Current territory

In 2011, the only incorporated territory of the U.S. is neither an organized possession nor populated — Palmyra Atoll, the unorganized territory in equatorial waters far south of the State of Hawaii. The atoll under international law is an incorporated territory by 'explorers claim' and after serving in World War II as a supply and patrol base is only used today by a variable number of staff and researchers. The atoll also happens to be unorganized because it has no permanent occupants to petition for change, just the (rotating) assigned and visiting federal employees.

The District of Columbia is functionally similar to an incorporated territory, being fully a part of the United States as a non-state, but is classified separately as it was established under the unique constitutional provision for a federal capital rather than through Congressional authority over federal territory generally.

All other current U.S. territories are unincorporated (meaning that they are not fully part of the United States, with all aspects of the United States Constitution applying automatically), whereas other former incorporated territories are now states.