Overseas France

Varying constitutional statuses

Overseas departments and regions

Main article: Overseas departments and regions of France

| 1950 | 847000 | 1960 | 1103000 | 1970 | 1388000 | 1980 | 1582000 | 1990 | 1921000 | 2000 | 2295000 | 2010 | 2622000 | 2020 | 2782000 | 2026 | 2891000 Total population of five overseas departments: 2,289,000. Total population of five overseas collectivities and New Caledonia: 602,000. Sources: French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis et Futuna

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

Main article: Overseas collectivity

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/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 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. 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

Main article: Overseas territory (France)

• 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 ( or Île de la Passion; ) is a 9 km2 uninhabited coral atoll located 1,280 km 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

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 (2022–2027), overseas France is represented by 27 deputies in the French National Assembly, accounting for 4.7% of the 577 deputies in the National Assembly:

• Réunion: 7
• Guadeloupe: 4
• Martinique: 4
• French Polynesia: 3
• French Guiana: 2
• Mayotte: 2
• New Caledonia: 2
• Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin: 1
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 1
• Wallis and Futuna: 1 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:
• Réunion: 4
• Guadeloupe: 3
• French Guiana: 2
• French Polynesia: 2
• Martinique: 2
• Mayotte: 2
• New Caledonia: 2
• Saint Barthélemy: 1
• Saint Martin: 1
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 1
• Wallis and Futuna: 1

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.

Overview

Inhabited collectivities and departments/regions

The eleven inhabited French overseas territories are:

Uninhabited overseas territories

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

Map

Photo gallery

File:La ville de Saint-Pierre et l'Ile aux Marins.jpg|Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon File:Cayenne city (8525272038).jpg|Cayenne, French Guiana File:Marigot St Martin.jpg|Marigot, Saint Martin File:Les Saintes - Archipel de Guadeloupe.jpg|Guadeloupe File:TiFoX-réserve protégée-9.jpg|Martinique File:Saint Barth - Vue aérienne - Octobre 2009.jpg|Saint Barthélemy File:Choungui nord.jpg|Mont Choungui, Mayotte File:Roche Vert-Bouteille 2 - Paysage de l'île de La Réunion.jpg|Réunion File:Manchotière Baie du Pacha (île de l'Est) - panoramio.jpg|Île de l'Est, Crozet Islands, French Southern and Antarctic Lands File:Lagon BOURAIL NC.jpg|New Caledonia File:Wallis vue du ciel.jpg|Wallis Island, Wallis and Futuna File:Bora Bora (16542797633).jpg|Bora Bora, French Polynesia File:Clippertonisland.jpg|Clipperton Island

Largest cities in overseas France

Ranked by population in the metropolitan area:

• Fort-de-France (Martinique): 346,577 inhabitants (in 2023)
• Saint Denis (Réunion): 326,743 (in 2023)
• Pointe-à-Pitre–Les Abymes (Guadeloupe): 315,878 (in 2023)
• Saint Pierre–Le Tampon (Réunion): 227,067 (in 2023)
• Saint Paul (Réunion): 177,472 (in 2023)
• Nouméa (New Caledonia): 173,814 (in 2025)
• Cayenne (French Guiana): 153,884 (in 2023)
• Papeete (French Polynesia): 138,861 (in 2022)

Notes

References

References

1. Larousse, Éditions. "Encyclopédie Larousse en ligne – France d'outre-mer".
2. Land area of the four old overseas departments ([https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2864136#consulter]), Mayotte, the overseas collectivities, and New Caledonia ([https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/2045658/my_oldcol_01.pdf page 21]), the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and the Scattered Islands ([http://observatoire-outre-mer.interieur.gouv.fr/site/layout/set/print/content/download/166/1067/file/Tdb_TAAF_Novembre17.pdf] {{Webarchive. link. (19 June 2018), and Clipperton ([http://agriculture.gouv.fr/telecharger/44764?token=428075c480768259a6a7d05a971137ea] {{Webarchive). link. (5 March 2020).)
3. "Sea Around Us – Fisheries, Ecosystems and Biodiversity".
4. The population of all five overseas departments totaled 2,289,000 in January 2026.[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/8721456/estim-pop-nreg-sexe-gca-1975-2026.xlsx] The population of the overseas collectivities and New Caledonia amounted to 602,000 inhabitants (Saint-Pierre and Miquelon [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8680667?sommaire=8681011], Saint-Barthélemy [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8680667?sommaire=8681011], Saint-Martin [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8680667?sommaire=8681011], French Polynesia [https://www.ispf.pf/themes/population], Wallis et Futuna [https://www.wallis-et-futuna.gouv.fr/Actualites/Les-chiffres-INSEE-du-recensement-2023-authentifies-sont-parus], New Caledonia [https://www.isee.nc/population/demographie]).
5. (9 December 2003). "French Caribbean voters reject change". Caribbean Net News.
6. Magras, Bruno. (16 February 2007). "Letter of Information from the Mayor to the residents and non-residents, to the French and to the foreigners, of Saint Barthelemy". St. Barth Weekly.
7. (9 February 2007). "Saint-Barth To Become An Overseas Collectivity". St. Barth Weekly.
8. "Treaty of Lisbon, Article 2, points 287 and 293".
9. {{lang. fr. "Nouvelle-Calédonie", ''Le Petit Larousse''
10. (13 December 2021). "Final results of New Caledonia referendum shows most voters stayed away". Reuters.
11. Répartition des suffrages exprimés lors des référendums sur l'indépendance de la Nouvelle-Calédonie en 2018, 2020 et 2021, [https://fr.statista.com/statistiques/939659/nouvelle-caledonie-resultats-referendum/], Statista.
12. "Estimation de population par région, sexe et grande classe d'âge – Années 1975 à 2026".
13. [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. "Comparateur de territoire".
14. [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. "Thèmes>>Population>>Tableau de bord".
15. [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. "Tableau Économique de Mayotte 2010".
16. (2023-06-06). "French Polynesia profile". [[BBC News]].
17. "Recensement 2025". Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques Nouvelle-Calédonie.
18. [[ISEE (company). "Tableaux de l'Economie Calédonienne 2016".
19. INSEE. "Populations des collectivités d'outre-mer en 2023".
20. [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. "2008, An 1 de la collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy".
21. [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. "2008, An 1 de la collectivitéde Saint-Martin".
22. INSEE. "Populations des collectivités d'outre-mer en 2022".
23. "Résultats du recensement de la population 2023 de Wallis-et-Futuna". Préfet des îles Wallis et Futuna.
24. [[Minister of the Overseas (France). "L'île de Clipperton".
25. Délégation générale à l'outre-mer. "Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises : Données géographiques et humaines".