French Overseas Departments

There are four Départements d'Outre-Mer, each one an integral part of the French Republic. Despite the greater autonomy achieved with the formation of their own individual Regional Councils in 1974, each French Overseas Department still returns elected representatives to the Senate and National Assembly in Paris, as well as to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

GUADELOUPE and MARTINIQUE are in the Caribbean (also including the islands of St Martin and St Barthélemy); see the separate sections.

FRENCH GUIANA is on the northwest coast of South America; see the separate section.

RÉUNION is in the Indian Ocean; see the separate section.