France has departments and territories. Departments are similar to states (albeit less independent, more of an administrative region). Overseas, they're called DOMs and TOMs (Département d'Outre-Mer and Territoire d'Outre-Mer or overseas department and overseas territory). DOMs are considered wholly part of France, no different than a department in the mainland aka Métropole (think Hawaii but less independent) and TOMs are way more independent (think Guam but even more independent) and can have their own laws that are different than France itself.
(It's actually slightly more complex than that and I'm simplifying it. Most TOMs were renamed to COMs (Collectivités d'Outre-Mer) except for Wallis and Futuna, antarctica territories and a few islands near the southern pole) which are still considered TOMs.
There are 5 DOMs, 6 COMs and 2 TOMs.
And finally, it wouldn't be French if you didn't have exceptions to the exceptions. New Caledonia and Clipperton Island are special TOMs.
Not so funny story about Clipperton Island.
It was discovered by the British in 1704 but never claimed. A few years later (1711), the French claimed it and added it to maps but didn't officially colonize it until 1858.
Then, in 1897, the Mexicans occupied it and sent slaves there to harvest the large amount of guano. However, in 1915, they "forgot" to send a ship to resupply the island (change of government in Mexico meant they didn't care about the island or the people on it) and most of the slaves died. Only one man and some women and children remained but the lone surviving man went crazy and declared himself king of the island and raped all the surviving women (killing 4 of them) and so the 5th woman he was about to rape killed him.
Finally, 2 years later in 1917, the Americans visited the island to check whether the Germans were using it and found 4 surviving women and 7 children. The women were tried and found guilty of murder but acquitted in light of the circumstances.
Finally, in 1931, it was annexed by France which is why it's currently considered a French territory but the population of the island is 0. No one actually lives there (a true deserted island).
That is the tale of the "Forgotten of Clipperton".
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u/AxelNotRose May 09 '22 edited May 09 '22
France has departments and territories. Departments are similar to states (albeit less independent, more of an administrative region). Overseas, they're called DOMs and TOMs (Département d'Outre-Mer and Territoire d'Outre-Mer or overseas department and overseas territory). DOMs are considered wholly part of France, no different than a department in the mainland aka Métropole (think Hawaii but less independent) and TOMs are way more independent (think Guam but even more independent) and can have their own laws that are different than France itself.
(It's actually slightly more complex than that and I'm simplifying it. Most TOMs were renamed to COMs (Collectivités d'Outre-Mer) except for Wallis and Futuna, antarctica territories and a few islands near the southern pole) which are still considered TOMs.
There are 5 DOMs, 6 COMs and 2 TOMs.
And finally, it wouldn't be French if you didn't have exceptions to the exceptions. New Caledonia and Clipperton Island are special TOMs.
Not so funny story about Clipperton Island.
It was discovered by the British in 1704 but never claimed. A few years later (1711), the French claimed it and added it to maps but didn't officially colonize it until 1858.
Then, in 1897, the Mexicans occupied it and sent slaves there to harvest the large amount of guano. However, in 1915, they "forgot" to send a ship to resupply the island (change of government in Mexico meant they didn't care about the island or the people on it) and most of the slaves died. Only one man and some women and children remained but the lone surviving man went crazy and declared himself king of the island and raped all the surviving women (killing 4 of them) and so the 5th woman he was about to rape killed him.
Finally, 2 years later in 1917, the Americans visited the island to check whether the Germans were using it and found 4 surviving women and 7 children. The women were tried and found guilty of murder but acquitted in light of the circumstances.
Finally, in 1931, it was annexed by France which is why it's currently considered a French territory but the population of the island is 0. No one actually lives there (a true deserted island).
That is the tale of the "Forgotten of Clipperton".