Overseas France facts for kids

French overseas departments, territories and claims on Antarctica

Banner of the Minister of Overseas France

Overseas France (French: France d'outre-mer) is a special part of France. It includes all French lands that are outside of the European continent. These lands are found all over the world. They include islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. They also include French Guiana in South America and Adélie Land in Antarctica.

Each of these places has its own way of being governed. Some are fully part of France, while others have more freedom to make their own rules. People from these territories are represented in the French government. They have members in the French National Assembly and the French Senate. These two groups together form the Parliament of France. In January 2011, about 2.7 million people lived in Overseas France.

Different Kinds of French Territories

The lands making up the French Republic, shown at the same geographic scale.

France has different ways of managing its overseas lands. Each type of territory has a different level of autonomy, which means how much they can govern themselves.

Overseas Departments and Regions

These territories are considered a full part of France, just like regions in mainland France. They follow French laws completely.

• Guadeloupe (since 1946)
• Martinique (since 1946)
• French Guiana (since 1946)
• Réunion (since 1946)
• Mayotte (since 2011)

Mayotte used to be a different kind of territory. But in 2011, its people voted to become a full overseas department.

Overseas Collectivities

These territories have more freedom to make their own laws. This type of status was created in 2003.

• French Polynesia (since 2003)

This territory was called an "overseas country" in 2004. It has a lot of self-rule.

• Saint Pierre and Miquelon (since 2003)

This small group of islands is located near Canada.

• Wallis and Futuna (since 2003)

These islands are in the Pacific Ocean.

• Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy (since 2007)

These two islands used to be part of Guadeloupe. They became their own separate collectivities in 2007.

Special Collectivity

• New Caledonia (since 1999)

New Caledonia has a very special status. It has its own citizenship. The French government is slowly giving more power to New Caledonia. Its people will vote between 2014 and 2019 to decide if they want to become an independent country.

Overseas Territories

• French Southern and Antarctic Lands (since 1956)

These lands are mostly uninhabited. They are used for scientific research.

Minor Territories

• Clipperton Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. It is directly managed by the French government.

How Overseas France is Represented

The people in Overseas France have a voice in the French government. They send 27 representatives, called députés, to the French National Assembly. They also send 21 senators to the French Senate. This means about 4.7% of the députés and 6% of the senators come from Overseas France.

Here's how many representatives each territory has:

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

List of Territories

Inhabited Departments and Collectivities

Here are the 11 main inhabited French Overseas Territories:

Flag	Name	Capital	Population (Jan. 2009)	Land area (km2)	Status	Location
	French Guiana	Cayenne	229,000	83,534	Overseas department / region	South America
	French Polynesia	Papeete	264,000	4,167	Overseas collectivity	South Pacific Ocean
	Guadeloupe	Basse-Terre	404,000	1,628	Overseas department / region	Antilles
	Martinique	Fort-de-France	402,000	1,128	Overseas department / region	Antilles
	Mayotte	Mamoudzou	186,452 (July 2007)	374	Overseas department / region	Africa (Mozambique Channel)
	New Caledonia	Nouméa	244,410 (Jan. 2008)	18,575	Sui generis collectivity	South Pacific Ocean
	Réunion	Saint-Denis	817,000	2,512	Overseas department / region	Africa (Indian Ocean)
	Saint Barthélemy	Gustavia	8,450 (Jan. 2007)	21	Overseas collectivity	Antilles
	Saint Martin	Marigot	35,925 (Jan. 2007)	53	Overseas collectivity	Antilles
	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Saint-Pierre	6,099 (Jan. 2007)	242	Overseas collectivity	Southeast of Canada
	Wallis and Futuna	Mata-Utu	13,484 (Jul. 2008)	274	Overseas collectivity	South Pacific Ocean

Uninhabited Lands

These lands usually have no people living there permanently. Sometimes, researchers stay in scientific stations.

Flag	Name	Land area (km2)	Status	Location
	Banc du Geyser	1	TAAF district	Africa (Mozambique Channel)
	Bassas da India	1	TAAF district	Africa (Mozambique Channel)
	Clipperton	7	French state private property	West of Mexico
	Crozet Islands	352	TAAF district	South Indian Ocean
	Europa	28	TAAF district	Africa (Mozambique Channel)
	Glorioso Islands	5	TAAF district	Indian Ocean
	Juan de Nova	5	TAAF district	Africa (Mozambique Channel)
	Kerguelen Islands	7,215	TAAF district	South Indian Ocean
	Saint-Paul Island and Amsterdam Island	66	TAAF district	Indian Ocean
	Tromelin Island	1	TAAF district	Indian Ocean

Antarctica

Flag	Name	Capital	Land area (km2)	Status	Location
	Adélie Land	Dumont d'Urville Station	432,000	TAAF district	Antarctica

Related pages

• French colonial empire
• Government of France
• Communes in France
• Metropolitan France
• Organisation internationale de la Francophonie

See also

In Spanish: Francia de ultramar para niños