The French Overseas Departments and Territories (French: départements d'outre-mer and territoires d'outre-mer or DOM-TOM ) 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 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. 2,624,505 people lived in the French Overseas Departments and Territories in January 2009.

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 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 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 is not a particular status.On 2009-03-29, its population voted yes to becoming an overseas department in 2011.

• 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 sui generis status and is not 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 will become an independent nation. The accords also specify a gradual devolution of powers to the local New Caledonian assembly.

Overseas Territory

• French Southern and Antarctic Lands (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.

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.

Minor Territories

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

Political representation in the French Parliament

With 2,624,505 inhabitants in 2009, the French overseas departments and territories account for 4.0% of the population of the French Republic. They enjoy a corresponding representation in the two chambers of the French Parliament.

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, doesn't have its own deputy yet
• Saint Martin: still represented by the deputy of Guadeloupe's 4th constituency, doesn't have its own deputy yet

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

List of French Overseas Territories

Inhabited departments and collectivities

Flag	Name	Capital	Population	Land area (km2)	Status	Location	Notes
	French Guiana	Cayenne	221,500 (Jan. 2008)	83,534 or 91,000	Overseas department / region	South America
	French Polynesia	Papeete	259,596 (Aug. 2007)	4,167	Overseas collectivity	South Pacific Ocean
	Guadeloupe	Basse-Terre	405,500 (Jan. 2008)	1,628	Overseas department / region	Antilles
	Martinique	Fort-de-France	402,000 (Jan. 2008)	1,128	Overseas department / region	Antilles
	Mayotte	Mamoudzou	186,452 (July 2007)	374	Overseas collectivity	Africa (Mozambique Channel)	Voted on March 29 2009 in favour of attaining overseas department / region status. That status will become effective in 2011. Also claimed by Comoros
	New Caledonia	Nouméa	244,410 (Jan. 2008)	18,575	Sui generis collectivity	South Pacific Ocean	Referendum for independence to occur sometime during the period of 2014 to 2019.
	Réunion	Saint-Denis	802,000 (Jan. 2008)	2,512	Overseas department / region	Africa (Indian Ocean)
	Saint Barthélemy	Gustavia	8,450 (Jan. 2007)	21	Overseas collectivity	Antilles	Detached from Guadeloupe on 22 February, 2007.
	Saint Martin	Marigot	35,263 (Jan. 2006)	53	Overseas collectivity	Antilles	Detached from Guadeloupe on 22 February, 2007.
	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Saint-Pierre	6,125 (Jan. 2006)	242	Overseas collectivity	South East of Canada
	Wallis and Futuna	Mata-Utu	13,484 (Jul. 2008)	274	Overseas collectivity	South Pacific Ocean

Overall Summary
Status	Population (Jan. 2009)	Land area (km2)
Overseas Departments / Regions	1,854,505	91,847
Overseas Collectivities & New Caledonia	770,000	23,632
Total	2,624,505	120,049

Uninhabited lands

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

Flag	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	-	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

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

Largest cities in overseas France

Ranked by population in the urban area:

• Pointe-à-Pitre–Les Abymes (Guadeloupe): 177,336 inhabitants (in 2006)
• Fort-de-France (Martinique): 173,128 (in 2006)
• Saint-Denis (Réunion): 168,910 (in 2006)
• Nouméa (New Caledonia): 163,723 (in 2009)
• Saint-Pierre (Réunion): 144,328 (in 2006)
• Papeete (French Polynesia): 131,695 (in 2007)
• Cayenne (French Guiana): 100,323 (in 2006)
• Saint-Paul (Réunion): 99,291 (in 2006)

Further reading

• Frédéric Monera, L'idée de République et la jurisprudence du Conseil constitutionnel - Paris : L.G.D.J., 2004 [69772] [69773];

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

References

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

External links

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