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The territory of France

Written by the Hexaciv editorial team · Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026 · Our method

Read in: Français · العربية

In short

This sheet helps you know the geographical location and the division of France. It also helps you orient yourself geographically.

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Key points of the sheet

  1. French territory has a part in Europe: hexagonal France (France hexagonale), also called "la métropole". It also has several overseas territories in different places of the world.
  2. The territory is divided administratively into regions, départements and municipalities (communes). They are called local authorities (collectivités territoriales).
  3. France is a unitary State. Laws and regulations apply in the same way on the whole territory, except in some cases.
  4. The overseas territories are in several oceans. The DROM are Guadeloupe, French Guiana (Guyane), Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte. French laws apply there as in hexagonal France, sometimes with some adaptations.
  5. The COM are Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, French Polynesia, New Caledonia (special status), Wallis-et-Futuna and the TAAF. They have greater administrative autonomy than metropolitan France and the DROM, and laws are adapted to local features.
  6. The total area is 667,000 km², including about 543,000 km² for metropolitan France. France has 68.6 million inhabitants on 1 January 2025.
  7. France has 18 regions (13 in metropolitan France and 5 overseas) and 101 départements (96 in metropolitan France and 5 overseas). It has about 35,000 municipalities (communes) (metropolitan France and DROM, on 1 January 2025).
  8. The map lists the regions and numbered départements, for example 75 - Paris (Île-de-France). Corsica (Corse), Martinique and French Guiana (Guyane) are single local authorities (collectivités territoriales uniques).

Words to know

hexagonal France (metropolitan France) (France hexagonale)
It is the French territory located in Europe, also called "la métropole".
local authorities (collectivités territoriales)
They are the regions, the départements and the municipalities (communes).
unitary State (État unitaire)
In a unitary State, laws and regulations apply in the same way on the whole territory, except in some cases.
Overseas Departments and Regions (DROM) (Départements et Régions d’Outre-Mer (DROM))
They are Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte. French laws apply there, sometimes with adaptations.
Overseas Collectivities (COM) (Collectivités d’Outre-Mer (COM))
They are overseas territories with greater administrative autonomy than metropolitan France and the DROM. Laws there are adapted to local features.
overseas territories (territoires ultramarins)
They are the overseas territories of France. They are spread across several oceans.

Test yourself: 3 questions

How many inhabitants does France have on 1 January 2025?

In French, the language of the exam: Combien d’habitants a la France au 1er janvier 2025 ?

France has 68.6 million inhabitants on 1 January 2025.

What is the total area of France?

In French, the language of the exam: Quelle est la superficie totale de la France ?

The total area of France is 667,000 km², with metropolitan France, the DROM and the COM.

Which territory is an Overseas Collectivity (COM)?

In French, the language of the exam: Quel territoire est une Collectivité d’Outre-Mer (COM) ?

French Polynesia is one of the COM. Guadeloupe, Mayotte and Réunion are DROM.

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More in this topic (Atlas of France)

Source

Sheet “Le territoire de la France” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.

Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.

Hexaciv is an independent tool for preparing the French civic exam. It is not an official site, is not linked to any administration and gives no legal advice. For your file, the authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.