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Overseas Department - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: Area, Arena, Bailiwick, Beat, Belt, Border, Borderland, Branch, Bureau, Circle, Circuit, Commissariat, Concern, Constabulary, Control, Corridor, Country, Demesne, Discipline, District, Division, Domain |
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Under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic, the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana in the Caribbean and Réunion in the Indian Ocean became départements d'outre-mer (Overseas departments) or DOMs.
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon became a DOM in 1976, but its status changed to that of a collectivité territoriale in 1985.
As integral parts of the French Republic, 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.
Since 1982, following the French government's policy of decentralization, they have elected regional councils with powers similar to those of the régions of metropolitan  France. As a result of a constitutional revision which occurred in 2003, these régions are now to be called régions d'outre-mer; indeed the new wording of the Constitution aims to give no precedence to either appelation département or région d'outre-mer, though the second one is still virtually unused by French media.
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Example Usage of Department |
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DynoJamz: @thedaily turns out the head of the jazz music Department has been out for a full month on some "mysterious surgery". investigate plz. |
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coryoconnor: @grasshopper126 Much better in the avatar Department, and no, your #NSAC and #PrincAd tweets are separate assignments, so you will do 13. |
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NewsGeorgia: Article Lunchtime bandit moves to brunch – Atlanta Journal Constitution: Cobb County Police Department This man s... http://bit.ly/8JMhpE |
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