Overseas France


Overseas France consists of all the French-administered territories outside Europe, mostly remains of the French colonial empire. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in both France's National Assembly and Senate, which together make up the French Parliament. Their citizens have French nationality and vote for the president of France. They have the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament. Overseas France includes 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.
Almost all inhabited French administrative divisions outside Europe are classified as either overseas departments/regions or overseas collectivities; these statuses are very different from one another from a legal and administrative standpoint. Overseas regions have exactly the same status as mainland France's regions. The French constitution provides that, in general, French laws and regulations apply to French overseas regions the same as in mainland 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, whereas the overseas collectivities are empowered to make their own laws, except in certain areas reserved to the French national government. The overseas collectivities are governed by local elected assemblies and by the French Parliament and French government, with a cabinet member, the Minister of Overseas France, in charge of issues related to the overseas territories.
Overseas France covers a land area of and accounts for 18.0% of the French Republic's land territory. It has an exclusive economic zone of and accounts for 96.7% of the EEZ of the French Republic.

Varying constitutional statuses

Overseas regions and departments

The category of "overseas collectivity" was created by France's constitutional reform of March 28, 2003. Each overseas collectivity has its own statutory laws.
With 2,790,000 inhabitants in 2018, Overseas France accounts for 4.1% 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 14th Legislature, 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:

Inhabited departments and collectivities

The 11 inhabited French overseas territories are:
FlagNameCapitalPopulationLand area
Population density
StatusLocationNotes
French GuianaCayenne281,612
83,5343Overseas department / regionSouth America
French PolynesiaPapeete275,918
78Overseas collectivitySouth Pacific Ocean
GuadeloupeBasse-Terre390,704
240Overseas department / regionCaribbean
MartiniqueFort-de-France371,246
329Overseas department / regionCaribbean
MayotteMamoudzou259,154
693Overseas department / regionMozambique ChannelVoted 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 CaledoniaNouméa278,500
18,575.515Sui generis collectivitySouth Pacific OceanReferendum for independence occurred on November 4, 2018, with 56.4% voting against and 43.6% voting in favor of independence from France.
RéunionSaint-Denis865,826
346Overseas department / regionIndian Ocean
Saint BarthélemyGustavia
385Overseas collectivityCaribbeanDetached from Guadeloupe on February 22, 2007.
Saint MartinMarigot
673Overseas collectivityCaribbeanDetached from Guadeloupe on February 22, 2007.
Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint-Pierre
25Overseas collectivityNorth Atlantic Ocean
Wallis and FutunaMata-Utu
86Overseas collectivitySouth Pacific Ocean

Uninhabited overseas territories

FlagNameDistrictScattered islandsCapitalLand area StatusLocationNotes
Clipperton–––2French state private propertyCentral America
French Southern and Antarctic LandsCrozet Islands–Alfred Faure340TAAF districtIndian Ocean
French Southern and Antarctic LandsKerguelen Islands–Port-aux-Français7,215TAAF districtIndian Oceanpopulation: 45 researchers in winter, 110 in summer
French Southern and Antarctic LandsSaint-Paul Island and
Amsterdam Island		–Martin-de-Viviès66TAAF districtIndian Ocean
French Southern and Antarctic LandsAdélie Land–Dumont d'Urville Station432,000TAAF districtAntarcticaUnder the terms of the Antarctic Treaty System
French Southern and Antarctic LandsScattered Islands in the Indian OceanBanc du Geyser–0TAAF districtMozambique ChannelClaimed by Madagascar and Comoros
French Southern and Antarctic LandsScattered Islands in the Indian OceanBassas da India–1TAAF districtMozambique ChannelClaimed by Madagascar
French Southern and Antarctic LandsScattered Islands in the Indian OceanEuropa–30TAAF districtMozambique ChannelClaimed by Madagascar
French Southern and Antarctic LandsScattered Islands in the Indian OceanGlorioso Islands–7TAAF districtIndian OceanClaimed by Comoros and Madagascar
French Southern and Antarctic LandsScattered Islands in the Indian OceanJuan de Nova–5TAAF districtMozambique ChannelClaimed by Madagascar
French Southern and Antarctic LandsScattered Islands in the Indian OceanTromelin Island–1TAAF districtIndian OceanClaimed by Mauritius

Map

Largest cities in overseas France

Ranked by population in the urban area: