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" ( 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 •
French Southern and Antarctic Lands ( 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 .
Special status •
Clipperton Island ( or ; ) 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 ("private" in this context refers to official restrictions on access, rather than private ownership
per se). == Political representation in legislatures ==