Overseas departments of France
France currently has five overseas departments (French: département d’outre-mer), which are departments (territorial divisions) that are outside the European part of the country. All are officially part of France, with the same political status as the departments in Europe; and are therefore different to overseas territories. They are also part of the European Union and use the Euro as currency. They are:
| Flag | Department | Prefecture | Region | Since | Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | French Guiana (French: Guyane) | Cayenne | South America | 19 March 1946 | Parliamentary resolution |
.svg){kind=small} | Guadeloupe (French: Guadeloupe) | Basse-Terre | Caribbean | 19 March 1946 | Parliamentary resolution |
 | Martinique (French: Martinique) | Fort-de-France | Caribbean | 19 March 1946 | Parliamentary resolution |
.svg){kind=small} | Mayotte (French: Mayotte) | Mamoudzou | Africa | 31 March 2011 | Referendum |
 | Réunion (French: La Réunion) | Saint-Denis | Africa | 19 March 1946 | Parliamentary resolution |
Since 2003, these departments are now officially called overseas regions (French: région d'outre-mer), but this name has yet to be widely adopted. Each region returns elected representatives to the Senate and National Assembly in Paris.[1] A total of three members are elected to the European Parliament to represent overseas France, including overseas departments and overseas territories.[2] Since 1974, these regions have had their own individual regional councils for local government.[1]
References
Other websites
- (in French) Ministry of the overseas departments and territories
- (in French) History of France’s overseas administrative divisions Archived 2006-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
