Overseas France

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.

• French Guiana (since 1946)
• Guadeloupe (since 1946)
• Martinique (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 31 March 2011.
• Réunion (since 1946)

Overseas collectivities

The category of "overseas collectivity" (French: collectivité d'outre-mer 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" (French: pays d'outre-mer), 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.^[10] On 7 February 2007, the French Parliament passed a bill granting COM status to Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy.^[11] The new status took effect on 22 February 2007, when the law was published in the Journal Officiel.^[12] Saint Martin remains part of the European Union, as stated in the Treaty of Lisbon.^[13]
• 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).

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 (statut particulier 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.^[14] 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%.^[15][16]

Overseas territory

• French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises 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 constitute the 5th district of TAAF.

Special status

• Clipperton Island (French: Île de Clipperton or Île de la Passion; Spanish: Isla de la Pasión) is a 9 km² (3.5 sq mi) uninhabited coral atoll located 1,280 km (800 miles) south-west of Acapulco, Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. 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).

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.

Inhabited collectivities and departments/regions

The eleven inhabited French overseas territories are:

More information Flag, Name ...

Flag[note 3]	Name	Capital	Official language(s)	Population	Area (km2)	Population Density (inh. per km2)	Status	EU/EEA Status	UN Continental Region	UN Geographical Subregion	Location	Notes
	French Guiana	Cayenne	French	298,554 (Jan. 2026)[5]	83,534[17]	3.6	Overseas department/region	Outermost Region	Americas	South America	The Guianas
	French Polynesia	Papeete	French, Tahitian	279,515 (Jan. 2025)[6]	3,521[18]	79	Overseas collectivity/country	Overseas Country or Territory	Oceania	Polynesia	South Pacific Ocean	The most populous island is Tahiti.[19]
	Guadeloupe	Basse-Terre	French	382,586 (Jan. 2026)[5]	1,628[17]	235	Overseas department/region	Outermost Region	Americas	Caribbean	Leeward Islands
	Martinique	Fort-de-France	French	358,818 (Jan. 2026)[5]	1,128[17]	318					Windward Islands
	Mayotte	Mamoudzou	French	338,208 (Jan. 2026)[5]	374[18]	904			Africa	Eastern Africa	Comoro Islands	Also claimed by the Comoros.
	New Caledonia	Nouméa	French	264,596 (Apr. 2025)[7]	18,575.5[20]	14.2	Sui generis collectivity	Overseas Country or Territory	Oceania	Melanesia	South Pacific Ocean
	Réunion	Saint Denis	French	910,985 (Jan. 2026)[5]	2,504[17]	364	Overseas department/region	Outermost Region	Africa	Eastern Africa	Mascarene Islands
	Saint Barthélemy	Gustavia	French	10,660 (Jan. 2023)[8]	25[note 4][21]	426	Overseas collectivity	Overseas Country or Territory	Americas	Caribbean	Leeward Islands	Detached from Guadeloupe on 22 February 2007.
	Saint Martin	Marigot	French	31,160 (Jan. 2023)[22]	53[23]	588		Outermost Region
	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Saint Pierre	French	5,819 (Jan. 2022)[24]	242[18]	24		Overseas Country or Territory		Northern America	Gulf of St. Lawrence
	Wallis and Futuna	Mata Utu	French	11,151 (Jul. 2023)[9]	142[18]	79			Oceania	Polynesia	South Pacific Ocean

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Uninhabited overseas territories

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

More information Flag, Name ...

Flag	Name	TAAF District	Island	Capital	Area (km2)	Status	Location	Notes
	Clipperton Island	–	–	–	2[25]	Overseas state private property	North Pacific Ocean
	French Southern and Antarctic Lands	Adélie Land		Dumont d'Urville Station	432,000[26]	Overseas territory	Antarctica	Under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty.
		Crozet Islands		Alfred Faure	340[26]		Indian Ocean
		Kerguelen Islands		Port-aux-Français	7,215[26]			Population: 45 researchers in winter, 110 in summer.
		Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands	Amsterdam Island	Martin-de-Viviès	66[26]
			Saint Paul Island
		Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean	Banc du Geyser	Saint Pierre, Réunion	0		Mozambique Channel	Claimed by the Comoros and Madagascar.
			Bassas da India		1[26]			Claimed by Madagascar.
			Europa Island		30[26]
			Glorioso Islands		7[26]		Indian Ocean	Claimed by the Comoros and Madagascar.
			Juan de Nova Island		5[26]		Mozambique Channel	Claimed by Madagascar.
			Tromelin Island		1[26]		Indian Ocean	Claimed by Mauritius.

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Map

Photo gallery

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  Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon
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  Cayenne, French Guiana
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  Marigot, Saint Martin
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  Guadeloupe
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  Martinique
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  Saint Barthélemy
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  Mont Choungui, Mayotte
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  Réunion
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  Île de l'Est, Crozet Islands, French Southern and Antarctic Lands
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  New Caledonia
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  Wallis Island, Wallis and Futuna
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  Bora Bora, French Polynesia
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  Clipperton Island