The Island Areas of the United States are American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Northern Mariana Islands), and the Virgin Islands of the United States (Virgin Islands). The U.S. Census Bureau treats the Island Areas as the statistical equivalents of states for data presentation purposes. Geographic definitions specific to the Island Areas are shown in the appropriate publications and documentation that accompany the data products for the Island Areas.
Sometimes the Island Areas are referred to as "Island Territories" or "Insular Areas." For the 1990 and previous censuses, the U.S. Census Bureau referred to the entities as "Outlying Areas." The term "U.S. Minor Outlying Islands" refers to certain small islands under U.S. jurisdiction in the Caribbean and Pacific: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island.