dOutreMer

Doutremer, often written outre-mer, is a French term used to describe the territories, departments, and collectivities of the French Republic that are located outside the European mainland. The word derives from outre (beyond) and mer (sea). In contemporary usage, outre-mer refers to the overseas territories collectively and to the overseas departments and regions; the singular form l’Outre-mer is sometimes used in formal government contexts. The spelling doutremer appears less common and is often treated as archaic or variant.

Geographically, l’outre-mer covers areas across several oceans, including the Caribbean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean, as well as parts of the Antarctic and southern Indian Ocean. Administratively, France distinguishes between overseas departments (départements d’outre-mer, DOM), overseas collectivities (collectivités d’outre-mer, COM), and other overseas territories with special status. The DOM currently include Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique, La Réunion, and Mayotte. The COM include Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Wallis-et-Futuna, and French Polynesia; New Caledonia has a sui generis status as a collectivity with a distinctive arrangement. The French Southern and Antarctic Lands constitute another overseas territory category. Some overseas regions, such as Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique, La Réunion, and Mayotte, are part of the European Union as outermost regions, while others are not part of the EU.

Historically tied to France’s colonial and post-colonial framework, the concept of outre-mer has evolved through constitutional and administrative reforms in the 20th and 21st centuries, shaping governance, autonomy, and identity across the territories.