Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands).

Which is the largest US territory by population?

Puerto Rico, with 3,285,874 people in the 2020 Census. Guam is second with 153,836.

Are people from US territories American citizens?

People born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands are US citizens. People born in American Samoa are US nationals.

Is the quiz free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, and your best score for each difficulty is saved in this browser.