Overseas France

Overseas France 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, overseas France covers a land area of and accounts for 18.0% of the French Republic's land territory. Its exclusive economic zone 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

have exactly the same status as France's mainland regions. The French Constitution provides that, in general, French laws and regulations 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
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Mayotte
* 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

Overseas collectivities

The category of "overseas collectivity" was created by France's constitutional reform of 28 March 2003. Each overseas collectivity has its own statutory laws.
In contrast to overseas departments/regions, 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 the Overseas, in charge of issues related to the overseas territories.

French Polynesia : 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 : 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 : It is still commonly referred to as a territoire.

''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 in 1999. A New Caledonian citizenship was established, 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

French Southern and Antarctic Lands ; overseas territory of France. It is currently the only overseas territory. According to law 2007-224 of 21 February 2007, the Indian Ocean">Indian Ocean">Indian Ocean constitute the 5th district of TAAF.

Special status

Clipperton Island is a uninhabited coral atoll located 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.

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, 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 Parliament election in France|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:

Name

Official language

Status

UN Continental Region

UN Geographical Subregion

Location

Notes

French Guiana

Cayenne

French

298,554

83,534

3.6

Overseas department/region

|size=65pxsort|03,521|3,521sort|01,628|1,628sort|01,128|1,128sort|00,374|374sort|02,504|2,504sort|010,660|10,660sort|00,025|25NoteTag|25 km² including the outlying uninhabited islets. 21 km² without the outlying islets.sort|031,160|31,160sort|00,053|53sort|005,819|5,819sort|00,242|242sort|011,151|11,151sort|00,142|142