Abstract
A paper is trying to put problems of microstates and dependent territories to the broader context of a contemporary international politics. A process of decolonization does not mean only a creation of new sovereign nation, but includes also other possibilities as a political integration with a former colonial power.
Today's dependent territories are more results of a nonsuccesful process of decolonization than a relic of imperial policies of European states. Main problems of a today's decolonization are international disputes over sovereignty of these territories (Falklands, Gibraltar, West Sahara).
That is why we have to study a politics of dependent territories always in a context of study of other territories with disputed sovereignty as territories under military occupation, territories of inter-mediate status, quasi-states or territories of uncertain status or international territoties.