Overseas departments and territories of France

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"Overseas territories of France" redirects here. For the Euro-constituency, see Overseas Territories of France (European Parliament constituency).

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"Outre-mer" redirects here. For the historical term, see Outremer.
French Overseas Departments and Territories
Flag
Largest settlements Nouméa, New Caledonia Papeete, French Polynesia
Languages French, Antillean Creole, Guianese Creole, Reunionese Creole, Shimaore, Tahitian, Marquesan, 'Uvean, Futunan, Drehu, Nengone, Paicî, Ajië, Xârâcùù, and 35 other native languages of New Caledonia
Demonym French
Territories
Leaders
 •  President François Hollande
 •  Ministry George Pau-Langevin
Area
 •  Total 119,394 km2
46,098 sq mi
Population
 •  estimate 2,718,000 (2016)
Currency Euro
CFP Franc
Date format dd/mm/yyyy (AD)

The French Overseas Departments and Territories (French: départements et territoires d'outre-mer, colloquially referred to as the DOM-TOM [dɔmtɔm][1]) consist of all the French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all (except those with no permanent inhabitants) have representation in the Parliament of France, 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 continent, and several periantarctic islands as well as a claim in Antarctica.

The French Overseas Departments and Territories have an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 9,821,231 km² (3,791,998 sq. miles),[2] and account for 17.8% of the land territory and 96.7% of the EEZ of the French Republic (excluding the district of Adélie Land, part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories, where the French sovereignty is effective de jure by French law, but where the French exclusive claim on this part of Antarctica is frozen by a mandatory international cooperation since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959).[citation needed]

From a legal and administrative standpoint, departments are very different from territories. 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 departments the same as in mainland France, but can be adapted as needed to suit the departments' particular needs. In French territories, laws cannot be adapted. Under France's so-called "autonomy statutes", the departments are empowered to make their own laws, except in certain areas (such as defense, international relations, trade and currency, and judicial and administrative law), where the territories are bound by the laws promulgated by the French government and by those France appoints to oversee the territories.

Each inhabited French territory, metropolitan or overseas, is represented in both the French National Assembly and the French Senate (which together make up the French Parliament), as well as in the European Parliament (French citizens living overseas are voting in the Overseas constituency). 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).

Varying constitutional statuses

Overseas departments and regions

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Main article: Overseas department
Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1953 909,000 —    
1963 1,194,000 +31.4%
1973 1,475,000 +23.5%
1983 1,656,000 +12.3%
1993 2,028,000 +22.5%
2003 2,414,000 +19.0%
2013 2,691,000 +11.5%
2016 2,774,000 +3.1%
The population of all five overseas department and Mayotte counted 2,114,000 [7] in January 2016.The rest of the overseas collectivity counted 658.000 inhabitants(Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon[8],Saint-Barthélemy[9],Sanit-Martin[10],Polynésie francaise[11],Wallis et Futuna[12],Nouvelle-Calédonie[13]).The total population is 2,774,000.

Overseas collectivities

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Main article: Overseas collectivity

The category of "overseas collectivity" was created by France's constitutional reform of March 28, 2003. Each overseas collectivity has its own statutory laws.

  • French Polynesia (1946–2003: overseas territory, since 2003: overseas collectivity) In 2004 it was given the designation of "overseas country" (French: pays d'outre-mer), but the Constitutional Council of France has clarified that this designation did not create a new political category.
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon (1976–85: overseas department, 1985–2003: sui generis overseas territory, since 2003: overseas collectivity). Despite being given the political status of "overseas collectivity," Saint Pierre et Miquelon is called collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, literally "territorial collectivity."
  • 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).
  • Saint Martin: In 2003, the populations of St. Martin and St. Barthélemy voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe in order to become 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 February 22, 2007 when the law was published in the Journal Officiel.[5] They remain part of the European Union, as stated in the Treaty of Lisbon.[6]
  • Saint Barthélemy (see the comments immediately above).

Special collectivity

  • New Caledonia was classified as 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 (in addition to the French citizenship which is kept in parallel, along with the consequent 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.[7]

Overseas territories

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Main article: Overseas territory (France)

Overseas country

The status of overseas country (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 reflects that it belongs to the category of overseas collectivities. 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.

Minor territories

  • Clipperton Island (French: Île de Clipperton or Île de la Passion, Spanish: Isla de la Pasión) is a 9 km2 (3.5 sq mi) coral atoll located 1,280 km (800 miles) south-west of Acapulco, Mexico, in the Pacific Ocean. It is held as state private property under the direct authority of the French government, and is administered by France's Overseas Minister.

Political representation in the French Parliament

Flag of the Minister of Overseas France

With 2,691,000 inhabitants in 2013, the French overseas departments and territories account for 4.1% of the population of the French Republic.[8] They enjoy a corresponding representation in the two chambers of the French Parliament.

Representation in the National Assembly

In the 13th Legislature (2012-2017), the French overseas departments and territories are represented by 27 députés (M.P.s) in the French National Assembly, accounting for 4.7% of the 577 députés in the National Assembly:

Representation in the Senate

Since September 2011, the French overseas departments and territories are represented by 21 senators in the French Senate, accounting for 6.0% of the 343 senators in the Senate:

List of French overseas territories

Inhabited departments and collectivities

The 11 French overseas territories are :

Flag[note 1] Name Capital Population Land area
(km2)		 Population density
(inh. per km2)		 Status Location Notes
Flag of French Guiana.svg French Guiana Cayenne 250,109 (Jan. 2013)[9] 83,534[10] 3 Overseas department / region South America
French Polynesia French Polynesia Papeete 268,270 (Aug. 2012)[11] 3,521[12] 76 Overseas collectivity South Pacific Ocean
Flag of Guadeloupe (local).svg Guadeloupe Basse-Terre 405,739 (Jan. 2013)[9] 1,628[10] 249 Overseas department / region Antilles
Flag of Martinique.svg Martinique Fort-de-France 386,486 (Jan. 2013)[9] 1,128[10] 343 Overseas department / region Antilles
Flag of Mayotte (local).svg Mayotte Mamoudzou 212,645 (Aug. 2012)[13] 374[12] 569 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 31, 2011.
Also claimed by Comoros
New Caledonia New Caledonia Nouméa 256,000 (Jan. 2012)[14] 18,575.5[15] 14 Sui generis collectivity South Pacific Ocean Referendum for independence to occur sometime during the period of 2015 to 2019.
France Réunion Saint-Denis 840,974 (Jan. 2013)[9] 2,504[10] 336 Overseas department / region Africa
(Indian Ocean)
Flag of Saint Barthelemy (local).svg Saint Barthélemy Gustavia 9,035 (Jan. 2011)[16] 25[17] 361 Overseas collectivity Antilles Detached from Guadeloupe on February 22, 2007.
Flag of France.svg Saint Martin Marigot 36,286 (Jan. 2011)[16] 53[18] 685 Overseas collectivity Antilles Detached from Guadeloupe on February 22, 2007.
Flag of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.svg Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint-Pierre 6,080 (Jan. 2011)[16] 242[12] 25 Overseas collectivity Southeast of Canada
Flag of Wallis and Futuna.svg Wallis and Futuna Mata-Utu 12,197 (Jul. 2013)[19] 142[12] 86 Overseas collectivity South Pacific Ocean
  1. ↑ Article 2 of the French Constitution states that the French flag is the only legal flag of France. Only French Polynesia, a collectivity, and New Caledonia, a special collectivity are allowed official flags. This right was granted to French Polynesia by a September, 6th, 1984, law and to New Caledonia by the Nouméa Accord. The Administrator of French Antarctica is also granted his own flag through a February, 23rd, 2007 ordinance. Historical flags are sometimes used but have no basis in law. Many territories use unofficial flags to represent the territories. The unofficial flags are shown below.

Uninhabited overseas territories

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

Flag Name District Scattered islands Capital Land area (km2) Status Location Notes
France Clipperton - - - 2[20] French state private property West of Mexico
French Southern and Antarctic Lands French Southern and Antarctic Lands Crozet Islands - Alfred Faure 340[21] TAAF district South Indian Ocean
Kerguelen Islands - Port-aux-Français 7,215[21] TAAF district South Indian Ocean
Saint-Paul Island and
Amsterdam Island		 - Martin-de-Viviès 66[21] TAAF district Indian Ocean
Adélie Land - Dumont d'Urville Station 432,000[21] TAAF district Antarctica Under terms of Antarctic Treaty System
Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean Banc du Geyser - 0 TAAF district Africa
(Mozambique Channel)		 Claimed by Madagascar and Comoros
Bassas da India - 1[21] TAAF district Africa
(Mozambique Channel)		 Claimed by Madagascar
Europa - 30[21] TAAF district Africa
(Mozambique Channel)		 Claimed by Madagascar
Glorioso Islands - 7[21] TAAF district Indian Ocean Claimed by Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles
Juan de Nova - 5[21] TAAF district Africa
(Mozambique Channel)		 Claimed by Madagascar
Tromelin Island - 1[21] TAAF district Indian Ocean Claimed by Mauritius

Largest cities in overseas France

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

(incl. overseas regions)

(incl. overseas departments)

Urban communities
Agglomeration communities
Commune communities
Syndicates of New Agglomeration

Associated communes
Municipal arrondissements
Others in Overseas France

Overseas collectivities
Sui generis collectivity
Overseas country
Overseas territory
Clipperton Island

Ranked by population in the urban area:

See also

References

  1. ↑ About.com, Definition of les DOM-TOM
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ "Nouvelle-Calédonie", Le Petit Larousse (2010), Paris, page 1559.
  8. ↑ Population of Metropolitan France and the 4 old overseas departments ([1]), plus the new overseas department of Mayotte ([2]), plus the overseas collectivities of French Polynesia ([3]), New Caledonia ([4]), Wallis and Futuna ([5]), and St Martin, St Barth, and St Pierre and Miquelon ([6]).
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 21.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

  • Robert Aldrich and John Connell, France's Overseas Frontier, Cambridge University Press, 1992
  • Frédéric Monera, L'idée de République et la jurisprudence du Conseil constitutionnel - Paris : L.G.D.J., 2004 [14] [15];

External links

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