Overseas departments and territories of France Totally Explained

Everything about French Overseas Territory totally explained

The French Overseas Departments and Territories (French: départements d'outre-mer and collectivités d'outre-mer or DOM-TOM) consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of Europe. 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 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, a territory on the South American coast, and several periantarctic islands as well as an extensive claim in Antarctica. 2,597,318 people lived in the French Overseas Departments and Territories in January 2008.
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 et cetera), 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 Parlimanent and French Government (where a cabinet member, the Minister of Overseas France, is in charge of issues related to the overseas departments and territories).

Overseas Departments and Overseas Regions

Guadeloupe (since 1946)
Martinique (since 1946)
French Guiana (since 1946)
Réunion (since 1946)

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.

Mayotte (1976-2003: sui generis overseas territory, 2001-2003: with the designation departmental community), since 2003: Overseas community. Mayotte has kept its particular designation of departmental community, which isn't a particular status. In 2010 its population will have the option of becoming an overseas department.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon (1976-1985: overseas department, 1985-2003: sui generis overseas territory, since 2003: Overseas collectivity. Saint Pierre and 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 as a territoire (Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna).

Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy

In 2003 the population of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe in order to form separate overseas collectivities of France. On February 7, 2007, the French Parliament passed a bill granting COM status to both Saint Barthélemy and neighbouring Saint Martin. The new status took effect on 22 February 2007 when the law was published in the Journal Officiel. They remain part of the European Union, as explicitly stated in the Treaty of Lisbon.

Sui Generis Collectivity

New Caledonia (1946-1999: overseas territory ) New Caledonia has a unique status and isn't even a territorial collectivity, unlike all other French subdivisions. As a result of the 1998 Nouméa Accord, New Caledonians will vote on an independence referendum scheduled between 2014 and 2019. This referendum will determine whether the territory remains a part of the French Republic as an overseas collectivity, or whether it'll become an independent nation. The accords also specify a gradual devolution of powers to the local New Caledonian assembly.

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

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 its status has no name and since its parliament can make local laws, New Caledonia is sometimes incorrectly termed an overseas country.

Minor Territories

France also owns, as state private property, a remote island in the Pacific Ocean called Clipperton Island.

List of French Overseas Territories

Inhabited departments and collectivities

Name	Capital	Population (Jan. 2006 , unless otherwise indicated)	Land area (km²)	Status	Location	Notes
French Guiana	Cayenne	202,000	86,504	Overseas department / region	South America
French Polynesia	Papeete	256,200	4,167	Overseas collectivity	South Pacific Ocean
Guadeloupe	Basse-Terre	447,000 (with St Barth & St Martin) (ca. 405,000 without St Barth & St Martin)	1,703	Overseas department / region	Antilles
Martinique	Fort-de-France	399,000	1,128	Overseas department / region	Antilles
Mayotte	Mamoudzou	160,265 (July 2002) (ca. 182,000 in Jan. 2006)	374	Overseas collectivity	Africa (Mozambique Channel)	Will obtain overseas region status in 2011 Also claimed by Comoros
New Caledonia	Nouméa	236,528	18,575	Sui generis collectivity	South Pacific Ocean	Referendum for independence in 2014
Réunion	Saint-Denis	784,000	2,512	Overseas department / region	Africa (Indian Ocean)
Saint Barthélemy	Gustavia	6,852 (March 1999)	21	Overseas collectivity	Antilles	Detached from Guadeloupe on 22 February, 2007
Saint Martin	Marigot	33,102 (Oct. 2004)	53	Overseas collectivity	Antilles	Detached from Guadeloupe on 22 February, 2007
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Saint-Pierre	6,125	242	Overseas collectivity	South East of Canada
Wallis and Futuna	Mata-Utu	14,944 (July 2003)	274	Overseas collectivity	South Pacific Ocean

Overall Summary
Status	Population (Jan. 2008)	Land area (km²)
Overseas Departments / Regions (incl. St Barth & St Martin)	1,877,318	91,847
Overseas Collectivities & New Caledonia	720,000	23,632
Total	2,597,318	115,479

Uninhabited lands

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

Name	Capital	Land area (km²)	Status	Location	Notes
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	-	4,4	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

Antarctica

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

Largest cities in overseas France

Ranked by population in the urban area:

Pointe-à-Pitre–Les Abymes (Guadeloupe): 171,773 inhabitants (in 1999)

Saint-Denis (Réunion): 158,139 (in 1999)

Nouméa (New Caledonia): 146,245 (in 2004)

Fort-de-France (Martinique): 134,727 (in 1999)

Saint-Pierre (Réunion): 129,238 (in 1999)

Papeete (French Polynesia): 127,635 (in 2002)

Saint-Paul (Réunion): 87,712 (in 1999)

Cayenne (French Guiana): 66,149 (in 1999)Further Information

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