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Overseas department (French: départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique in the Caribbean, French Guiana in South America, and Réunion in the Indian Ocean. These overseas departments have the same political status as metropolitan departments and are integral parts of France, similar to how Hawaii is a state and an integral part of the United States. They are represented in the National Assembly, Senate and Economic and Social Council, elect a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), and also use the euro as their currency.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon became an overseas department in 1976, but its status changed to that of an Overseas collectivity in 1985. The status of overseas departments is identical to metropolitan departments, but differs from that of overseas collectivities and overseas territories.
Since 1982, following the French government’s policy of decentralisation, they have elected regional councils with powers similar to those of the regions of metropolitan France. As a result of a constitutional revision which occurred in 2003, these regions are now to be called overseas regions; indeed the new wording of the Constitution gave no precedence to the phrase overseas department or overseas region, though the latter is still virtually unused by the French media.
External links
an:Departamento d'ultramar
ca:Regió d'ultramar de:Übersee-Departement es:Departamento de ultramar eo:Transmaraj departementoj (Francio) fr:Département d'outre-mer ko:해외 레지옹 id:Departemen seberang laut it:Dipartimento d'oltremare jv:Departemen jaban rangkah Prancis lv:Francijas aizjūras departamenti hu:Franciaország tengerentúli megyéi nl:Frans overzees departement no:Département d'outre-mer nn:Département d'outre-mer pl:Departament zamorski pt:Departamentos de ultramar ro:Departament de peste mări sk:Zámorský departement sv:Utomeuropeiska departement vec:Dipartimento d'oltremar
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