France's Overseas Frontier: Départements et territoires d'outre-mer

by Robert Aldrich, John Connell

This book provides the first ever English-language analysis of France's so-called "confetti of empire," the colonial remnants referred to as "DOM-TOMs"--the départements et territoires d'outre-mer. France shows no signs of relinquishing its remaining overseas outposts which are located from the tropics to the poles--Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Saint Pierre, and Miquelon in the western hemisphere, Réunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna in the Pacific as well as its claims on Antarctica and several sub-Antarctic islands. France's Overseas Frontier examines the DOM-TOMs in the context of France's colonial history and contemporary politics. It devotes chapters to constitutional change, demographic and economic development, politics, culture and identity, the strategic and geopolitical interests of France in the DOM-TOMs, and the emergence of independence movements in several of the territories.

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Robert Aldrich is an Australian historian and writer. Aldrich is a Professor of European History, he teaches and researches modern European and colonial history, including the history of France since the Revolution, the history of the French and British overseas empires, the history of 'sites of memory' and the history of gender and sexuality.