France occupies only 548,600 square kilometres in western Europe.Yet the country has many overseas territories,possession,and departments that fall under French rule.The island of Martinique in the West Indies became a possession more than 300 years ago.The department of French Guiana in South America sends one senator and one deputy to the French Parliament.The territory of French Polynesia is 130 islands in the South Pacific.Half the islands population lives on Tahiti.