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Overseas collectivity

Type of French territorial collectivity, used for several overseas islands or archipelagos

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The French overseas collectivities (French: collectivité d'outre-mer abbreviated as COM) are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colonies and other French overseas entities with a particular status, all of which became COMs by constitutional reform on 28 March 2003. The COMs differ from overseas regions and overseas departments, which have the same status as metropolitan France but are located outside Europe. As integral parts of France, overseas collectivities are represented in the National Assembly, Senate and Economic and Social Council. Though some are outside the European Union, all can vote to elect members of the European Parliament (MEPs). (All of France became one multi-member EU constituency in 2019.) The Pacific COMs use the CFP franc, a currency pegged to the euro, whereas the Atlantic COMs use the euro itself. As of 31 March 2011, there were six COMs:

• French Polynesia became a COM in 2003. Its statutory law of 27 February 2004 gives it the designation of overseas country inside the Republic (French: pays d'outre-mer au sein de la République, or POM), but without legal modification of its status. French Polynesia has a great degree of autonomy, two symbolic manifestations of which are the title of the President of French Polynesia (Le président de la Polynésie française) and its additional designation as a pays d'outre-mer. Legislature: Assembly of French Polynesia since 2004.
• Saint Barthélemy, an island in the Lesser Antilles. St. Barthelemy was separated from the overseas department of Guadeloupe in 2007. It has a territorial council and executive council, and with separation ceased to be part of the European Union.
• Saint Martin, the northern part of the island of Saint Martin in the Lesser Antilles. St. Martin was separated from the overseas department of Guadeloupe in 2007. It has a territorial council and executive council, and with separation remained a part of the European Union.
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It has a territorial council. It is the last remaining part of New France to be under French rule.
• Wallis and Futuna, three small islands in the Pacific Ocean has a high administrator and territorial assembly.
• French Southern and Antarctic Lands, On 5 July 2019, the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, and the Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the "French Austral Lands and Seas" because of their pristine wilderness, biodiversity, and enormous bird colonies.

Former COMs and overseas territories[edit]

• Mayotte was a COM from 1976 until 31 March 2011, when it became an overseas department.^[1]
• New Caledonia was classified as an overseas territory beginning in 1946, but as a result of the 1998 Nouméa Accord, it gained a special status (statut particulierorstatut original) 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 fifteen to twenty years.

Table of overseas collectivities and sui generis collectivity[edit]

Overseas collectivity	Capital
French Polynesia	Papeete
Saint Barthélemy	Gustavia
Saint Martin	Marigot
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Saint-Pierre
Wallis and Futuna	Mata Utu
French Southern and Antarctic Lands	Saint-Pierre

Sui generis collectivity	Capital
New Caledonia	Nouméa

See also[edit]

• 2009 Mahoran status referendum
• Administrative divisions of France
• Overseas country of France (Outre-mer)
• Overseas departments and regions of France
• Overseas France
• Overseas Territories of France (European Parliament constituency)
• Overseas territory
• Special member state territories and the European Union

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• COM – Overseas communities at the far ends of the world – Official French website (in English)
• Official website (in French)
• Past and current developments of France's overseas administrative divisions like collectivités d'outre-mer (in French)