subnational entity geopolitical dependency A subnational entity that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a sovereign state, but remains politically outside of the controlling state and controls a geographical region that is outside the controlling state's integral region. Amanda Hicks Typically, the common feature is that the dependency does not conduct foreign affairs, and relegates this authority to the sovereign state. But otherwise, it is largely or completely autonomous relative to the administrative subdivisions. Examples include Puerto Rico (U.S.), Guam (U.S.), Greenland (Denmark), French Polynesia (France), and Falkland Islands (United Kingdom). William R. Hogan