Overseas France (, also ) consists of 13 French territories outside

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, mostly the remnants of the

French colonial empire The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas Colony, colonies, protectorates, and League of Nations mandate, mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "Firs ...

that remained a part of the French state under various statuses after

decolonisation Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby Imperialism, imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholar ...

. Most are part of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. "Overseas France" is a collective name; while used in everyday life in France, it is not an administrative designation in its own right. Instead, the five overseas regions have exactly the same administrative status as the thirteen metropolitan regions; the five

overseas collectivities The France, French overseas collectivities ( abbreviated as COM) are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the regions of France, French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French Overseas ter ...

are semi-autonomous; and

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

is an autonomous territory. Overseas France includes island territories in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

and Indian oceans,

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

on the

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

n continent, and several peri-Antarctic islands as well as a claim in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

. Excluding the district of

Adélie Land Adélie Land ( ) or Adélie Coast is a Territorial claims in Antarctica, claimed territory of France located on the continent of Antarctica. It stretches from a portion of the Southern Ocean coastline all the way inland to the South Pole. Franc ...

, where French sovereignty is effective ''de jure'' by French law, but where the French exclusive claim on this part of

is frozen by the

Antarctic Treaty The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of A ...

(signed in 1959), overseas France covers a land area of and accounts for 18.0% of the French Republic's land territory.Land area of the four old overseas departments

, Mayotte, the overseas collectivities, and New Caledonia
page 21
, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and the Scattered Islands

), and Clipperton

). Its

exclusive economic zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...

(EEZ) of accounts for 96.7% of the EEZ of the

French Republic France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Outside Europe, four broad classes of overseas French territorial administration currently exist: overseas departments/regions,

, the ''

sui generis ( , ) is a Latin phrase that means "of its/their own kind" or "in a class by itself", therefore "unique". It denotes an exclusion to the larger system an object is in relation to. Several disciplines use the term to refer to unique entities. ...

'' territory of

, and uninhabited territories. From a legal and administrative standpoint, these four classes have varying legal status and levels of autonomy, although all permanently inhabited territories have representation in both France's

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

and

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, which together make up the

French Parliament The French Parliament (, ) is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of the French Fifth Republic, consisting of the Senate (France), Senate (), and the National Assembly (France), National Assembly (). Each assembly conducts legislative sessi ...

. 2,834,000 people lived in overseas France in January 2024.The population of all five overseas departments totaled 2,230,000 in January 202

The population of the overseas collectivities and New Caledonia amounted to 604,000 inhabitants (Saint-Pierre and Miquelo

Saint-Barthélem

Saint-Marti

French Polynesi

Wallis et Futun

New Caledoni

. Most of these residents are French nationality law, citizens of France and citizens of the European Union. This makes them able to vote in French and

European elections Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years by universal adult suffrage; with more than 400 million people eligible to vote, they are the second largest democratic elections in the world after India's. Until 2019, 751 ...

Varying constitutional statuses

Overseas departments and regions

Overseas regions have exactly the same status as France's mainland regions. The French Constitution provides that, in general, French laws and regulations (France's civil code, penal code, administrative law, social laws, tax laws, etc.) apply to French overseas regions just as in

metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...

, but can be adapted as needed to suit the region's particular needs. Hence, the local administrations of French overseas regions cannot themselves pass new laws. *

(since 1946) *

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

(since 1946) *

Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...

(since 1946) *

Mayotte Mayotte ( ; , ; , ; , ), officially the Department of Mayotte (), is an Overseas France, overseas Overseas departments and regions of France, department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is one of the Overseas departm ...

(since 2011) ** 1976–2003: ''

'' overseas territory *** 2001–2003: with the designation departmental community ** 2003–2011: overseas community. ** In the 2009 Mahoran status referendum, Mahorans voted to become an overseas department in 2011, which occurred on 31 March 2011. *

Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...

(since 1946)

Overseas collectivities

The category of "overseas collectivity" ( or ''COM'') was created by France's constitutional reform of 28 March 2003. Each overseas collectivity has its own statutory laws. In contrast to overseas departments/regions, the

are empowered to make their own laws, except in certain areas reserved to the French national government (such as defense, international relations, trade and currency, and judicial and administrative law). The overseas collectivities are governed by local elected assemblies and by the French Parliament and

French Government The Government of France (, ), officially the Government of the French Republic (, ), exercises Executive (government), executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister of France, prime minister, who is the head of government, ...

, with a cabinet member, the Minister of the Overseas, in charge of issues related to the overseas territories. *

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

(1946–2003: overseas territory; since 2003: overseas collectivity): In 2004 it was given the designation of " overseas country" (), but the

Constitutional Council of France The Constitutional Council (, ) is the highest constitutional authority in France. It was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958 to ensure that constitutional principles and rules are upheld. It is housed in the ...

has ruled that this designation did not create a new political category. *

Saint Barthélemy Saint Barthélemy, officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy, also known as St. Barts (English) or St. Barth (French), is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. The island lies about southeast of the island ...

: In 2003, Saint-Barthélemy voted to become an overseas collectivity of France. Saint-Barthélemy is not part of the European Union, having changed the status to an overseas country or territory associated with the European Union in 2012. * Saint Martin: In a 2003 referendum, Saint Martin voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe to become separate overseas collectivity of France. On 7 February 2007, the

passed a bill granting COM status to Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. The new status took effect on 22 February 2007, when the law was published in the '' Journal Officiel''. Saint Martin remains part of the

, as stated in the

Treaty of Lisbon The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is a European agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by all EU member states o ...

. *

Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon ( ), officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (), is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, located near the Canada, Canadian prov ...

(1976–85: overseas department; 1985–2003: ''

'' overseas territory; since 2003: overseas collectivity): Despite being given the political status of "overseas collectivity", Saint Pierre et Miquelon is called , literally "territorial collectivity". *

Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (), is a French island territorial collectivity, collectivity in the Oceania, South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga t ...

(1961–2003: overseas territory; since 2003: overseas collectivity): It is still commonly referred to as a ().

''Sui generis'' collectivity

had the status of an overseas territory from 1946 to 1998, but as of the 1998 Nouméa Accord it gained a special status ( or ''

'') in 1999. A New Caledonian citizenship was established (in addition to the French citizenship which is kept in parallel, along with the European citizenship), and a gradual transfer of power from the French state to New Caledonia itself was begun, to last from 15 to 20 years. However, this process was subject to approval in a referendum. Three independence referendums have been held, in

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

and 2021. In the first two referendums, the "yes" vote was 43.3% and 46.7% respectively. In the third referendum of December 2021, massively boycotted by the native Kanak community, which represent 42% of the population, the "yes" vote was 3.5%, with a turnout of 43.9%.Répartition des suffrages exprimés lors des référendums sur l'indépendance de la Nouvelle-Calédonie en 2018, 2020 et 2021

Statista.

Overseas territory

French Southern and Antarctic Lands The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (, TAAF) is an overseas territory ( or ) of France. It consists of: * Adélie Land (), the French claim on the continent of Antarctica. * Crozet Islands (), a group in the southern Indian Ocean, south ...

( or TAAF); overseas territory of France (since 1956). It is currently the only overseas territory. According to law 2007-224 of 21 February 2007, the

Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean ( or ') consist of four small coral islands, an atoll, as well as a reef in the Indian Ocean; they constitute the fifth district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, though sovereignty over some ...

constitute the 5th district of .

Special status

Clipperton Island Clipperton Island ( ; ), also known as Clipperton Atoll and previously as Clipperton's Rock, is an uninhabited French coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The only French territory in the North Pacific, Clipperton is from Paris, France ...

( or ; ) is a

uninhabited The list of uninhabited regions includes a number of places around the globe. The list changes year over year as human beings migrate into formerly uninhabited regions, or migrate out of formerly inhabited regions. Definitions The exact def ...

coral

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...

located south-west of Acapulco, Mexico in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

. It is held as an overseas " state private property" under the direct authority of the French government, and is administered by France's Minister of the Overseas ("private" in this context refers to official restrictions on access, rather than private ownership ''per se''). * French national domain in the Holy Land; four parcels of land in Israel and Palestine that are administered by the French government.

Political representation in legislatures

With 2,834,000 inhabitants in 2024, overseas France accounts for 4.1% of the population of the French Republic. They enjoy a corresponding representation in the two chambers of the

and, in the 16th legislature of the French Fifth Republic (2022–2027), overseas France is represented by 27 deputies in the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...

, accounting for 4.7% of the 577 deputies in the National Assembly: *

: 7 *

: 4 *

: 3 *

: 2 *

and Saint Martin: 1 *

: 1 *

: 1

Senate (France)

Since September 2011, overseas France has been represented by 21 senators in the

French Senate The Senate (, ) is the upper house of the French Parliament, with the lower house being the National Assembly (France), National Assembly, the two houses constituting the legislature of France. It is made up of 348 senators (''sénateurs'' and ...

, accounting for 6.0% of the 348 senators in the Senate: *

: 4 *

: 3 *

: 2 *

: 1 * Saint Martin: 1 *

: 1 *

: 1

European Parliament (European Union)

The territories used to be collectively represented in the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

by the Overseas Territories of France constituency. Since the 2019 European elections, France decided to switch to a single constituency, putting an end to all regional constituencies, including the Overseas Territories constituency.

Council (European Union)

The special territories of EU member states are not separately represented in the EU Council. Every member state represents all its citizens in the council.

Overview

Inhabited collectivities and departments/regions

The eleven inhabited French overseas territories are:

Uninhabited overseas territories

Several of these territories are generally only transiently inhabited by researchers in scientific stations.

Map

Photo gallery

File:La ville de Saint-Pierre et l'Ile aux Marins.jpg, Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon File:Cayenne city (8525272038).jpg,

Cayenne Cayenne (; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Caye ...

, French Guiana File:Marigot St Martin.jpg, Marigot, Saint Martin File:Les Saintes - Archipel de Guadeloupe.jpg, Guadeloupe File:TiFoX-réserve protégée-9.jpg, Martinique File:Saint Barth - Vue aérienne - Octobre 2009.jpg, Saint Barthélemy File:Choungui nord.jpg, Mont Choungui, Mayotte File:Roche Vert-Bouteille 2 - Paysage de l'île de La Réunion.jpg, Réunion File:Manchotière Baie du Pacha (île de l'Est) - panoramio.jpg, Île de l'Est,

Crozet Islands The Crozet Islands (; or, officially, ''Archipel Crozet'') are a sub-Antarctic archipelago of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean. They form one of the five administrative districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. History ...

, French Southern and Antarctic Lands File:Îlot dans le lagon d'Ouvéa.jpg, New Caledonia File:Wallis vue du ciel.jpg,

Wallis Island Wallis () is a Polynesian atoll/island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity (''collectivité d'outre-mer'', or ''COM'') of Wallis and Futuna. It lies north of Tonga, northeast of Fiji, east-northeast of the Hoorn ...

, Wallis and Futuna File:BoraBora SEtienne.jpg,

Bora Bora Bora Bora (French language, French: ''Bora-Bora''; Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Pora Pora'') is an island group in the Leeward Islands (Society Islands), Leeward Islands in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific. The Leeward Islands comprise the we ...

, French Polynesia File:Clippertonisland.jpg, Clipperton Island

Largest cities in overseas France

Ranked by population in the

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

: *

Fort-de-France Fort-de-France (, , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. History Before it was ceded to France by Spain in 1635, the area of Fort-de-Fra ...

(

): 347,170 inhabitants (in 2020) * Saint Denis (

): 315,080 (in 2020) *

Pointe-à-Pitre Pointe-à-Pitre (; , , or simply , ) is the second most populous commune of Guadeloupe (after Les Abymes). Guadeloupe is an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a ''Subprefectu ...

–

Les Abymes Les Abymes (; ) is the most populous commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located on the west side of the island of Grande-Terre, and is part of the largest metropolitan area of Gua ...

(

): 312,630 (in 2020) * Saint Pierre– Le Tampon (

): 222,614 (in 2020) *

Nouméa Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French Sui generis collectivity, special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest Francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main i ...

(

): 182,341 (in 2019) *

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

(

): 171,109 (in 2020) *

(

): 151,887 (in 2020) *

Papeete Papeete (Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Papeʻetē'', pronounced ; old name: ''Vaiʻetē''Personal communication with Michael Koch in ) is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the France, French Republic in the Pacific ...

(

): 138,861 (in 2022)

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Overseas France Subdivisions of France

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Varying constitutional statuses

Overseas departments and regions

Overseas collectivities

''Sui generis'' collectivity

Overseas territory

Special status

Political representation in legislatures

Senate (France)

European Parliament (European Union)

Council (European Union)

Overview

Inhabited collectivities and departments/regions

Uninhabited overseas territories

Map

Photo gallery

Largest cities in overseas France

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links