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Overseas France

Overseas France (, also ) consists of 13 French territories outside Europe, mostly the remnants of the French colonial empire that remained a part of the French state under various statuses after decolonisation.

"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 are semi-autonomous; and New Caledonia is an autonomous territory. Overseas France includes island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, French Guiana on the South American continent, and several peri-Antarctic islands as well as a claim in Antarctica. Excluding the district of Adélie Land, where French sovereignty is effective de jure by French law, but where the French exclusive claim on this part of Antarctica is frozen by the Antarctic Treaty (signed in 1959), overseas France covers a land area of and accounts for 18.0% of the French Republic's land territory. Its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of accounts for 96.7% of the EEZ of the French Republic.

Outside Europe, four broad classes of overseas French territorial administration currently exist: overseas departments/regions, overseas collectivities, the sui generis territory of New Caledonia, 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 and Senate, which together make up the French Parliament. Six of these regions are considered Outermost Regions of the European Union, with the rest, excepting Clipperton, considered overseas countries and territories that cooperate with the European Union.

2,891,000 people lived in overseas France in January 2026. Most of these residents are citizens of France and citizens of the European Union. This makes them able to vote in French and European elections.

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, 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.

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

  • French Polynesia (1946–2003: overseas territory; since 2003: overseas collectivity): In 2004 it was given the designation of "overseas country" (), but the Constitutional Council of France has ruled that this designation did not create a new political category.
  • Saint Barthélemy: 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 French Parliament 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 European Union, as stated in the Treaty of Lisbon.
  • 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 , literally "territorial collectivity".
  • Wallis and Futuna (1961–2003: overseas territory; since 2003: overseas collectivity): It is still commonly referred to as a ().

Sui generis collectivity

  • New Caledonia had the status of an overseas territory from 1946 to 1998, but as of the 1998 Nouméa Accord it gained a special status ( or sui generis) 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, 2020 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%.

Overseas territory

Special status

Political representation in legislatures

With 2,891,000 inhabitants in 2026, overseas France accounts for 4.15% of the population of the French Republic. They enjoy a corresponding representation in the two chambers of the French Parliament and, in the 16th legislature of the French Fifth Republic (2022–2027), overseas France is represented by 27 deputies in the French National Assembly, accounting for 4.7% of the 577 deputies in the National Assembly:

Since September 2011, overseas France has been represented by 21 senators in the French Senate, accounting for 6.0% of the 348 senators in the Senate:

European Union representation

The territories used to be collectively represented in the European Parliament by the Overseas Territories of France constituency until the 2019 European elections, when all French constituencies merged to form a single constituency.

Overseas France and other 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

Largest cities in overseas France

Ranked by population in the metropolitan area:

See also

Notes

References

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.

External links