In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries. The following examples illustrate some of the range.

Australia and New Zealand

In several Commonwealth countries, public lands are referred to as Crown lands. Recent proposals to sell Crown lands have been highly controversial.

France

In France, public lands may he held by communes, départements, or the nation

United States

In the United States, public land is any lands or rights interest to which the title is held by the federal government, also called the public domain. The majority of public lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management under the Secretary of Interior. National Parks and Monuments are also public lands, but they are managed by the National Park Service, which is also part of the Interior Department. Individual states may also own land within that state, which is also often considered as public land, but this is of a different category than land held by the federal government.