The capital of Guam, formerly known as Agana, was renamed Hagåtña in 1998 in recognition of the native Chamorro language. Along with English, Chamorro is one of the official languages of the territory, and over the centuries, it has come to incorporate a large number of Spanish words. Japanese is also heavily used. The population of Hagåtña is a little over 1,000.

Best known for his roles on “Cheers” and “Frasier,” actor Kelsey Grammer was born in 1955 on St. Thomas, one of the largest islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Grammer moved with his mother to New Jersey when he was two years old, but has said in interviews that he returns often to his island roots.

American Samoa comprises five main islands: Tutuila, Aunu'u, Ofu, Olosega, and Ta'u. Its location just east of the International Date Line in the South Pacific Ocean makes it the southernmost U.S. territory and the only inhabited region of the U.S. located south of the equator. American Samoa's primary island, Tutuila, is home to 95% of the archipelago's population and the archipelago's capital city of Pago Pago

The U.S. Virgin Islands — made up of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix — were originally home to Indigenous peoples such as the Arawaks and the Caribs but were later colonized by the Spanish and the French, and eventually by the Danes. Then called the Danish West Indies, the islands were not a particularly profitable colony, and Denmark sold them to the U.S. on March 31, 1917.

Estimates showing that Samoan men are between 40 and 56 times more likely to play in the NFL than their mainland counterparts, earning American Samoa the nickname “Football Island.” There are just 45,000 people in the territory, more than 30 of whom are current or recent NFL players. This extends to college football as well, with more than 200 athletes of Samoan descent playing at the Division 1 level.

Though St. Vincent is indeed an island in the Antilles, it is not part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. Virgin Islands consist of St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Water Island, alongside 50 other tiny islets. Together, they are home to more than 100,000 people.

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are a group of mostly uninhabited islands that are part of the Hawaiian archipelago, which is about 1,200 miles long. The only portion of the archipelago that is not part of the state of Hawaii is Midway Atoll, an unincorporated territory that is part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands instead. Midway Atoll was annexed in 1867, about 30 years before the rest of the Hawaiian archipelago.

If you’re looking for rum, Casa Bacardi is where you want to be. Located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, it’s the largest rum factory in the world. Bacardi actually got its start in Cuba in 1862, and the distillers started production in neighboring Puerto Rico in the 1930s, moving there full-time after the Cuban Revolution of the 1960s.

The Antilles is a large group of islands in the Caribbean Sea that is divided into two major groups. The Greater Antilles includes large islands like Puerto Rico, as well as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica. The Lesser Antilles is home to the rest of the islands in the archipelago, including the Leeward Islands and Windward Islands.

Saipan is the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands, located in the North Pacific, and is home to the territory’s seat of government. Saipan also has one of the most consistent climates on Earth, with an average low of around 67 degrees Fahrenheit and a high of 88 degrees Fahrenheit — temperatures that vary little through the year.

Although the largest city in American Samoa is Tāfuna, the capital of this U.S. territory consisting of seven islands is Pago Pago. American Samoa is located in the Pacific Ocean, meaning the archipelago is closer to Australia than to the United States (including Hawaii). The territory has a small population of only about 45,000 people.

The easternmost point in the United States, Point Udall is located on the eastern end of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The point is named after Stewart Udall, the Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. The westernmost point in the U.S., located in Guam, is ironically also called Point Udall. That point is named for Stewart’s brother, Mo, who served as an Arizona state representative.

In June 1942, American and Japanese forces famously clashed at the Midway Atoll during the Battle of Midway. It was considered a huge turning point in World War II, as Japan’s losses cost them their strategic advantage in the Pacific. Midway Atoll, which has a circumference of just 15 miles, is an uninhabited sandbar located 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu.

Appearing on Puerto Rico’s license plates are the words “Isla del Encanto,” which translates to “Island of Enchantment.” And the sandy beaches and scenic rainforests of Puerto Rico certainly are enchanting. Puerto Rico (whose name translates to “Rich Port”) is the third-most populous Caribbean island after Cuba and Hispaniola. The island territory is home to 3.2 million people — a larger population than 21 U.S. states.

Located on the southern shore of St. Thomas Island, the city of Charlotte Amalie is the capital and largest city of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The city was named after Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, who was Queen of Denmark in the 1600s — reflecting the fact that the island was once under Danish colonial rule. The city has a population of just over 10,000 people.

Only two U.S. territories are home to national parks: Virgin Islands National Park on St. John and National Park of American Samoa. The National Park of American Samoa has the unique distinction of being the only U.S. park site found south of the equator. This stunning park spans 13,500 acres of rainforest, beaches, and coral reefs.

Located in the North Pacific Ocean, the island of Guam has a singular claim to fame. The island’s unofficial motto, “Where America’s Day Begins,” refers to the fact that it experiences the first sunrise on American soil each day. Sunrise occurs on Guam about 14 hours before it hits America’s East Coast.

You'll find the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam in the North Pacific Ocean, while American Samoa is in the Southern Pacific Ocean. However, if you're looking for the U.S. Virgin Islands, you'll have to head east — this chain of islands is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

More than 110 years ago, El Yunque National Forest was protected as a federal reserve, and it remains the only tropical rainforest in the United States. Each year, approximately 1.2 million visitors travel to the rainforest in northern Puerto Rico, where they find endangered parrots, fruit bats, and tree frogs called coquí.

The Virgin Islands are divided into two groups: the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. The U.S. purchased the islands, formerly known as the Danish West Indies, from Denmark in March of 1917. The British side is a former colony that includes the islands of Virgin Gorda, Tortola, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke.

Of the 14 territories claimed by the United States, five are permanently inhabited, and Puerto Rico is by far the most populous. Approximately 3.2 million people live on the island of Puerto Rico and the over 140 smaller islands that are part of the Caribbean territory. In 1917, Congress passed a bill that granted Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship, but it wasn't until 1950 that residents were allowed to reorganize as a commonwealth.