Home > Flags of France > French collectivity > The others Territorial Collectivities
The others Territorial Collectivities
All the versions of this article: [English] [français]
LA RÉUNION
The unofficial flag of Réunion was chosen by a Réunion Committee, with the President of the FIAV. It represents the Fournaise volcano in red, while blue symbolizes the sky and yellow the sunlight. These three colours also symbolize strength, softness and brightness. Coming from all over the world, the inhabitants of Réunion are open to the world. It is in the ratio 2: 3. The colours in the Pantone system are : red 032, process blue, process yellow.
An Overseas Department since 19-03-1946, Réunion has also become a Region since 31-12-1982. The French Constitution as amended on 28-3-2003, gives it the status of Overseas Territorial Collectivity.
FRENCH GUIANA
The French Guiana department adopted the Guianese flag as an emblem on January 25, 2010. Instead of adopting a logo like the other French departments, the General Council adopted the flag of the UTG party: green and gold,for the forest and the mineral wealth, with a red star for the bloodshed.
French Guiana has been an Overseas Department since 19-03-1946, then a Region since 31-12-1982. The French Constitution as amended on 28-3-2003, gives it the status of Overseas Territorial Collectivity.
MARTINIQUE
The department of Martinique has a traditional but unofficial flag. It derives from the former coat of arms of the colony.
The island has been an Overseas Department since 19-03-1946, then a Region since 31-12-1982. The French Constitution as amended on 28-3-2003, gives it the status of Overseas Territorial Collectivity.
GUADELOUPE
Guadeloupe has no official flag. We can sometimes see an emblazoned blue and black local banner inspired by the coat of arms of Pointe-à-Pitre, loaded with a sun and a palm branch.
Forming an Overseas Department since 19-03-1946, Guadeloupe became a Region on 31-12-1982. The French Constitution as amended on 28-3-2003, gives it the status of Overseas Territorial Collectivity. By the referendum of December 7, 2003, the dependencies of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy voted for separation and became Overseas Territorial Collectivities of the Republic by the law of 21 February, 2007.
SAINT-MARTIN
The French part of Saint Martin island voted its separation from Guadeloupe by the referendum of 07 December 2003. It became an Overseas Territorial Collectivity by the law of 21 February 2007.
SAINT-BARTHÉLÉMY
This island voted its separation from Guadeloupe by the referendum of 07 December 2003. It became an Overseas Territorial Collectivity by the law of 21 February 2007.
It has no official flag even if we can sometimes see an emblazoned white banner charged with the coat of arms of the commune.
MAYOTTE
The flag of Mayotte is not official. This is a fancy flag based on the weapons of the territory that have appeared on a postage stamp. The motto Ra Hachiri means "We are vigilant" in shikomor, implied facing the claims of the Comoros. The symbols are the crescent for Islam and ylang-ylang flowers that are the wealth of the island. The border of circular arcs remembers the coral reef that surrounds the island.
The French Constitution as amended on 28-3-2003, gives it the status of Overseas Territorial Collectivity (former Overseas Territorial Collectivity since 24-12-1976 then Overseas Departmental Collectivity since 11- 7-2001). On 31 March 2011, Mayotte became the 101st French Department.
SAINT-PIERRE-AND-MIQUELON
The flag opposite in use in the archipelago is not official. On the left we can see the colours of the Basque Country, Brittany, Normandy, whose emigrants have populated Canada and the archipelago. The ship on the right side symbolizes this emigration to the West.
The former colony received the status of Overseas Territory on 19-03-1946. On 19-7-1976, the archipelago became an Overseas Department, and since 11-06-1985 an Overseas Territorial Collectivity.
FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC (T.A.A.F.)
This French territory includes the Kerguelen Islands, the archipelago of Crozet, Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands, and the French sector of the Antarctic continent called Adélie Land (capital city Saint-Pierre-de-la-Réunion from the 27- 02-1997).
The Territory was formed on August 6, 1955, by detachment of Madagascar. The Constitutional Law of 28 March 2003 made of it a Territory with a special status. Until then it was not quoted in the French Constitution.
Note that the scattered islands of the Indian Ocean (the Glorieuses, Bassas da India, Europa, Juan de Nova and Tromelin), administered by the Prefect of Réunion since 19-9-1960, have been administered by T.A.A.F. since 3-1-2005, and then attached to the Territory as a fifth district by the ordinary law of 21 February 2007. From February 23, the Prefect, Senior Administrator signed a decree establishing an emblem for TAAF.
CLIPPERTON
Clipperton Island has been a French possession since the law of 21 February 2007, administered directly by the state. Previously it was administered by the French representative of the French Settlements of Oceania (now French Polynesia) since the decree of 12-6-1936. It belongs to the public domain of the State from 18-3-1986.