Overseas departments and territories of France

French overseas departments, territories and claims on Antarctica

This article is part of the series on Administrative divisions of France

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Others in Overseas France Overseas collectivities Sui generis collectivity Overseas country Overseas territory Clipperton Island

Jack of the Minister of Overseas France

The French Overseas Departments and Territories (French: départements et territoires d'outre-mer, colloquially referred to as the DOM-TOM [dɔmtɔm]^[1]) consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France (except those with no permanent inhabitants), and consequently the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament. The French Overseas Departments and Territories include island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, French Guiana on the South American coast, and several periantarctic islands as well as a claim in Antarctica. 2,685,705 people lived in the French Overseas Departments and Territories in January 2011.^[2]

From a legal and administrative standpoint, departments are very different from territories: according to the French constitution, French laws and regulations generally apply (civil code, penal code, administrative law, social laws, tax laws etc.), in departments as in the mainland. However, specific laws and regulations can be adapted to their specific situation. In territories, the principle is the opposite: territories are governed by autonomy statutes that allow them to make their own laws, except for some specific areas (like defense, international relations, international trade and currency, courts and administrative law), as provided in the autonomy statute, that are reserved to the central government and its local appointee.

Each inhabited French territory, metropolitan or overseas, is represented in both the French National Assembly and the French Senate (which make up the French Parliament). The overseas departments and territories are governed by local elected assemblies and by the French Parliament and French Government (where a cabinet member, the Minister of Overseas France, is in charge of issues related to the overseas departments and territories).

[edit] Varying constitutional statuses

[edit] Overseas departments and regions

• Guadeloupe (since 1946)
• Martinique (since 1946)
• French Guiana (since 1946)
• Réunion (since 1946)
• Mayotte (since 2011) 1976–2003: sui generis 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 March 31, 2011.

[edit] Overseas collectivities

This category was created with the constitutional reform on 28 March 2003. Each collectivity has its own statutory laws.

• French Polynesia (1946–2003: overseas territory, since 2003: overseas collectivity) Its new status of 2004 gives it the particular designation of overseas country (French: pays d'outre-mer), but the Constitutional Council of France judged that it was just a designation, not a particular status.
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon (1976–85: overseas department, 1985–2003: sui generis overseas territory, since 2003: overseas collectivity) Saint Pierre et Miquelon is still called collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon).
• Wallis and Futuna (1961–2003: overseas territory, since 2003: overseas collectivity). It is still commonly referred to as a territoire (Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna).
• St. Martin: In 2003 the populations of St. Martin and St. Barthélemy voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe in order to form separate overseas collectivities of France.^[3] On February 7, 2007, the French Parliament passed a bill granting COM status to both jurisdictions.^[4] The new status took effect on 22 February 2007 when the law was published in the Journal Officiel.^[5] They remain part of the European Union, as explicitly stated in the Treaty of Lisbon.^[6]
• St. Barthélemy (see the comments immediately above)

The lands making up the French Republic, shown at the same geographic scale.

[edit] Special collectivity

• New Caledonia was an overseas territory beginning in 1946, but as a result of the 1998 Nouméa Accord, it gained a special status (statut particulier or statut original) in 1999. A New Caledonian citizenship was established, and a gradual transfer of power from the French state to New Caledonia itself was begun, to last from fifteen to twenty years.^[7]

[edit] Overseas territories

• French Southern and Antarctic Lands (French: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises; overseas territory of France since 1956). According to law 2007-224 of February 21, 2007, the Scattered Islands constitute the 5th district of TAAF. It is currently the only overseas territory.

[edit] Overseas country

The status of overseas country (French: Pays d'outre-mer), projected for French Pacific dependencies, was finally never created. The 2004 status of French Polynesia gives it this designation, but also recalls that it belongs to the category of overseas communities. The Constitutional Council of France confirmed that the designation of overseas country had no legal consequences. Since New Caledonia's status has no name and since its parliament can make local laws, it is sometimes incorrectly termed an overseas country.

[edit] Minor territories

• Clipperton Island (French: Île de Clipperton or Île de la Passion) (Spanish: Isla de la Pasión) is a nine-square-kilometre remote coral atoll located 1,280 kilometers south-west of Acapulco, Mexico, in the Pacific Ocean. It is held as state private property under the direct authority of the French government, administered by the Minister of Overseas France.

[edit] Political representation in the French Parliament

With 2,685,705 inhabitants in 2011, the French overseas departments and territories account for 4.1% of the population of the French Republic.^[2] They enjoy a corresponding representation in the two chambers of the French Parliament.

[edit] Representation in the National Assembly

In the 13th Legislature (2007–2012), the French overseas departments and territories are represented by 22 deputies in the French National Assembly, accounting for 3.8% of the 577 deputies in the National Assembly:

• Réunion: 5 deputies
• Guadeloupe: 4 deputies
• Martinique: 4 deputies
• French Guiana: 2 deputies
• French Polynesia: 2 deputies
• New Caledonia: 2 deputies
• Mayotte: 1 deputy
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 1 deputy
• Wallis and Futuna: 1 deputy
• Saint Barthélemy: still represented by the deputy of Guadeloupe's 4th constituency, does not have its own deputy yet
• Saint Martin: still represented by the deputy of Guadeloupe's 4th constituency, does not have its own deputy yet

[edit] Representation in the Senate

Since September 2008, the French overseas departments and territories are represented by 19 senators in the French Senate, accounting for 5.5% of the 343 senators in the Senate:

• Guadeloupe: 3 senators
• Réunion: 3 senators
• French Guiana: 2 senators
• French Polynesia: 2 senators
• Martinique: 2 senators
• Mayotte: 2 senators
• New Caledonia: 1 senator
• Saint Barthélemy: 1 senator
• Saint Martin: 1 senator
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 1 senator
• Wallis and Futuna: 1 senator

[edit] List of French Overseas Territories

[edit] Inhabited departments and collectivities

The 11 French Overseas Territories are :

Flag	Name	Capital	Population	Land area (km2)	Status	Location	Notes
	French Guiana	Cayenne	229,000 (Jan. 2009)[8]	83,534	Overseas department / region	South America
	French Polynesia	Papeete	264,000 (Jan. 2009)[9]	4,167	Overseas collectivity	South Pacific Ocean
	Guadeloupe	Basse-Terre	404,000 (Jan. 2009)[8]	1,628	Overseas department / region	Antilles
	Martinique	Fort-de-France	402,000 (Jan. 2009)[8]	1,128	Overseas department / region	Antilles
	Mayotte	Mamoudzou	186,452 (July 2007)[10]	374	Overseas department / region	Africa (Mozambique Channel)	Voted on March 29, 2009 in favour of attaining overseas department / region status. That status became effective on March 31st, 2011. Also claimed by Comoros
	New Caledonia	Nouméa	244,410 (Jan. 2008)[11]	18,575	Sui generis collectivity	South Pacific Ocean	Referendum for independence to occur sometime during the period of 2014 to 2019.
	Réunion	Saint-Denis	817,000 (Jan. 2009)[8]	2,512	Overseas department / region	Africa (Indian Ocean)
	Saint Barthélemy	Gustavia	008,450 !8,450 (Jan. 2007)[12]	21	Overseas collectivity	Antilles	Detached from Guadeloupe on 22 February 2007.
	Saint Martin	Marigot	035,925 !35,925 (Jan. 2007)[12]	53	Overseas collectivity	Antilles	Detached from Guadeloupe on 22 February 2007.
	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Saint-Pierre	006,099 !6,099 (Jan. 2007)[12]	242	Overseas collectivity	Southeast of Canada
	Wallis and Futuna	Mata-Utu	013,484 !13,484 (Jul. 2008)[13]	274	Overseas collectivity	South Pacific Ocean

[edit] Uninhabited lands

(Lands generally uninhabited, except by researchers in scientific stations)

Flag	Name	Capital	Land area (km2)	Status	Location	Notes
	Banc du Geyser	-	1	TAAF district	Africa (Mozambique Channel)	Claimed by Madagascar and Comoros
	Bassas da India	-	1	TAAF district	Africa (Mozambique Channel)	Claimed by Madagascar
	Clipperton	-	7	French state private property	West of Mexico	Claimed by Mexico
	Crozet Islands	Alfred Faure	352	TAAF district	South Indian Ocean
	Europa	-	28	TAAF district	Africa (Mozambique Channel)	Claimed by Madagascar
	Glorioso Islands	-	5	TAAF district	Indian Ocean	Claimed by Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles
	Juan de Nova	-	5	TAAF district	Africa (Mozambique Channel)	Claimed by Madagascar
	Kerguelen Islands	Port-aux-Français	7,215	TAAF district	South Indian Ocean
	Saint-Paul Island and Amsterdam Island	Martin-de-Viviès	66	TAAF district	Indian Ocean
	Tromelin Island	-	1	TAAF district	Indian Ocean	Claimed by Mauritius

[edit] Antarctica

Flag	Name	Capital	Land area (km2)	Status	Location	Notes
	Adélie Land	Dumont d'Urville Station	432,000	TAAF district	Antarctica	Under terms of Antarctic Treaty System

[edit] Largest cities in overseas France

Ranked by population in the urban area:

• Pointe-à-Pitre–Les Abymes (Guadeloupe): 178,631 inhabitants (in 2008)
• Saint-Denis (Réunion): 175,053 (in 2008)
• Fort-de-France (Martinique): 171,628 (in 2008)
• Nouméa (New Caledonia): 163,723 (in 2009)
• Saint-Pierre (Réunion): 148,273 (in 2008)
• Papeete (French Polynesia): 131,695 (in 2007)
• Saint-Paul (Réunion): 103,008 (in 2008)
• Cayenne (French Guiana): 102,089 (in 2008)

[edit] See also

• French colonial empire
• Administrative divisions of France
• Government of France
• List of islands administered by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans
• Communes in France
• Outremer
• Metropolitan France
• Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
• List of French possessions and colony

[edit] References

• Robert Aldrich and John Connell, France's Overseas Frontier, Cambridge University Press, 1992

[edit] Further reading

• Frédéric Monera, L'idée de République et la jurisprudence du Conseil constitutionnel - Paris : L.G.D.J., 2004 [1] [2];

[edit] External links

• Official site
• past and current developments of France's overseas administrative divisions like pays d'outre-mer (French language)

v · d · e Overseas departments and territories of France  Inhabited areas Overseas departments1 French Guiana · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Réunion · Mayotte 2 Overseas collectivities French Polynesia · St. Barthélemy · St. Martin · St. Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna Special status New Caledonia  Uninhabited areas Pacific Ocean Clipperton Island French Southern and Antarctic Lands Île Amsterdam · Île Saint-Paul · Crozet Islands · Kerguelen Islands · Adélie Land Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean Banc du Geyser4 · Bassas da India4 · Europa Island4 · Glorioso Islands3, 4, 5 · Juan de Nova Island4 · Tromelin Island4, 5 1 Also known as overseas regions.  2 Claimed by Comoros.  3 Claimed by Madagascar.  4 Claimed by Seychelles.  5 Claimed by Mauritius.

v · d · eDependencies of European Union states Denmark Faroe Islands · Greenland France Clipperton Island · French Polynesia · French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Adélie Land, Île Amsterdam, Crozet Islands, Îles Éparses, Kerguelen Islands, Île Saint-Paul) · New Caledonia · Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna United Kingdom Crown dependencies Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey Sovereign Base Areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia Overseas territories Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands