The Last Colonies

A comprehensive and provocative look at the last remaining colonial territories.

Robert Aldrich (Author), John Connell (Author)

9780521424905, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 2 November 2006

352 pages, 2 maps 4 tables
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.544 kg

'… this is an informative and densely packed study … a good teaching guide for a specialised, but interesting, area of comparative politics and human geography, and a useful introduction for anyone interested in islands and enclaves.' Australian Journal of Political Science

This comprehensive and authoritative book is about the last colonies, those remaining territories formally dependent on metropolitan powers. It discusses the surprisingly large number of these territories, mainly small isolated islands with limited resources. Yet these places are not as obscure as might be expected. They may be major tourist destinations, military bases, satellite tracking stations, tax havens or desolate, underpopulated spots that can become international flashpoints, such as the Falklands. The authors find that at a time of escalating nationalism and globalization, these remnants of empire provide insights into the meanings of political, economic, legal and cultural independence, as well as sovereignty and nationhood. This book provides a broad-based and provocative discussion of colonialism and interdependence in the modern world, from a unique perspective.

List of maps and tables
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
1. The legacy of empire
2. Constitutional issues
3. The economic transition
4. The quest for independence?
5. Military bases, geopolitical concerns
6. Disputed territories, 'colonial' conflicts
7. The end of empire?
Appendix
Notes
Index.

Subject Areas: Biography: historical, political & military [BGH]