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.
and 22 Related for: Overseas collectivity information
The French overseascollectivities (French: collectivité d'outre-mer abbreviated as COM) are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the...
"overseascollectivity", Saint Pierre et Miquelon is called collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, literally "territorial collectivity"...
media. The overseascollectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon was an overseas department from 1976 to 1985. All five of France's overseas departments...
Martin (Saint-Martin, French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ maʁtɛ̃]), is an overseascollectivity of France in the West Indies in the Caribbean, on the northern half...
not a territorial collectivity (although its subdivisions are territorial collectivities). It is regarded as a sui generis collectivity, which means that...
Overseas country (French: Pays d'outre-mer) is the designation for the overseascollectivity of French Polynesia. French Polynesia was an overseas territory...
[pɔlinezi fʁɑ̃sɛːz]; Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni) is an overseascollectivity of France and its sole overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed...
Miquelon [sɛ̃ pjɛʁ e miklɔ̃]), is a self-governing territorial overseascollectivity of France in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, located near the Canadian...
[citation needed] New Caledonia, a sui generis collectivity, and French Polynesia, an overseascollectivity, are highly autonomous territories with their...
territory of Denmark) North Korea Namibia New Caledonia (French overseascollectivity) Palau Portugal Afghanistan (2013–2021) Cabo Verde Cook Islands...
the Collectivity of Saint Martin Flag of Sint Maarten "CIA World Factbook – Saint Martin". Retrieved 24 July 2019. Saint-Martin (OverseasCollectivity, France)...
listing for Finland Five autonomous overseascollectivities, one sui generis collectivity, and two uninhabited overseas territories (one of which includes...
VAT Area. Mayotte is the newest of the five overseas departments, having changed from an overseascollectivity with OCT status on 31 March 2011. It became...
guide to the Collectivity of Saint Martin: The Collectivity of Saint Martin (French: Collectivité de Saint-Martin) is an overseascollectivity of France...
been a French overseascollectivity (collectivité d'outre-mer, or COM). Between 1961 and 2003, it had the status of a French overseas territory (territoire...
(formerly, twenty-seven) regions, five overseascollectivities, one sui generis collectivity and one overseas territory of France. Most of them are both...
The Collectivity of Saint Martin was a French commune for many years and formed part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas région and département of France...
is a self-governing overseascollectivity of France. In 1982 an unofficial local flag was designed, based on the Collectivity's coat of arms. The flag...
Metropolitan France to 96. By 2011, when the overseascollectivity of Mayotte became a department, joining the earlier overseas departments of the Republic (all created...
a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic French overseascollectivity, whereby the President of French Polynesia is the head of government...
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