Overseas departments and regions of France

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The overseas departments and regions of France (French: départements et régions d'outre-mer, pronounced [depaʁtəmɑ̃ e ʁeʒjɔ̃ d‿utʁəmɛʁ]; DROM) are departments of the French Republic which are outside the continental Europe situated portion of France, known as "metropolitan France". The distant parts have exactly the same status as mainland France's regions and departments. The French Constitution provides that, in general, French laws and regulations (France's civil code, penal code, administrative law, social laws, tax laws, etc.) apply to French overseas regions the same as in metropolitan France, but can be adapted as needed to suit the region's particular needs. Hence, the local administrations of French overseas regions cannot themselves pass new laws. On occasion referendums are undertaken to re-assess the sentiment in local status.

Since March 2011, the five overseas departments and regions of France are:

• French Guiana in South America;
• Guadeloupe in the Caribbean;
• Martinique in the Caribbean;
• Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa;
• Réunion in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa.