Trust territory, also known as trust region or trust zone, refers to an area or region governed by a single or group of trustees. It has been established to provide protection and support to people who have been rendered stateless or displaced due to war, colonialism, or other political and social upheavals. The term trust territory is often used interchangeably with protectorate, mandate, and colony. A protectorate is a region that has been protected and occupied by a foreign power; a mandate is a territory governed by a league of nations, and a colony is a land governed and exploited by a foreign power. These terms all relate to the concept of control and protection of an area by an external force.