Hype for the Future 75J: The Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union

Introduction

Though the regions listed are not included within the general definition of the European Union, each region is identified as an overseas territory of a sovereign state in the EU, albeit with varying levels of autonomy depending on the specific case.

Not Part of the EU

Of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the Member States of the European Union, the regions that are included within the EU are referred to as the Outermost Regions, while the regions not included are referred to as the Overseas Countries and Territories. Therefore, the regions not already identified as Outermost Regions should be listed within the remainder of the article:

Regions

• Aruba 🇦🇼 (Netherlands)
• Curaçao 🇨🇼 (Netherlands)
• Sint Maarten 🇸🇽 (Netherlands)
• Bonaire 🇧🇶 (Netherlands)
• Sint Eustatius (Netherlands)
• Saba (Netherlands)
• Greenland 🇬🇱 (Denmark)
• French Polynesia 🇵🇫 (France)
• French Southern and Antarctic Lands (France)
• New Caledonia 🇳🇨 (France)
• Saint Barthélemy 🇧🇱 (France)
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon 🇵🇲 (France)
• Wallis and Futuna 🇼🇫 (France)

Hype for the Future 75F: French Guiana 🇬🇫

Introduction

Unlike most of the South American continent, French Guiana continues to be fully integrated into the sovereign nation of France 🇫🇷, though transplanted overseas from Europe into South America and with Caribbean customs associated with the region. While the capital of French Guiana is located at Cayenne, Paris on the European mainland continues to maintain a level of influence in the entirety of the French Overseas Territories—even French Guiana.

Geography

With the Amazon located nearby to the south and west, the southern portion of French Guiana is very sparsely settled, if at all, with tropical diseases continuing to impact the entirety of the mainland nation. While the vast majority of the population of French Guiana resides along the coastal portion of the mainland of the territory, the general population continues to identify the region as strictly Caribbean, rather than continental, nonetheless.

Hype for the Future 50B: Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands 🇹🇨 refer to an overseas territory of the British located at the southeastern end of the Lucayan, or Bahamian, archipelago. The largest of the communities associated with the Turks and Caicos Islands is the island region of Providenciales in the west, though the capital, Cockburn Town, is located on the eastern side of the area on the Island of Grand Turk. While the Cayman Islands are located south of Cuba and west of Jamaica, the Turks and Caicos Islands are located southeast of the Bahamas, northeast of Cuba, and northwest of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Hispaniola.

Hype for the Future 49J: French Guiana 🇬🇫

French Guiana is a French Overseas Territory located on the South American continent. Like the remainder of the Guianas, whether Spanish 🇻🇪, English 🇬🇾, Dutch 🇸🇷, or Portuguese 🇧🇷, French Guiana identifies predominantly with the Caribbean. However, specifically French Guiana is located on the Atlantic Coast nearest the Brazilian coast, with Suriname located directly to the west. Unlike Guyana or Suriname, however, French Guiana is not a sovereign state as the territory remains under the direct jurisdiction of France, though the region is obviously not identified as part of Metropolitan France. Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, compared to Macapá in Amapá (Brazil), Paramaribo in Suriname, and Georgetown in Guyana.

The historic slave trade is also associated with the region, with an overwhelming dominance of Africans in the region, particularly within Guyana 🇬🇾, Suriname 🇸🇷, and French Guiana 🇬🇫 as represented by the Pan-African flag colors and the resemblance to many of the flags of West Africa. Beyond the Africans, however, a significant population from the Indian subcontinent had also settled especially Guyana.